Poetry Workshop & Beach Day!

Students spent the morning of Monday, July 22nd in a poetry workshop with the Scottish poet and performer Jenny Lindsay. Creative writers know that perfectionism and editing often stunts the process, but that's where this session was different. Students did a "Sleepwalking" exercise, where every piece created was written while “sleepwalking”. This meant that they were not responsible for what came out on the page, and were not allowed to edit or apologize, but simply sit with what they created.

After a great class we were off to Portobello Beach! Portobello is a residential suburb in Edinburgh about 3 miles from the city centre. Students had free time to explore the town. Some got ice cream, made sandcastles, and even took a dip in the chilly waters of Fifth of Forth. The weather had cleared up by the afternoon and we were lucky to be greeted with sunshine during our visit. It was great to look out and see the students on their blankets and soaking up the sun and their time together.