Inspired By Images: Writing with Visual Art
Genres: Fiction, Poetry, The Writing Life, Memoir, Novel, Short Story, Essay
In Person
In Person Introductory
Introductory 1 Session
1 Session This class is offered on a sliding scale as part of Hugo House’s accessible programming.
This class meets IN PERSON at Hugo House and includes a one mile walk to and from the Frye Art Museum (free admission). Transportation arrangements will be made for students with accessibility needs. We will also break for lunch and recommend students bring a sack lunch.
All class materials will be provided.
“Step into a scene and let it drip through your fingertips.” — MJ Bush
Writers throughout history have used ekphrasis—writing that responds to a work of art—to explore what it really means to see. It opens a space to step into an image, argue with it, project onto it, and follow whatever it stirs up: its history, its meaning, its form, or something more personal.
In this immersive, generative class, we’ll explore the numerous ways visual art can ignite new work as well as infuse energy and excitement into projects in progress. We’ll look at ekphrasis writing by masters to get a feel for what’s possible, then take a field trip to the Frye Art Museum to gather inspiration for our own pieces, where you’ll write to prompts designed to help you engage more deeply with the art that moves you.
We’ll also experience SoulCollage®, an expressive arts practice where we’ll create and write from our own images. You’ll have the opportunity to share your work a supportive, welcoming space and receive positive, encouraging feedback.
This class is open to writers of all levels, whether you already love working with visual art and images or are simply curious about what might emerge when you start looking more closely. You’ll leave with several short pieces you can develop further, along with tools for turning what you see into vivid, evocative writing.
This class focuses on:
- Generative Writing: Focuses on producing new writing through prompts and exercises.
- Creative Play & Exploration: Focuses on playful, experimental writing activities designed to break creative blocks and spark ideas.
- Community & Connection: Emphasizes collaboration, peer connection, and social writing experiences.
What to expect:
- Class Discussion: Facilitated class conversation
- Prompts & Exercises: Class features guided writing activities.
- In-Class Sharing: Students are invited to share their writing aloud or in small groups during class.
Students say…
“Kimberly is a wealth of information! She offered great prompts and new ways to think about writing. I liked the balance of learning, writing and sharing.”
“Kimberly welcomed everyone and accepted individual levels or writing skills and experiences. The response from individual members was affirming because of her modeling.”
“Kimberly was so engaging; I have ADHD, and I was never bored. The cadence of instruction, writing, and interaction time blocks worked perfectly for me. I wrote a lot more than I thought I would. I found myself thinking, "is it really this easy?!" which was unexpected and funny.”
“Kimberly is now one of those instructors from whom I’ll take anything. Well structured, well paced, good balance of time spent on teaching and writing, and the instructor is so encouraging and knowledgeable about her craft. The meditations were also awesome.”
Registration Dates:
- March 3: Member registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- March 10: General registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- March 15: Scholarships open
- March 17: Last day of Early Bird discount
About Sliding Scale:
To help provide financial accessibility to our class offerings, some classes each quarter are offered with a sliding-scale tuition model, allowing students to pay what they can for the class. We encourage all registrants to pick the level of tuition that is right for them for these classes—no application required!
Sliding scale tuition starts at 10% and goes up to 125% of the standard pricing. Payments above the 100% rate help fund future accessible writing classes and programming. Early bird and member discounts do not apply to sliding-scale classes.
FAQ
Complete FAQEach class description includes a breakdown of what you can expect in terms of in-class activity, feedback, and homework (if any).
Generative means you’ll be generating new writing, either in class or at home between classes.
Workshop means you’ll be sharing work to be read and critiqued by your instructor and classmates and that you will also be critiquing the work of your peers.
Reading means you’ll be doing close reading of a work with an eye toward craft.
Craft discussion means you’ll be looking at the tools writers use to do that thing they do so well and then trying it out yourself.
Class levels are designed for various stages of the writing journey. Simply self-select the level that sounds best for where you’re at.
Introductory: This is your first creative writing workshop, first writing class since high school, or first foray into a new genre or form. You’re looking to try something new, kickstart your writing, and/or establish yourself in the fundamentals.
Intermediate: You have a strong understanding of writing fundamentals and are eager to deep dive into craft. You’re honing your writerly identity and voice through independent projects. In workshop, you look for constructive feedback and are ready to do writing and reading outside of class.
