Explain That Pain

Find new words for hurt and healing in this creative writing workshop based on the pain scale at the doctor's office.

*Pay what you can* to participate! All details below:

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You know that feeling when someone puts words to an experience you've had but couldn't describe? ...

In  this workshop, participants will hear and discuss excerpts from  writings that talk creatively about pain, like an essay by Eula Biss,  where the author's own thoughts, feelings, and memories of different  types of pain are written on a scale from 0-10.

We’ll kick things off with a calming, guided meditation led by a wonderful art therapist!

Then,  using material from the readings and our own lives, participants will  start to unpack some big ideas as a group, like the differences between  pain and painlessness, as well as visible and invisible pain. And not  just mental or physical points of view, but new angles, like "the pain  of doubting..." "the pain of learning," "the pain of trying," and "the  pain of living.”

We’ll  address complicated questions that arise from pain, like "Where does  pain worth measuring begin? " and “Does the absence of pain equal the  absence of everything?"

The  workshop is an opportunity to ponder personal concepts of bliss and  suffering, listen to and/or express experiences with pain and grief, and  grow from a collective understanding of pain and hope for healing.

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The writing activity can provide, for example:

• a method of recognizing the warning signs of an oncoming migraine or depressive episode;

• a framework for managing and communicating your pain;

• and the knowledge that people experience pain in unique—and even similar—ways.

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 To  participate: Donate what you can to a charity supporting a cause that is connected to a source of pain for you (or a friend, family member, coworker,  etc.) (ex: Substance Use treatment centers/resources, mental health resources, cancer treatment centers, etc.)  . Send a screenshot of your donation receipt to host Paige Lalain at writewithpaige@gmail.com and she will send you the Zoom link to participate. If for  any reason you're unable to donate but would still like to participate,  you are welcome—please reach out for the link. 

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What participants are saying:

• “The pain scale now has a new meaning. This class definitely helped me see life in a different way, so thank you.”

• “I enjoyed this process. It was very enlightening to hear everyone’s story.”

• “For the time that I was here, I experienced a deep explanation of what pain is to all of these people.”

• “Showed me what to do to find peace.”

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Facilitated by:

Paige  Lalain, a creative writer and literary arts practitioner, and Margaret  Sands-Goldstein, a board-certified art therapist. In collaboration with  Solstice Healing Arts Collective, a Greater Detroit-based space that  provides opportunities for individuals and groups to participate in the  transformative power of the healing arts.