‘Self-discovery through writing’: Workshop heals, brings women together

Samantha Granados, Contributing Writer

The writing workshop “Pass Her the Pen” utilizes writing as a form of processing and healing emotions to uplift and empower women in their creative process, according to Amala Thomas, the graduate assistant for the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs overseeing the event.

The OMSA hosts the workshop in celebration of “Women’s HerStory Month” on Wednesday, March 13 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Thomas started this workshop last year as a part of a four-part series for “Women’s HerStory Month,” she said. The event went so well she said she decided to continue it for this year’s celebration.

When initially launching this workshop last year, Thomas reached out to local Richmond writers and was directed to Paula G. Akinwole, a Petersburg native and author, blogger and poet, according to Thomas. Akinwole also owns the business PGARTistry LLC which started when her blogging and teaching grew as a platform. 

Akinwole facilitated the first event and brought a lot of experience, talent and skills, which Thomas said she was amazed by, so she asked Akinwole to facilitate the event again, and she agreed.

“She uses her skill sets and her talents with knowing how to be a creative writer, with knowing how to use that to uplift marginalized voices and women’s voices,” Thomas said. 

Thomas believes the personalized atmosphere of this workshop is really important for women to share, especially women of color and queer women, she said. She hopes students who attend gain a sense of empowerment because women are constantly told to hide their emotions, especially women of color.

Therefore, it’s important the writing workshop allows students to process emotions and what it is to be a woman on their own, while sharing that in a safe space with the group, Thomas said. 

Akinwole’s roots in writing stem from her family, a generation of writers including her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, she said. She began writing to express her thoughts on paper and realized how beneficial it became for her.

These group setting workshops remind Akinwole of the group therapy she attended for women who had lost children, she said. This is part of her origin story for her blog “For Lack of Better Words,” as losing her son made a difference in her writing career.  

Rather than writing to simply express she began writing to heal, Akinwole said. It became more intentional and a way to cope with her grieving. 

Akinwole believes writing workshops have the same power of healing, she said.

Her experience with public speaking as a poet allowed her to naturally transition to hosting workshops in 2018 when she began working with her mentor Valley Haggard, an author, teacher, energy worker and spiritual life coach, she said. 

In her workshops, Akinwole’s only goal is to get attendees to write something expressive, she said. She believes everyone has the innate ability to help themselves work through things happening internally.

Although the writers at the workshop may not be able to solve inner obstacles, the introspection of ongoing issues may ultimately help pinpoint what’s going on within, Akinwole said. 

“My goal is just to get them to write because often what happens, they begin to express their most honest, most vulnerable deepest feelings,” Akinwole said. “Things they haven’t said out loud, things they haven’t recognized within themselves yet.”

In recognizing these emotions, they’re already a step further from preventing future triggers, Akinwole said.

“If you know what your triggers are you can avoid them if necessary or you can sit in that space and not allow it to pull your emotions out of whack,” Akinwole said.

She hopes her teachings influence women who read her work or attend her workshops to gain the ability to find strength within themselves for the moments that are too hard, Akinwole said.

“Therapy is important but there are times where it’s two o’clock in the morning and I can’t get a therapist on the phone,” Akinwole said. “One thing I can do is pull out the paper and pen and start expressing myself.”

A person’s level of experience or success doesn’t matter, Akinwole said. Everyone is writing the same prompt the same way, in the same atmosphere, while holding that safe space for and amongst each other. 

Akinwole also participates in the workshop to help attendees open up and feel comfortable, she said. 

At the end of the workshop when everyone parts ways and recognizes they may not see each other again, they’ve at least shared that experience, bonding them all together, Akinwole said.

“If I see you in the street corner, I might wink at you because I know what we’ve shared together and that will sort of forever be life-changing for me, for them, or at least I hope so,” Akinwole said.

Margo Maier, a senior project coordinator of Medical Philanthropy and Alumni Relations at VCU, attended the workshop as an alumni out of personal interest. She believes this event will enhance the visibility of women writers as they share and connect with each other, she said.

“I hope it inspires students to embrace the awkward, uncomfortable journey that is self-discovery through writing and publishing, and to see it as a formative experience in their creative development,” Maier said.

Maier is a writer herself, but still feels shy to pursue publication on a regular basis so she takes inspiration from those like Akinwole, who have overcome the things that have held her back, she said.

She is eager to support a woman who is confident enough to put her work out into the world anytime she can, Maier said.

Registration for the workshop can be found on RamsConnect and attendees will be entered in a raffle to win a PGARTistry writer’s bundle giveaway. Journals and treats will also be provided.