Join a one-night version of the Unspoken Ink Young Adult Cancer Creative Writing Workshop!
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New Opportunities to Meet Others Facing Metastatic Cancer
Our program calendar is chock-full of great things to fill the rest of this crazy year and we’ve got three metastatic only programs left in 2020! In chronological order below, you can get all the details on when and how to sign up! Spoiler alert: We have a focus group, a one-night creative writing workshop, and an entire track of Gabfest specifically geared towards young adults facing metastatic cancer.
— Lacuna Loft is a proud partner of the Coleman Supportive Oncology Collaborative for Adolescents and Young Adults (CSOC AYA), a collaborative of clinicians and patient advocates who treat and support AYAs with cancer. This collaborative recognizes that information and support resources for those living with metastatic or advanced diseases are lacking. This year, together, we set a goal to create a resource for young adults like you. We need you to tell us what should be in it. Be heard now and in the future by sharing your experience, thoughts & ideas as a contributor to this effort. Please join us for an online discussion with members of the collaborative and other young adults like you on Thursday, November 19, at 5 pm PT / 7 pm CT / 8 pm ET via Zoom. You can go here to register in advance for this meeting and family members, caregivers, and friends are welcome to join, as well as, young adults facing any type of metastatic cancer aged 15-39.
— Then, back by popular demand, Lacuna Loft is facilitating a one-night creative writing workshop for those young adults facing metastatic breast cancer on November 23rd! (This is the only opportunity of the three that is specific to a certain diagnosis). We’ll be writing with prompts in a group setting, with only metastatic breast cancer participants, supported by Seattle Genetics. No expert writing experience needed here. Just grab your pen(cil), some paper, and our moderator will help guide you through thoughtful prompts that are set in a judgment-free, no-pressure environment.
— Also make sure to register for YA Cancer Gabfest, where you can attend a metastatic specific track (a whole day of the agenda is just for you!) and hear from others who are in your shoes. Starting with an interactive chat with Dr. Mark Lewis, a panel of ya metastatic survivors, and a chill hangout to get to know one another afterward. It’s all happening the week of December 7th, with the metastatic day on December 10th!
Each program will offer the ability to meet others facing metastatic cancer, so sign up today for one or all of these opportunities! Everything is online so you can be home, cozy and comfy, and connect with others who understand what it’s like to face metastatic cancer as a young adult.
Questions about any of these free programs? Contact aerial@lacunaloft.org!
Join An 8-Week Writing Workshop
Interested in some structured, creative writing in a group of other young adults facing cancer as patients, survivors, or caregivers? Look no further than the next 8-week session of our online, Unspoken Ink: Young Adult Cancer Creative Writing Workshop!
The online workshop is designed to take you on a journey through your cancer diagnosis and into your survivorship with a small group of your young adult cancer patient/survivor peers. Each 8-week Writing Workshop consists of a weekly writing night attended via online video chat. We will get to know one another in an intimate, 18 person setting and address issues that transport us from initial diagnosis into the new normal and survivorship.
The next 8-week session will start on Thursday, May 21st, and will meet each Thursday at 3:30 pm PT / 5:30 pm CT / 6:30 pm ET for 2 hours via video chat through Thursday, July 9th.
Join A Month-Long Mind, Body, And Soul Series
Join the young adult cancer communities of the Dear Jack Foundation, Elephants and Tea, and Lacuna Loft during our month-long, Mind, Body, and Soul wellness series in May for an opportunity to connect, grow, and stretch! We will be offering weekly, 90-minute sessions to help enhance the mind, body, and spirit and provide a chance to break down some of the isolation we’ve all been experiencing over the last few weeks. Whether you are a seasoned yogi, meditator, or writer, or a newbie to the world of mind and body care, come and try something new in a safe, fun, and encouraging environment – your own home!
These classes will be free and hosted through Zoom and all experience levels are welcome! You can come to one or come to all! Sign up on the form below!
Schedule
Thursday, May 7th at 9 am PT/10 am MT/noon ET – Mind, Body, and Spirit Wellness Series Intro Happy Hour Hangout
Thursday, May 14th at 9 am PT/10 am MT/noon ET – Creative Writing with Mallory Casperson
Thursday, May 21st at 9 am PT/10 am MT/noon ET – Slow Flow Yoga with Tara Picklo
Thursday, May 28th at 9 am PT/10 am MT/noon ET – Meditation with Angie Giallourakis
Want to learn more about each session in the Mind, Body, and Soul Series?
