A four-week online workshop for writers who are compelled to bravely defy the boundaries of convenience, comfort, and convention

Hosted by Chris La Tray

Chris La Tray, Métis storyteller, a descendent of the Pembina Band of the mighty Red River of the North, and an enrolled member of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Chris writes the Substack newsletter “An Irritable Métis.” His books include One Sentence Journal and Becoming Little Shell (forthcoming from Milkweed Editions). Chris is also a teacher, poet, and heavy metal musician.

“Despite our great fortune to live in a time when we aren’t at great risk for communicable diseases, we are, in fact, dying – slowly, in bits – from our natural tendency to do as little as possible. Our unquenchable desire to be comfortable has debilitated us. Ironic, as there is nothing comfortable about being debilitated.” - Katy Bowman, Move Your DNA

From Chris:

Too much of our writing is dying too, friends, the same death and debilitation of convenience and attention-theft that our bodies are. Glossy and clean and neat around the edges when it should be muddy and a little smelly and bleeding from being dragged through the brambles. Just like our bodies after a vigorous trip out and back! It is never too late to pull ourselves back from the brink, then, and that is what this workshop will attempt to do. In the same way we think of movement as a kind of rewilding, we will attempt that on the page.

Over four weeks we will discuss what it means to “rewild” our writing – how to influence it through movement and how to be inspired by movement. Physical movement in the physical world, but also metaphorical movement in the wilds of our brains, where we push into weedy patches and the rough terrain we tend to avoid out of convenience, and for fear of the unknown.

IS THIS COURSE A GOOD FIT FOR YOU?

Poets, fiction writers, essayists – all have a place here, and all will benefit from exposing themselves to some movement.

The success of the workshop will hinge not just on what happens while we are gathered, but how you approach it in the days between sessions. We will make it an adventure; there is no time for wasting.

You may opt to take the course for University of Montana credit. Please email us to find out more about this option.

COSTS + DEADLINES

Because we believe teachers and students need regenerative outdoor experiences more than most, Freeflow extends a small discount to contracted educators and enrolled students. We also offer a small discount to our alumni and to members of BIPOC communities. Because we believe in paying our instructors, facilitators, support staff, and guides a fair living wage, we do not offer individual discounts that compromise the integrity of those wages. If you need financial support, we are happy to email or talk on the phone with you to see if we have scholarship funds available.

The program cost and includes four 1.5-hour interactive sessions with Chris, generative prompts, craft talks, and access to creative community. The course serves as an introduction to the Freeflow galaxy of writers, leaders, and thinkers. Additionally, our alumni receive discounts on future Freeflow courses.

CLAIM YOUR SPACE

Make space for your creative work, movement, and new ideas this spring. Send us your questions and we’ll get in touch right away. If you know you’re ready to apply, head to the button at the top of this page.