Feng Shui Poetry: Writing from the Lens of the Five Elements with Jen Cheng

Celebrate Harvest Moon Festival with a writing workshop that draws on Chinese wisdom. This workshop offers introductory knowledge of the Five Elements (Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, Wood), group discussions, and writing exercises that participants can use to produce new work or engage with existing works in progress. Through examination of nature and its interdependence of the elements, we learn to expand our perspectives and tap into emotional agility. The elements also invoke mythologies and other cultural tropes to engage in a grounded exploration. We will study sample poems that represent the Five Elements as prompts for our own writing. No experience with Feng Shui or writing is needed. The workshop is open to all levels of poets and writers. Students are invited to bring curiosity. Proceeds from this workshop are donated to grassroots community group Chinatown Community for Equitable Development (CCED).

Jen Cheng is the current West Hollywood Poet Laureate, a 2023 California Arts Council Fellow, and a multidisciplinary storyteller who amplifies under-represented voices. Jen is the founder of Palabras Literary Salon, celebrating BIPOC poets and writers. Jen blends East-West cultural influences in a new form, Feng Shui Poetry. With stories for tween audiences, mystery detective fans, and queer love, Jen is a cross-pollinator and community curator. Find her on Twitter/IG @JenCvoice or her website: www.JenCvoice.com.