TESTIMONIALS for BRAVE SPACE
“Brave Space is one of my favorite places. I show up, even on days when I am not feeling well emotionally. I’ll cry through the session because, through Emma’s space, I’ve learned that writing (in community) is healing. I always leave a little stronger than when I came in because even though writing is hard for me, I show up again and do it. I enjoy the group, so it’s easier to show up authentically, consistently. I’m able to join a few times a week because the space is so safe. Emma’s empowering and thought provoking quotes and coaching throughout the zoom chat are so helpful. The feedback sessions after where we talk about our processes are also a great way to grow in the craft. It encourages reflection on the process and how necessary community can be for this kind of independent work. Everyone in the space is kind, and Emma does a wonderful job of gently facilitating the impactful discussion. Lastly, I really appreciate the grounding practice we do at the start of each session. I’ve learned to do it on my own now when I’m working on something that requires introspection. Thanks for everything Emma!” --Amel Khalil
“I drafted a new short play... in Brave Space yesterday. I doubt I’d have begun it if it hadn’t been for Brave Space.” — Jennifer, NY
“Thank you so much dear Emma. I love this workshop and the time we spend together. It's so wonderful to write in the presence of other creative women. And the process as well as talking about the process is inspiring and is opening up new creative paths in my writing journey. Indeed you were right, this was magical. So much fun and also so profound and productive. It fired me up to move on to this new play that I started today. I'm looking forward to next Friday.” — Domnica Radulescu, author of Dream in a Suitcase http://www.domnicaradulescu.com/books.html
“Brave Space and your embodiment exercises have been extremely important to me… it feels like being part of a creative family, and it has given me strength to nurture my writing and believe in my vision. I don't think my book would have been what it is without Brave Space, so thank you!!!!” —Sacha Rosel, author of My Heart is the Tempest https://www.vraeydamedia.ca/shop/my-heart-is-the-tempest-pre-order
“At a time when the world is facing unprecedented challenges and hardships - and writers of all genres are struggling to believe that their words matter - BRAVE SPACE provides not only a communal workspace, but a profoundly nourishing sanctuary. With her deep wisdom, humor, skill, empathy, and encouragement, Emma Goldman-Sherman offers a space for writers to gather in community and flail, fail, cry, share, and ultimately succeed at the basic, word-by-word work that always defines what it means to be a writer. During the most doubt-riddled and darkest of days, BRAVE SPACE has not only helped me get my butt into the chair, it’s been a soul-saver.”
—Stephanie Kallos, author of Broken for You, Sing Them Home, and Language Arts www.stephaniekallos.com
TESTIMONIALS FOR Artistic Statement seminar (Ass Class)
“I knew from reading artist statements that they could be powerful and beautiful. But not mine. Each one I wrote left me rattled, as if I were writing with a jackhammer to break through my self-doubt and shame. Emma's prompts let me write my way into an artist statement that is part story, part manifesto and all me. I feel proud of it.
In this workshop, writing my artist statement stopped being a chore and became a thrilling act of self discovery. At one point, I got so carried away with a prompt I laughed out loud. I knew working on an artist statement with Emma would be 1000 times better than writing one alone, but I had no idea I would have such a good time and be so deeply moved by the writing of others in the workshop.“ —Penelope Dane
“Yesterday's seminar was extremely transformational, quite powerful really. Your facilitation was caring, and thought-provoking. I felt nurtured and pushed at the same time, and for me that is a wonderful place from which to write. You reminded me of the importance of my body, and to listen to the things I already knew but were holding back on. When you asked what success would look like for us I made a statement about speaking with my own voice, as if we were sitting on the couch together, or as I show up in the rehearsal room/studio. You helped me achieve that goal within an incredibly short space of time. I have come away thinking about how this specific workshop on Artistic Statements, a vital tool, was really a workshop on what it means to write. Period. I will endeavor to keep these lessons with me whenever I sit to work.” — Catherine Stewart
"The class was wonderful, Emma! I deeply appreciated how you created a well-structured space that allowed for bursts of joy, learning and spontaneity." — Hank Kimmel
“If you have any questions or hesitations about writing or redrafting your artistic statement, I highly recommend attending Emma Goldman’s Artistic Statement Seminar. Emma combines probing writing exercises with her gift for insightful, heartfelt feedback to help you create an artistic statement that expresses what makes you and your work stand out from the crowd.” — Andrea Markowitz
"I loved the workshop yesterday! I very much appreciate how you created an encouraging, nurturing, and safe space for all of us to write and explore. The prompts are super helpful. And even the brief breathing exercise grounded me. Thanks!" — Hilary Bluestein-Lyons
“Was just looking over my notes from your November class this morning. Such a phenomenal workshop. Worth every penny and more.” — Jennifer Maisels
“Emma is a wonderful teacher. Her enthusiasm is infectious and her writing exercises are well crafted. Most importantly, she has a knack for fostering a relaxed and non-judgmental environment that makes participation and risk taking easy.” — John Laffan
“Emma's Artistic Statement Seminar is a great gift. The structure, exercises, and Emma's guidance give permission and the courage to look deeply into what we're doing in our work . I came away excited to finalize an Artistic Statement but, more importantly, with a clearer sense of my direction as a writer. As Emma says, ‘It's all in you.’ Their class provides the route to find it.” — John Minigan