5/7 Mind, Body, and Spirit Wellness Series Intro Happy Hour Hangout
Join Dear Jack Foundation, Elephants and Tea, and Lacuna Loft for the kickoff to our Mind, Body, Soul Digital Series in a fun and informal Happy Hour Hangout! We’ll talk about the AYA cancer community, each of the great organizations bringing you the Mind, Body, Soul Series, what you can expect at each session, and more! Hangout with other people who understand what it’s like to go through young adult cancer.
5/14 Mind: Writing Workshop hosted by Lacuna Loft
The Writing Workshop Session will take the group through some purposeful journaling! Many of us, while going through a crisis such as young adult cancer, find writing out our thoughts, fears, or emotions to be very helpful. Sometimes though, sitting down to write can seem overwhelming. Together, we’ll go through 2 short writes, responding to writing prompts in 5-minute intervals and then reading out loud if desired. Join a group of young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers in a writing workshop!
5/21 Body: Yoga hosted by Dear Jack Foundation
Let’s join together as an online commUNITY with a Slow Flow Yoga class. Yoga means union of the physical body through breath. That begins the journey inward where we can access the spirit, soul, and center of wisdom and bliss. We will take careful notice of the physical body and then connect intentionally with the breath that sustains and gives us a sense of ease. After settling in, the body will flow freely on the mat through a series of poses that will provide flexibility, strength, and connection to our true nature. We will end class with a short meditation to further develop mindfulness. This class is for everyone – all skill levels are welcome!
5/28 Soul: Meditation hosted by Elephants and Tea
This Meditation Session will introduce the participant to breathe and body sensing in order to tune-in and relax the mind and body. The session will be approximately 30 – 40 minutes. Participants will learn about how meditation can help reduce stress. At the end of the session, participants will be given the opportunity to ask questions of the teacher.
Angie is a Level II iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation Teacher.
You Can Write Write Write With Us!
I am so excited to announce that we have not one, but two versions of the Unspoken Ink: Young Adult Cancer Online Creative Writing Workshop you can now sign up for!
The Spring Session of Unspoken Ink is starting on Tuesday, April 7th and going for 8 weeks via video chat! It will meet every Tuesday from 5-7 pm PT / 7-9 pm CT / 8-10 pm ET and overlaps a little with the current session of the program. On top of that, next Thursday, specifically for AYA Awareness Week, Lacuna Loft is hosting an online Open Write Night, aka Unorthodox Ink, which is a one night version of our Unspoken Ink workshop!
I Look At The Ground Now
I look at the ground now.
I don’t dare lift my head too high.
There are cracks in the sidewalk,
Precariously placed rocks,
And gnarly roots waiting patiently
To trip me up.
I don’t want to be caught off guard.
The truth scrapes up my knees.
It’s cold, and it’s hard.
I look at the ground now.
I put all my weight
In this present moment.
I try to own it –
The place where my body
Connects to the earth.
I count out my footprints
Do they measure my worth?
I look at the ground
In case there isn’t a horizon.
I don’t want to know
That all my stars have fallen.
I don’t want to plan for a future
That might never be here.
I’ll just keep moving forward
Until the ground disappears.
I look at the ground
So I won’t stray from the path.
I know where I’m going,
And there is safety in that.
I look at the ground,
And it is broken and rough.
But I am here.
I am now.
Isn’t that enough?
– Laura P.
How would you respond to the writing prompt, of the Peanuts comic strip?
—
This writing comes directly from one of our participants in our Unspoken Ink Creative Writing Group for young adult cancer survivors.  The participants met for 2 hours each week, for 8 weeks during our Spring 2019 session.  This writing has not been edited since its original creation, showing the wonderfully raw and powerful prose coming from the courageous writing group participants each week. If you’d like to sign up for future sessions, please email info@lacunaloft.org or sign up on our interest form.
Join A One Night Creative Writing Workshop
Interested in checking out what it’s like to join the Unspoken Ink Young Adult Cancer Creative Writing Workshop before committing to 8 weeks of the group? You’re in luck! Sign up for an Open Write Night (aka Unorthodox Ink) happening August 26th! You can spend an evening with other young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers and do some creative writing while you’re at it. We’ll guide you through our writing process and you’ll see exactly what joining a full session is like.
Where: Online video chat. We’ll send you more information about joining after you register. Please have a microphone headset, a webcam, and something to write in (or your computer to type on).
Who: Young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers.
When: August 26th, 5:30-7:30 pm PT / 7:30-9:30 pm CT / 8:30-10:30 pm ET.
Not Broken. Not Mending.
What if we started from the premise:
we are not broken.
we are not mending.
We are living through one day that just so happens to be nothing like the last. We are crying tears few our age understand and grieving losses too old for our young years.
