The Alive Inside organization sponsored a Grief and Gratitude Writing Workshop in San Quentin’s Chapel D.
Alive Inside holds alternating monthly workshops; The Open Mic Night and the grief and gratitude workshop. The grief workshop is held the second Tuesday of every month centered on working through grief.
The Open Mic Night with music, poetry, and stories centered on loss and grief. The following month there will be a writing workshop where participants can write and reflect on their thoughts and feelings about the grief they are going through.
Ned Buskirk, an outside facilitator for the session, opened up by explaining the group’s purpose.
“To create a space to open up and be vulnerable, to express what you don’t normally express,” said Buskirk.
He explained that the session was mostly for writing and listening, when someone is sharing, there was to be no commenting or offering of advice. Buskirk said the space is sacred.
The group was small, with only Director of Alive Inside, Jordan Edelheit, Bay Area musician Adrienne Shamszad, Buskirk, and seven SQ resident participants.
Buskirk, Edelheit and Shamszad each spoke a little about the purpose of the program and their reasons for being there. They all agreed with Buskirk when he said “We are here with you, for you.”
Shamszad played guitar and sang an original song “Let it go” to set the mood.
The group was then given their first writing prompt: What grieves you? What grief brought you here? The participants were given time to write while Shamszad played softly on the guitar.
The participants were asked if they would read to the group what they had written. It was made clear that sharing was not mandatory and that if what they had written was too personal or painful they could pass.
Everyone shared. Sometimes slowly, haltingly, and with occasional tears, but in the end they all managed to unburden themselves.
A break was taken, during which Shamszad played an Iranian setar, a two stringed instrument played like a guitar, and sang a song in Farsi called “Tazarv”.
After emotions had settled down, the group was given another prompt to write about: “What is your littlest grief.” Or if they preferred: “What do people think you should be grieving about and what do you actually grieve about?”
Shamszad again played softly while people wrote, but this time on the setar.
Everyone shared again with fewer tears and some laughter over their littlest grief.
During the break Shamszad switched back to the guitar and sang another original song “I’ve been searching all my life for you.”
The final writing prompt for the evening was: “What are you grateful for?” The mood was lighter during the share, with a bit of open discussion and music to wrap up the session.
