Young Women Empowered and Hedgebrook team up each summer for an amazing leadership and creative writing summer camp on Whidbey Island, WA. This is a weeklong exploration of young women’s voices, stories, dreams and talents. Young women ages 14-19 work with professional spoken word artists, poets, novelists and song-writers. All writing mentors are alumnaei of Hedgebrook, the world-renown writing retreat for women. Within a powerful and deeply nurturing community, young women are supported to explore and develop their unique voice, writing skills and gifts.

I am honored to have been invited to be a guest artist the past three years. I offer an afternoon Touch Drawing workshop. This year there was such a sense of focus in the group as they drew. I also did Interpretive Touch Drawing during a Hula class and the open mic, where many of the young women stepped up to share their soulful expressions. Last year I colored and framed two drawings I had created at the previous Y-We Write. They were sold at the annual fundraising gala. I plan to do that again this year. Photos courtesy Anna McCracken

I created the drawings below while Henrylynn Auwae (left in photo) taught a Hawaiian song and dance from her own family lineage. She shared the story of how the song came into being. 

What a blessing to witness these shining young women perform their songs, stories and poetry during open mic. I couldn’t draw fast enough to create one for each performance. I managed to complete one for every two performances, so there is a bit of inter mingling between them. Note that these are Hedgebrook teaching artists to the left.