"I loved this workshop. The size and makeup of the group was perfect. The handouts were excellent in grounding us in what lay ahead and prompting us to give our own background, process, and objectives some forethought. You are [Emma is] a terrific teacher. And I found it very inspiring to listen to the statements of the other participants. A valuable afternoon, for sure. And I may want to take it a second time. I feel that the work of discovering who I am and what I am doing in my playwriting is ongoing." — Lynda Crawford
“I was in the process of applying to grants and as I began to write them I felt myself pressured by a very inauthentic voice which I shall refer to as “Yale-speak”. My entire intellectual and academic brain had taken over my writing and I was writing in such a way that the only people that would find my artistic statements of any interest would be arcane academics of theatrical extenstialism. Nobody would want to read a play that had a voice that was so trying to please and impress. I knew in my gut that there had to be a better way. I had taken classes with Emma before in brave Space and knew that she was all about authenticity and coming to find your voice in a very organic process. I enrolled in her workshop. It was not just lecture, but guided writing time with prompts to discover the true voice of your artistic statement as if it were a character in a play. We workshopped the pieces in the class and got feedback which was more than helpful because so many of us had doubts about appearing as we really were. So much in life is based upon trying to impress people with degrees of education etc… but this should not be the way of art. The art should be the thing that matters and that art is the artist; Emma will help you find the voice of that artist!" — Scott Samson
"The ASS class was more valuable than I realized it would be. Emma shared deeply interesting ways for us to connect with our inner story and present it as an honest statement about who we are and what we believe as creatives." — Aquaila Barnes
I was so nervous and had marked resistance to doing this. But Emma's encouraging nature and her brilliance helped me come to the seminar. I'm so very glad I did. I dug deep with the help of her prompts. I was able to come up with a statement that will help me stand out from the majority of other writers of creative non-fiction. I found out who I am, and it came out with Emma's phenomenal guidance. Many said they didn't feel comfortable but Emma’s compassion and caring helped everyone realize it was safe. This has been one of the most valuable things i've ever done. I was surrounded with such positive energy and companionship of all the other attendees. Thanks Emma! - Terrie Wurzbacher
Emma Goldman-Sherman’s workshop on Writing Artistic Statements was a revelation! Everyone and anyone could benefit from the kernels of wisdom and insight it offers. I will definitely recommend this workshop to all the playwrights I know. Emma is a stellar facilitator capable of holding space for vulnerability and humor while also challenging participants to go further and deeper, mining their experiences and histories for more essential truths. It’s not just a workshop about writing artistic statements, it is a workshop about learning who you are and articulating that vision in an authentic and unique way. Her prompts were immensely helpful in getting me to a place where I could center myself, discover secrets and take risks. The whole experience boosted my confidence, clarified my purpose as a writer and allowed me to share with a tremendous group of playwrights doing the same. So many workshops/seminars promise much but just don’t deliver. Nothing about this felt stale or repetitive. It was deep work, the kind we all need to be doing." - Lisa M. Konoplisky
Having written more than twice as many plays as I am old/seasoned, I have always been challenged to write about myself. Emma Goldman-Sherman's informative, step-by-step, hands-on webinar on writing an artist statement clarified and eased the process. Sharing the experience with a group of artists who shared the same challenge was not only encouraging but helped build our confidence. If you want to finally move past the Artist's Statement hurdle...this is the place for you! - Jeanette Hill
"So helpful and inspiring! Artistic Statement Seminar delivered! I have some difficulty with Artistic Statements --Emma Goldman-Sherman's seminar led me through the steps. Centering, examples, prompts that got right to the heart of it, and an amazing group of generous writers- - I now have a rough draft of my statement! Highly recommended! Challenging, inspiring, exciting and not a wasted moment!" — a happy playwright!
“Playwriting is easy. Writing an artistic statement is very hard. For me at least. I find explaining my plays and aesthetic an almost painfully self conscious endeavor. Emma's class gave me the skills to get to the heart of my aesthetic in an honest, down-to-earth way. Emma's superpower is listening. She has the ability to parse our writing to find the nuggets of authenticity, and then she pushes us to dig deeper to find our authentic aesthetic. I highly recommend Emma's class if you are struggling to write an artistic statement or feel your current artistic statement does not represent your authentic aesthetic.” - Brigid Amos
"It's grant-writing season here, and funders are asking "artistic statements," of course, in the applications. And I feel like what I can present is SO much stronger than it was before. Thank you, Emma." - Lawrence Aronovitch
"You're such a gifted teacher!" - Beth Lincks
"I've never had the opportunity to be a student of yours until today, and it was wonderful, rich, deeply informative. You gave us generative, bodily, spiritual and psychological in three short hours, and look what came out: Arresting, moving, vivid writing from everyone!" - Barbara Blatner
"Your seminar gave us all permission to dig for words in places we couldn't before. I now have the beginning of an artistic statement I'm actually excited about!" - anonymous writer
Emma Goldman-Sherman's "Artistic Statement Seminar" was amazing. She took playwrights on a journey that rarely writers get to go on. We went within to talk about our deepest desires regarding our work and ourselves. We got to rethink Artistic Statements in a way that was so original and fun. Emma is an very effective teacher and created such a loving bond with the class. I highly recommend this Seminar! - B. Stewart (he, she, they) NYC.
