|
|
About Cheryl Murfin, MA, AWA /Compass WritersI've been writing for as long as I can remember. What has kept me writing is ongoing encouragement from others. That's why I launched Compass Writers — to write in community even as I face the page alone and to pass on connection and encouragement to others.Sure, I've been published. But, really, what's most important is my love of writing and my love of seeing others love or perhaps fall in love for the first time with their own unique voice.We each have one. In fact, we are all born with creative genius. If you pick up a pen (or open a blank computer screen) and put words down, you are a writer. I embrace the philosophy of the internationally renowned Amherst Writers & Artists method: A writer is someone who writes. So, whether you've been writing forever or are petrified because you are just picking up that pen for the first time in 50 years, I want you to know that you are safe in any of the writing spaces I offer.I believe, too, that writing and most other artistic pursuits are wonderful tools for unlocking your truth as a person. Meeting yourself on the page and in other art practices is both a means of healing and a means of growing as a human being. I encourage you to write with your entire being: body, mind, and spirit.I hold a BA in Journalism and an MA in Integrated Arts and Education/Writing. But that is not what makes me qualified to guide you. Come because you want to be part of a supportive writing community, and you want a workshop leader who believes in you and will support your work with a positive, affirming approach.About Claire Sheridan, MS, AWA /Ignite Your WriteIn her previous professional incarnation, Claire’s work centered around crime. Having worked in prisons, courtrooms, and hospitals around the United States, she's spent a lot of time with folks facing crisis and trauma. She also has enough material to write more books than she has time left on this planet.She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree and postgraduate courses in criminal justice. She also holds a professional certificate in private investigation from the University of Washington.In case you're wondering, those credentials PLUS $5 might get you a small cup of coffee at Starbucks—in the event that you like Starbucks (which Claire does not) and/or drink coffee (which Claire definitely does)!After leaving criminal justice work, she served as lead writer and associate editor of a community magazine, followed by communications coordinator for a legal nonprofit. Then she went completely rogue to focus on creative writing.Claire is a member of the Editorial Freelance Association and has been trained in the Amherst Writers & Artists method of writing group facilitation, which informs the way Ignite writing workshops are facilitated.In addition to coaching, editing, and facilitating workshops at Ignite, Claire is a working writer. She's also a certified yoga instructor, with a passion for Yoga Nidra.
