By Isaac SIMS-FOSTER, intern

“Writing is a tool we use to make the invisible visible,” said Deena Rosen to her group of teens. The lesson was on utilizing writing to make abstract concepts feel real. The teens listed emotions and concepts that existed but were not tangible, cracking jokes and dissecting ideas along. From “love” to “time,” a whiteboard was filled with these abstracts.

This was the first of an entire day of exercises, drills and conversations with Rosen, her co-teacher Gannon Daniels, and their workshop of 13 to 16-year-olds who have an interest in creative writing.

The Paper Pencil Creative Writing Summer Workshop, a new independent program created by the two co-teachers and their friends, started off solidly this summer. The workshop is “designed to nurture creative exploration and inspire young writers to find their voice,” according to the workshop’s flyer.

Every day, from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., the workshop participants explore poetry, fiction, drama and many other genres under the guidance of Rosen and Daniels, who each hold degrees in creative writing and have years of experience teaching.

Daniels, who recently returned to teaching creative writing independently, was instructing a class for adults in Sparr Heights earlier this year when she was asked by her students if she was willing to teach kids. She approached her friend Rosen, who was also in the class, and “[the workshop] bloomed. We got together every Monday and planned it out,” said Daniels. “We’re also toying with the idea of maybe doing an after-school class.”

“We wanted to take these kids and explore different genres and dive deep into where creativity comes from,” said Rosen. “There’s no final project of any kind, just these kids reading, writing and talking.”

The classes are held at the Center for Spiritual Living-La Crescenta, located on Dunsmore and Santa Carlotta avenues. Another weeklong workshop is scheduled for July 16-22 with more planned for next summer.

  Isaac Sims-Foster