Dear AWA community in North America,

My name is I-Chia Chiu, currently writing and facilitating in Taiwan. I am traveling to the US (and potentially Canada) (mid-May to mid-June) through a creative grant from Taiwan. The goal of this journey is to reflect on the art of facilitation and to re-imagine different reflective practices. 

I received my AWA training last year. In the past year, I’ve witnessed how this community roots for one another through shared presence. The impact has been profound, and I’ve been hoping to share AWA more deeply with writers in Taiwan. To do this, I hope to hold a dialogic space together, to learn from you, perhaps to connect through a way that nurtures us all, which is the practice of writing workshops.

While my initial stops include Austin, Dallas, and Atlanta, I am eager to expand my path to places where creative exchange can flourish. I have a travel budget as part of my grant to visit and spend a few days in different areas to connect with you.

I am curious to see where our creative interests might resonate and find alignment:

• Visiting a Local Chapter: Would you be open to having me join the events of your chapter gatherings as a participant? I understand that you have your own time and rhythms to care for. I would be honored to share presence together and perhaps have a dialogue with you afterward. With your permission and through co-creating, I’d love to  share our collected wisdoms & insights with the writing communities in Taiwan and in other places I travel to.
• Co-hosting or Collaborative Workshops: Would you be interested in exploring a creative exchange? I have been developing prompts inspired by Pat Schneider’s work, as well as John O’Donohue’s explorations of landscape. My practice is deeply nourished by my background in theater and dance, focusing on how our bodies and senses meet the page.

My thinking is still evolving (and perhaps still under-baked), but I would be so grateful for a brief chat or email exchange to see if our paths might cross. If you’re open to it, I’d love to lead an online mini-session for just the two of us as a way to meet. It could be a gentle starting point, a chance for us to connect and feel each other’s rhythm before we explore any further possibilities.It’s practice I often adopt to reconnect with friends, allowing us to meet each other in silence and writing. Here is a sample of this proposed way to meet,if you’d like to consider: https://forms.gle/etp6vAkSLshGawVx6

AWA has given me much strength to navigate my own practice. It’s a topic I plan to write about for the artist community in Taiwan. I’ve been witnessed how Pat Schneider’s work and AWA’s collected wisdoms nurtured alignment with mindfulness and trauma-informed practice. I would love to massage the shapes of questions together with someone who is also interested. 

A few years ago, a teaching artist asked me: “Who walks before you? Who walks alongside you? Who walks after you?” When I reflect on my journey, I see the AWA community walking with me. I would love to meet you in person and carry your wisdom further.

With gratitude, and the wind in Taiwan,
Chiu