Here's the philosophy behind my work.
My background in slam poetry taught me that poetry isn't necessarily about the poet. Rather, it's about the audience and the act of bringing people together to share an experience.
I am motivated by the communion that results from telling our own, and listening to others', stories. Participation causes us all to become bigger, more engaged, and self-aware.
K-12 Arts Integration
One of my favorite ways to facilitate shared experiences, is through arts integration. I design curriculum and teach for the Lied Center for Performing Arts' nationally recognized arts integration program. I visit Nebraska's rural and urban schools to teach poetry to students and train teachers and administrators on methods for integrating poetry into their curriculum. I work closely, as a resident teaching artist, with teachers, administrators, and students at Umoⁿhoⁿ (Omaha) Nation Public School in Macy, NE.
“Sarah’s teaching approach is encouraging and positive; she uses a variety of techniques to reach diverse, reluctant, as well as gifted, learners. She is a true collaborator in her work with teachers.”
Writing Workshops
For COMMUNITY GROUPS
I believe anyone who is provided with some protected time, space, and guidance, can write a poem. No matter their age or ability, I’ve witnessed my workshop participants awaken to a real sense of discovery in the process of building their poems, as they take creative leaps in their thinking and their writing. I pride myself on building the kind of workshops that feel less like work and more like invitations to play.
“This is like yoga for my brain! ”
FOR PROFESSIONALS
I truly enjoy facilitating poetry writing workshops as part of corporate and non-profit team-building and networking sessions. My arts integration training equips me to facilitate conversations about how the creative process of writing can inform the work people do, regardless of their field. Individuals benefit from the chance to shift their thinking during a creative writing session. Groups benefit from articulating a group story, especially if they didn't think they had one.
“The experience during the writing workshop was a way for me to open my mind to poetry in general, and Sarah’s playful format made it easy to personalize. The workshop was a fun opportunity to come up with something our group could all share and remember; creating an ode together helped us to reflect upon our shared experiences and celebrate the team!”
“She’s built herself a cabin
on the outskirts of the Milky Way, and she sits
on the porch in her rocking chair,
dressed in her red flannel nightgown and slippers,
a shotgun across her lap as she listens to the nearby creek,
a prayer, running steady and clear.”