May 18, 2011 - Creative Round Robins

Last week a group of 10 women celebrated the end of a six month round robin with a potluck at my house. Every three weeks, we'd been getting together to swap books (usually over dinner).  In between, we'd write - any style, any length - on the topic chosen by each member of the group for her book.  Mine was aging (a current preoccupation).  Other topics included life lessons, relationships, unsung Canadian heroes, and my personal favourite, "as luck would have it..."

As a recovering A type, I need an assignment and a deadline to make time for creativity.  I loved having to write. It inveigled me to write more, for example on this blog. 

I encourage everyone to form a small group and start one of these round robins.  It doesn't have to be writing.  Last year, some of the same people were in an altered book round robin, which was equally inspiring.  We each chose themes for our books, which the participants interpreted in varied ways, using various media (collage, painting, drawing, beading, fibre).  Here are a few examples:

It costs virtually nothing, and requires no special training or talent - just a willingness to express yourself somewhat publicly.  There's all kinds of informal learning that happens along the way.

My group can't wait to reconvene in the fall, this time with another sort of art project to be determined.