What is Sweetgum Workshop?
The sweetgum tree is common in North Carolina and produces distinct spiky gumballs, the fruit of the plant, which contain seeds that are curiously a natural source of shikimic acid, one of the main ingredients in Tamiflu, an antiviral that shortens healing time. Here we have a natural element available for our benefit, hidden in plain sight. A workshop is an educational program for a small group of people to come together to work intensively.
Sweetgum Workshop is facilitated by poet, artist, and educator, Nina Oteria. Sweetgum creates space for makers to gather and be creative through poetry workshops, art, and other themed gatherings with the following areas of focus: mindfulness, mental health, art as spiritual practice, xtian mysticism, and healing self and community through creative practice.
We move beyond the realm of sight into the world of intuition, sensing, and healing through looking inward. Through exploration, we discover avenues to build up ourselves and others. ❤
Workshops are held in Durham, NC and at Attic 506 in Chapel Hill, NC. Events are announced via Instagram and email.
Past:
WalkMe Juneteenth Celebration: Poetry Is Not a Luxury, June 2022
Snapdragon Journal: Water Work, July 2021
Warren Wilson College: Water Work, February 2021