Advanced: You’ve written a significant body of work and have taken it through several stages of revision. You’re getting ready to publish or are in the early stage of publishing, and you’re interested in refining the skills that will take you to the next level in the literary industry.
All Levels: You are any of the above and are looking to play with new possibilities.
Zoom information for both classes and events are now available in your account.
- Login to your account.
- Go to “My Account.”
- Select either the “Classes” or “Events” tab.
- Click on your upcoming class or event to view the Zoom details.
You’ll also receive an email including Zoom information three days before the first day of class.
If you have any questions please contact us at welcome@hugohouse.org
Write With Hugo House is our free monthly write-in program that takes place online via Zoom.
We also have payment plans available for most of our classes. These payment plans are available to all students. Additionally, we offer partial scholarships (covering up to 40% of class tuition) for students who meet our income guidelines.
Lastly, we announce flash sales, early bird periods, and special deals through our e-newsletter; sign up at the bottom of this page.
Payment plans are available for all classes and can be purchased through our website. To register for a payment plan, select “Pay in installments” on the class details page, select your preferred option, and proceed to add to cart usual. The following policy applies to all payment plans:
- We charge a 5% nonrefundable administrative fee for all payment plans.
- The administrative fee is calculated based on the general class price. Discounts through memberships, coupons, scholarships, gift cards, or other promotions do not affect the administrative fee.
- Extended payment plans up to 8 monthly installments and 16 semi-monthly installments are available upon request.
- We are unable to hold seats for prospective payment plan students. Students will be enrolled once their first installment has been paid.
- If you need to cancel, Hugo House will issue refunds according to its cancellation and transfer policies. Your 5% nonrefundable admin fee will not be refunded.
- If you withdraw from a class after it begins, you will not receive a refund and are still responsible for paying the full course tuition.
Asynchronous classes are perfect for students that need flexibility!
During an asynchronous class, instructors release new lessons once per week. Students then have one week to complete that lesson and any accompanying coursework. You’ll learn as much as you would in a traditional class but with the flexibility to work at the best times for your schedule!
While there are no live sessions, asynchronous classes are still a lively and rigorous experience. Async classes are not static lessons but an adaptable and energetic community space. Be ready to work in a collaborative environment, giving and receiving feedback on your writing, participating in discussions, and growing your writing practice in a way that works best for you.
Asynchronous classes take place through the website Wet Ink. Students receive an invitation to the class and to set up a Wet Ink account on the start date of the class. Each week of the class, a new lesson will be available through the Wet Ink portal. Classes close two weeks after the end date, and students receive an email containing their content from the class when it closes.
Hugo House will only process refund requests that are submitted 5 days or more before the class start date. To request a refund, log in to your account, go to “My Account,” select the “Orders” tab on the left-hand side, click the appropriate order, and request a refund for your specific class. Administrative fees apply. Please see our full refund policy here.
To request a refund for class credit, please note such in the message section of your refund request.
In general, we do not record classes. However, an exception can be made with instructor approval if a student has specific access needs.
We encourage students to only sign up for classes that fit with their schedule.
We do not tolerate racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, transphobic or any other oppressive behaviors, regardless of who commits them. Please check out our full community guidelines by clicking here. If an instance of community guidelines are violated and not resolved within the classroom, students may let us know by filling out the student incident report.
If Hugo House needs to cancel a class for any reason, you’ll receive a full refund.
You can apply for a scholarship by clicking the red “Request a Scholarship” text on class pages. The scholarship request text is located at the top of each class page, underneath the “add to cart” button.
Scholarship application dates can be found in our Academic Calendar.
Due to the limited number of scholarships, please only request up to two scholarships for two different classes per quarter if you truly meet the financial need requirements.
Hugo House members get to register early for classes – a full week before they open to the general public!, receive a 10% discount on events and classes, and more. See the full list of membership benefits here!
Donations of all sizes allow us to provide access to quality writing classes, events, and experiences for all. Please consider making a donation to Hugo House today.
If you’re interested in contributing your skills, Hugo House accepts volunteer applications for a variety of roles, including event support, administrative tasks, and more. Learn more on our Volunteer page.
Finally, becoming a member is an excellent way to support Hugo House and our mission.
Make a Donation
Donations made throughout the year help fund our programs and operations.