“I usually compose my Artistic Statements with a submission deadline breathing down my neck, writing with a combination of desire to please, resentment, and blind hope! The Artistic Statements Seminar given by Emma Goldman-Sherman allowed me to breathe, allowed me to relax a bit, and discover what I really wanted my Artistic Statement to say and how I could clearly express it. Beginning with the pre-seminar material- - following Emma’s suggestions for material to explore - - I began to ask myself questions. And, I carried the questions around with me, mulling them over. This prepared me naturally for the seminar. The seminar began with the participants sharing a view of their work and what they believed theater can do. Listening, I found the first seeds of my statement. All discussion was focused around examples of Artistic Statements. Not so much what worked, but the possibilities. What could be revealed? What could we share? Free writing from the prompts was a major step for me- - I dove in. Without stopping, I wrote about my history, my ways of expressing myself, my inspirations. In a little more than twenty minutes, I had real ingredients that I could use for my statement. The seminar ended with a sharing of the Artistic Statements. It was amazing! In three focused hours, taking step by clearly defined step, in a place that felt safe and full of encouragement, each participant’s statement - - every one - - was unique, compelling, and powerfully specific. I highly recommend the Artistic Statements Seminar with Emma Goldman-Sherman. It was well-planned, it felt so comfortable, it was exciting to write with fellow playwrights, directors, designers. I learned so much. It was fun! I was deeply inspired!” — Michael Wells-Oakes
"Thank you Emma for convening such a lovely gathering, and gently guiding us through the hard philosophical work of figuring out who we are as writers, and putting that on the page. The prompts didn't just help me better describe who I was as an artist; the prompts helped me scrape closer to an answer on that very complex question." — Alli Hartley-Kong
MORE testimonials for brave space
As a female writer the question "What do I have to say?" is a daunting one, and often pushes me away from writing, one of the greatest loves of my life. While I am an opinionated, emotional, and wise being, my thoughts and feelings aren't always available to me as a canned, fully formed essay, play, story, etc. Often I find that I don't know what I have to say, but I want to know. Creation takes time, space, and breath to form. After participating in Brave Space twice now, I am realizing that what I have to say, as a woman and an artist, is a discovery, an unearthing of treasure. Through accountability, safe containment, and low-stakes expectations, Brave Space enables me to meet myself where I am, and from there I find that everything is possible. Thank you Emma for your containment and gentle, yet focused facilitation. I so appreciate this much needed space to stretch my creativity and discover my voice <3 —Simi Toledano
testimonials for magical dialogue class
"I’m still processing this extraordinary class. It’s a game changer in how I write exposition. I saw that in the short scene I wrote. I’m more keenly aware of exposition now as a habit. This class is the first time I heard this approach to dialogue. Hearing dialogue from the organs creates greater awareness, and this awareness is so good. The emphasis on writing in the present and the present moment for the characters is powerful. 'Always be present' is my new crescendo." — anonymous
“Very informative workshop, with an exercise that really made you think. As a producer it will have me looking at scripts in a new light. Thanks Emma!” — HAL
I tend to write dramas that can easily get buried in exposition. The quotes by Emma that resonated with me were: "Let the past inform the present wants." and "Use exposition as ammunition in the present moment between characters." — Barbara
AJT's Jeremy Aluma set up an outstanding opportunity for playwrights. Emma Goldman-Sherman's inspirational style, thoughtful responses, and explicit ideas transported writing exercises to innovative heights! Her strategies to visually block dialogue, and use metaphors to create BIG WANTS, impacted both the dramatic action, and character development of my scenes...excellent tools shared by a superior instructor! — Robin Pullen, Playwright
Today I participated in the Magical Dialogue Playwriting Webinar, hosted by the Alliance for Jewish Theatre and led by Emma Goldman-Sherman, and, yes, it was truly magical. With an open and giving leadership style, Emma led us through some directed writing exercises that allowed us to organically experience how character, need and rhythm converge to create active, and, yes, magical dialogue. Toward the end of class, we shared our work, and I was in awe listening to my colleagues' plays -- especially how distinct and active the dialogue moved from line to line. The class was well-organized and had the right blend of learning, writing and sharing. At a time where I have been doing a lot of theatre by Zoom (mostly listening), it was refreshing to use the medium to create. I do hope others will have the chance to benefit from Emma's time, warmth and expertise. And thanks, AJT, for allowing us to find new ways to build community with those who may be scattered geographically but who are united in other ways. I intend to use these exercises to enliven and embolden my current (and even past) work. — HANK Kimmel