MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Join the Resilience Project Writer’s Workshop this Saturday with Clive Matson, Bay Area poet, author and workshop leader.

The class will take place Saturday, Nov. 11, from noon to 5 p.m. at Middletown Art Center.

Whether you are trying something new or are a daily practitioner of writing, poets, essayists, storytellers, bashful writers, students and performers, are encouraged to attend this supportive and fun workshop.

“This was a great place to explore my creative writing, and a great place to bounce around ideas with fellow writers,” said Colleen Schimansky, college-bound Senior at Middletown High. “I had a nice experience sharing my writing with others and learning new writing techniques. I feel that it helped me grow as a writer, and refuel my passion for creative writing.”

Like all Resilience classes, the writer’s workshop cost is just $5 and open to adults and teens 12 and up.

The Resilience Project was initiated to increase access to the arts throughout Lake County. The classes provide a safe space for community members to learn, express, create, share and hone skills that give voice to their experiences.

“Honest, fulfilling, and soul-satisfying is the special flavor of workshops at Middletown Art Center,” said Matson. “Being close to nature, as well as familiar with disaster, brings Lake County people closer to the heart. And clarity of heart is crucial in dealing with both uncertainty and healing. I am gratified, as a workshop leader, to help nurture such raw, forceful creative energy as part of the Resilience Project."

Learn more about Clive Matson and the “Crazy Child” framework he uses at www.matsonpoet.com/one-day-crazy-child-workshops.

Please reserve your spot at www.middletownartcenter.org/resilience, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 707-809-8118.

Space is limited. Bring a notebook, journal or computer, and a snack or lunch, or plan to purchase something to eat in town during break.

Join the folks at MAC this weekend or any first through fourth weekend of the month until May 2018 for Resilience classes in photography, creative writing, painting and printmaking.

Inspired by nature’s resilience post fire as a mirror for our own recovery, the project will culminate in a chapbook of poetry, prose and images created by participants, as well as exhibits countywide.

Resilience was made possible through a Local Impact Grant from the California Arts Council with support from Adventist Health.

Please check the MAC Web site for changes to the regular schedule during December due to holidays.

The next Writing Resilience workshop will be Sunday, Dec. 10, from noon to 5 p.m., with guest poetry slam champion and Lake County Poet Laureate Emeritus Russell Reza-Khaliq Gonzaga with open mic readings at 7 p.m.

MAC is located at 21456 Highway 175 at the junction of Highway 29 in Middletown.

Visit www.middletownartcenter.org to learn more about MAC and the Resilience Project.