What if we started from the understanding:
we are not broken.
we are not fighting.
We are seeing glimpses into a world more complicated than might be. Nursing wounds both inside and out. We are learning to love and live in a way both profound and terrifying.
What if we start from the knowledge:
we are not broken.
There is nothing to fix, everything to lose, and everything to gain. Just like before.
What if we start to tell ourselves:
we are not broken.
We are in process. We are changing. We are living in and through great hurt and compassion.
How would you respond to the writing prompt, a tattoo of a needle and thread sewing up a scar?
—
This writing comes directly from one of our participants in our Unspoken Ink Creative Writing Group for young adult cancer survivors.  The participants met for 2 hours each week, for 8 weeks during our Winter 2018 session.  This writing has not been edited since its original creation, showing the wonderfully raw and powerful prose coming from the courageous writing group participants each week. If you’d like to sign up for future sessions, please email info@lacunaloft.org or sign up on our interest form.
Sign Up For An Open Write Night!
Interested in checking out what it’s like to join the online Unspoken Ink Creative Writing Workshop before committing to 8 weeks of the group?  You’re in luck!  On November 19th from 5-7 pm PT / 7-9 pm CT / 8-10 pm ET we’ll be hosting an Open Write Night (aka Unorthodox Ink)!  You can spend an evening with other young adult cancer survivors and caregivers and do some creative writing while you’re at it.
Where: *Online* video chat. We’ll send you more information about joining after you register. Please have a microphone headset and a webcam.
Who: Young adult cancer survivors and young adult cancer caregivers.
When:Â November 19th, 5-7 pm PT / 7-9 pm CT / 8-10 pm ET.
—
How does it work:
- This workshop uses the Amherst Writing and Artists (AWA) Method. The facilitator provides a writing prompt and you can use that prompt in any way you’d like to create a story over a set amount of time. Once we’ve finished our writing (yes, the facilitator writes too!), everyone is given the opportunity to read their writing out loud. Though sharing is optional, hearing your own story and hearing someone else’s, teaches us about our experiences and our stories. Once the piece is read, we reflect on the writing – what did we like, what stood out, what did we remember. Everything is considered fiction so we do not respond to the writer as a support group may, but keep the focus on the writing.
- Sometimes the prompts are about cancer, sometimes indirectly related to cancer, and sometimes not about cancer at all. Above all, the writing program emphasizes that we are more than a diagnosis.
- Following each weekly session, you may decide to submit your writing to Mallory (mallory@lacunaloft.org) for publication on LacunaLoft.org in their Young Adult Voices program section. This is not mandatory!
The Next Unspoken Ink Writing Workshop Is Now Forming!
Update: The next Writing Workshop is now full! We’ll start on Monday, August 13th, meeting each Monday at 5 pm PT / 7 pm CT / 8 pm ET for 2 hours via video chat until Monday, October 8th (we’ll skip Labor Day). Sign up below to join the 8-week Unspoken Ink: Young Adult Cancer Creative Writing Workshop!
Our online, Unspoken Ink: Creative Writing Workshop is designed to take you on a journey through your cancer diagnosis and into your survivorship with a small group of your young adult cancer survivor peers. Each 8-week Writing Workshop consists of a weekly writing night attended via online video chat. We will get to know one another in an intimate, 18 person setting and address issues that transport us from initial diagnosis into the new normal and survivorship.
Where: Online video chat. We’ll send you more information about joining after you register. Please have a microphone headset and a webcam.
Who: Young adult cancer survivors and caregivers.
When: The writing group meets for 2 hours each week, for 8 weeks. A commitment to attend each week is important to group continuity and in creating a safe space. Please be on time 🙂
How does it work:
- This workshop uses the Amherst Writing and Artists (AWA) Method. The facilitator provides a writing prompt and you can use that prompt in any way you’d like to create a story over a set amount of time. Once we’ve finished our writing (yes, the facilitator writes too!), everyone is given the opportunity to read their writing out loud. Though sharing is optional, hearing your own story and hearing someone else’s, teaches us about our experiences and our stories. Once the piece is read, we reflect on the writing – what did we like, what stood out, what did we remember. Everything is considered fiction so we do not respond to the writer as a support group may, but keep the focus on the writing.
- Sometimes the prompts are about cancer, sometimes indirectly related to cancer, and sometimes not about cancer at all. Above all, the writing program emphasizes that we are more than a diagnosis.
- Following each weekly session, you may decide to submit your writing to Mallory (mallory@lacunaloft.org) for publication on LacunaLoft.org in their Young Adult Voices program section. This is not mandatory!