In a small room, in a small building, in a bustling, yet quiet, warm, and inviting small clutch of lower Manhattan, a group of writers came together to spend an hour harvesting ideas and sharing their art. An exclusive yet equally inviting space to be a part of, the Aphros Writer’s Workshop was diverse in age range and storytelling. I was excited to spend my afternoon observing and listening to the plethora of poems, short stories, and other written works that were to be shared that afternoon. 

First, the group met at 3:25, at 41 Pace Plaza in room 815, to begin the festivities of a writer’s workshop. What is a writer’s workshop exactly? Well, by definition, it is “a workshop format for critiquing and revising work”. While I do agree with this sentiment, there is more to be said about something more intimate like what the Aphros environment was like. It was not simply the sterile idea of “critiquing”, but a place where fellow creatives alike could discourse, discuss, or simply entertain. In accordance with the greeting, the first activity was a ‘create your own notebook’ art project. The long table where Aphros participants were seated was clad in colorful stickers that were to be used to distinguish respective notebooks. A fitting exercise for such an event, and in itself it can inspire us to use something as simple as a handmade notebook to share even our most complex ideas. 

Well into the meeting, it was time for creatives to disperse and split up. By this, I mean the writings brought to be shared and edited were split into groups such as prose and poetry, non-fiction and fiction pieces, or even short stories and excerpts from finished or works in progress. As a convicted poet myself, I gravitated towards the bundle discussing their pieces of poetry and prose they were not only willing and able to share, but also have others review and analyze. This can be quite an intimidating process, sharing personal stories or sentiments that are to be possibly judged and practically perceived. And yet, each author paved the way for the next, with the reaction to each poem ensuring that the environment in which to share was safe, understanding, and most importantly, kind. There were many poignant pieces, one in particular sticking with me after I left. It was a delightful way to spend a rather cloudy afternoon; and brightened my day even just slightly.  

I would absolutely recommend stopping by the Aphros workshop if you find yourself itching to share writings from past or present; even just listening in would be most certainly worth one’s time. I know if I ever find myself facing difficulty editing or revising, I know exactly where to go and where to look.