FreeMindsAustin

Our fall writing workshop at Foundation Communities’ Trails at Vintage Creek apartments wrapped up on December 6 with a reading of original works by the writers in the group. One woman shared an experience of racial self-awareness; another read a story about the time her pregnant mother had such a strong craving for turnips, she convinced her father to steal some. (Read this piece here!)

Workshop facilitator Alice Shukalo, a teacher of writing and rhetoric at UT, guided the writers through eight weeks of free-writing and feedback sessions. Every Tuesday evening, participants showed up to improve writing skills and express themselves in a supportive community. As writer Thelma Lee James put it, “A lot of people need this opportunity to share the creations of the mind.” Thelma, who also participated in the spring writing said she “had stopped writing so much, but when I came back to Free Minds, I began to realize how much fun it is, and how broad your mind can explore. It also keeps your mind activated with new ideas and energy to share with others.”