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  • September 30, 2023

Spend a morning with nationally celebrated playwright Sharon Bridgforth, multidisciplinary artist Miré Regulus, teaching artist Aimee Bryant, and parent facilitator Erin Walsh, to learn how small creative practices can cultivate joyful resilience in challenging times.

Minneapolis, MN

September 30, 2023 from 10 am – 12 pm at First Universalist Church of Minneapolis. Free childcare provided.

“I believe that parents always need to Fill themselves Up. To expand. To Open. To heal. So that we can See our children. And Love them most Fully.”

 – Sharon Bridgforth, Playwright, Artist, and Parent

The pandemic era has been a time of strain, grief, and transformation for parents. While parents have been encouraged to return to “normal,” many are experiencing burnout or exhaustion and are yearning for healing grounded in the realities of this moment. This event is designed to support this need with art, connection, and joy.

What can I expect?

Award-winning artist Sharon Bridgforth will pull cards from her dem Blessings Deck and ask, “What does Infinite Love want us to receive right now?” Based on the cards, a panel will offer insights and practices for the parenting journey. Parents will experience song, connection, poetry, and creative prompts and leave with their own dem Blessings Deck. 

What does my ticket include? 

 

  • Event Ticket

    Includes event admission plus one dem Blessing deck

    $15  (sliding scale)

    LET’S Go

  • Event Ticket + Admission to “Walk Towards It” online offering

    Includes event admission, one dem Blessings deck and entrance into “Walk Towards It” online class

    $79  (sliding scale)

    LET’S GO

Spend the morning with:

Sharon Bridgforth, Playwright, Writer, and Parent

Meet Sharon

Aimee Bryant, Actor, Vocalist, and Teaching Artist

Meet Aimee

Head shot of performance artist and writer Miré Regulus

Miré Regulus, Multidisciplinary Artist and Parent

Meet Miré

Erin Walsh, Speaker, Parent, Facilitator

MEET ERIN

dem Blessings

photo of dem Blessings deck by Sharon Bridgforth

Sharon Bridgforth on her dem Blessings deck.

I started thinking about my eight year old self and I was wishing I could say things to that child that might help them on the journey. So I started writing what I began to call ‘Blessings’ to my eight year old child self. And then as I kept doing it I began to feel that maybe actually the child was telling me things that I need to Know. So I am excited to offer dem Blessings and be in conversation with them and with you with them. I usually just shuffle and pull a card. My question is always ‘What Blessings does infinite love want us to receive right now?’

5 Ways to Know You Are Ready to Join Us For This Event

  • You love the idea of creative practices and reflection but don’t have the energy to create those “creative containers” for yourself.
  • You are seeking opportunities to pause and make meaning of all of the challenges and changes of this time.
  • You are eager for simple creative strategies that are healing, joyful, hard, vulnerable, hilarious, and nurturing. All of it.
  • You are tired and worn out and want the “marathon” nature of parenting in 2023 to be seen and acknowledged.
  • You are curious about art and have the sense that more art is needed at this time. (Whether you identify as an artist or not).

If you said yes to at least three of the above, this event is right for you. 

Get your ticket!

Frequently asked questions about this event

I notice that this event takes place in a church. Is it religious?

We are thrilled that First Universalist of Minneapolis has agreed to partner with us to host this event. You do not need to be a member of First Universalist or ANY organized faith community to participate in this event. We now that church spaces mean a lot of different things to different people and we hope that you find this space welcoming, affirming, and supportive of this experience.

What is the class "Walk Towards It?"

Walk Towards It: Poetry and Prompts to Spark Introspection for Parents is a four week self-paced online class co-produced by Spark & Stitch Institute and Poetry for People.  Each week you will receive a blessing and creative prompt from award winning playwright Sharon Bridgforth as well as original poetry and prompts from Minneapolis-based poet parents. Through short videos and audio of these creative invitations

Each poem you will hear in this course is accessible, tender, and insightful. The poems in this class explore everything from putting your child to bed to walking through sites of racial uprising with your child to trying to show your teenager something you treasure while their response is far from the ideal you imagined. Whether you love poetry or not, we think the poems in this course will resonate with your lived experiences.

Walk Towards It invites parents to pause, listen, reflect, and grow.

Is this an event for artists?

This event is built on our belief that the arts provide essential nourishment for one of the hardest jobs in the world. You do not need to identify as an artist or create a specific type of art to get a lot out of this event. Art and poetry offer us a mirror to reflect on our own experience and invitations to enrich our inner lives – something that each one of us deserves.

What does "dem Blessings" mean?

Centered in African-American artistic and cultural traditions, Sharon Bridgforth’s “dat Black Mermaid Man Lady” offers multiple ways for communities to engage in work and conversations that activate collective wisdom and self-determination. dat Black Mermaid Man Lady lives as a show, writing, installation, and dem Blessings Deck.

 

  • Event Ticket

    Includes event admission plus one dem Blessing deck

    $15  (sliding scale)

    LET’S Go

  • Event Ticket + Admission to “Walk Towards It” online offering

    Includes event admission, one dem Blessings deck and entrance into “Walk Towards It” online class

    $79  (sliding scale)

    LET’S GO

This event is a collaboration between Minneapolis-based Poetry for People and Spark & Stitch Institute.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.