2022 Heirlooms: Creative Life Story Writing Workshops @ Spearfish

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SDSU Extension and the South Dakota Humanities Council will host an in-person Heirlooms: Creative Life Writing Workshop on Saturday, July 9, 2022 at the Spearfish Senior Center from 10:30 a.m. MT to 2:30 p.m.

The workshop will include a combination of educational content, writing prompts, writing time, sharing time and calls to action during a four-hour session. A light lunch of sandwiches and chips will also be provided. Please bring a notebook and pen or have access to a computer with word processing software.

Workshop Overview

Have you ever wanted to write your life story or the life story of a loved one? Have you ever wanted more tools for aging gracefully? If so, this workshop is for you! This workshop will provide writing prompts to help you pen a significant story from your life. There will also be time to share your story and gain feedback from the group.

In addition to life story writing, participants will learn about the aging process and factors that improve quality of life through end-of-life. Once armed with this knowledge, participants will be introduced to gerotranscendence. This theory of positive aging describes the mental processes older adults experience as they think back on their lives and come to terms with end-of-life. Examples of these processes will be explored. During a free-writing period, participants will have a chance to reflect on gerotranscendence in their own lives. Please have an elder in mind whom you would like to write about during this session.

The workshop will be co-taught by Molly Barari, Ed.D., and Leacey Brown, M.S. Barari is a South Dakota Humanities Scholar who frequently teaches life story writing classes, and Brown is a Gerontology Field specialist with SDSU Extension who researches topics on aging.

This program was made possible by the South Dakota Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Registration

All ages of adults are welcome to attend the workshop. Space is limited, so register soon! For more information, contact Leacey Brown, SDSU Extension Gerontology Field Specialist.