OFFERINGS

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a graphic with a purple background. At the top in white text it says 'coaching'. An inset image in a gold circle depictstwo people smiling over a notebook.

a graphic with a purple background. At the top in white text it says 'community'. An inset image in a gold circle depicts a photograph of a group of people crouched over paper, they are smiling and enjoying each other's company and collaboration

Inclusive, Anti-Racist & Embodied

Barrak wears a purple shirt while holding a pencil in one hand and brown notebook in the other. He is smiling, standing outside.

I draw on nearly a decade of experience as an educator and facilitator, along with a lifetime of writing.

My offerings welcome writers at all stages of their craft and career to nurture healthy and generative relationships to our writing, while building community along the way.

Not only is Barrak a skilled writer and teacher, but he creates multiple avenues for engagement that makes it clear everyone has a place in the world of writing.

-2022 Summer Retreat Participant

Writing Retreats

My retreats are for emerging and established writers who want to develop a more joyful and generative writing practice in community with others.

During a retreat you will:

Create your own rituals and habits to improve writing flow
Learn to listen to your bodymind and follow creative impulses
Engage in prompts and reflections that increase joy in writing while addressing the anxieties it elicits

I will share interactive activities and prompts that I use in my own writing process, accessible to all abilities and capacities.

Learn More

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Barrak sits with a client at a table, they are surrounded by books.

Coaching

I will support you in your process and offer you tools and approaches to help you achieve your writing goals.

I draw on my extensive experience as a talented editor, a social entrepreneur and successful grant writer to help you leverage your strengths, develop your skills and surmount your challenges.

Whether you want to:

Get published
Deepen your writing practice
Secure grants and residencies
Increase your author platform and audience

I have worked with writers, artists, and major cultural institutions across the world to secure prestigious international residencies and awards, develop social media content plans tailored to specific audiences, and nurtured emerging projects.

I had hit a wall with my projects, but the sessions, prompts, and resources Barrak curated helped me see my work in new ways and got me itching to get back to the page.

– Coaching Client

Free Consultation

Community

I really value being in community with fellow writers and artists, and have always found incredible joy and creative fulfillment in creating work with and alongside others. Whether it be theater, art, or writing I found that I am better when I am around similarly passionate and creative people

Writing is a challenging pursuit, it’s often solitary and isolating, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

I created a space in Discord that brings writers together online, and also offer tools and templates for people to develop their own in-person gatherings and workshops.

This space is slower and more intimate than social media, and it allows for mutual development and critique of work, as we support our ongoing paths as writers.

Learn More

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Testimonials

Asynchronous Virtual Workshop

Barrak’s writing workshop was engaging and energizing. I found the Heightening Emotion exercise valuable as a warm-up and a way to center on the compelling “story underneath the situation.” The Mapping exercises for Revision, along with Barrak’s explanation & examples of the story arc, are helping me to demystify and even anticipate the later stages of writing. I’m interested in renewing my poetry writing practice, and I appreciate the practical tips in this workshop too about the ritual act of sitting down to write and getting unblocked in the process.

Thank you, Barrak!

Tim H., High School Social Studies Teacher

Live Online Workshop

I appreciated Barrak’s preparedness, nuanced questions, and inclusive approach for everyone’s voice to be heard in his workshop facilitation.

He was organized and thoughtful in his prompts which encouraged me to consider the rhythm and flow of how sentences and words make sound together, and the possibilities for how they can form into a cohesive, gorgeous whole.

Lauren C., Independent Designer, Writer, & Speaker

In-Person Devised Theater Workshop

I joined a devised theatre workshop about climate grief and creating ceremonies that reconnect us to the land.

Barrak expertly navigated us through interesting and thoughtful discussions, movement, imagining, and reflection. It was hugely impactful for me. Working in the international development sector with climate change affected communities myself, it was really inspiring to approach the topic with a more creative, imaginative and emotional lens.

Lotty C., Assistant Program Development Officer

In-Person Devised Theatre Workshop

Taking part in a devised theater workshop led by Barrak was a beautiful, enriching experience that I will not soon forget. He held space for us to explore our own understanding of the connection between the material world we live in and how it impacts nature. In particular, the role ritual and ceremonies can play in reimagining these relationships was fascinating. He guided us through a process of developing a new, authentic ritual of our own to connect to the earth, which felt both thrilling and rejuvenating. I’m very glad to be part of his journey in bringing people together through creativity to tackle issues that are so vital to our time.

Farzana N., International Development Consultant

In-Person Devised Theater Workshop

As a writer, I spend a lot of my time in my head. It’s the main workspace of my craft, but it can also be a place filled with risk. You can be bombarded with ideas, be stuck on a single idea, or—worst of all—have no ideas. Barrak’s workshops have helped me get unstuck and get writing. His use of theatre exercises to stimulate both the mind and the body are the perfect antidote to getting unstuck, letting go of unhelpful ideas, and having the freedom to explore new ideas. It’s made writing a more dynamic and thoughtful process because it’s not just putting words to the page for the sake of reaching a word goal. It’s about exploring ideas, boiling them down to their essence, and then putting that into words on the page.

Anthony N., Writer and Educator

In-Person Devised Theater Workshop

Barrak’s workshop was an illuminating experience, he seamlessly blended performance, writing and community building in the span of a single workshop. As a facilitator, he was incredible at both holding and commanding space and had created an environment where I felt both safe and challenged. I emerged out of the workshop with so much wonder and curiosity about my own relationship with the environment and my own body. I would highly recommend this incredibly unique experience.

Samira H., Researcher and Writer

Statement of Inclusion & Anti-Racism

I am committed to enacting and maintaining an inclusive, anti-racist and accessible space that fosters creativity and joy.

Our Community’s Norms:
I ask that all members “practice respect, kindness, and non-violence in their verbal and written communication. [I will act in response to] harassment, discrimination, or other forms of abuse including racism, transphobia, homophobia, ableism, misogyny, or intolerance against individuals of any other marginalized status.” (adapted from BIPOC Writing Community’s Commitment to Safety)

We are all entering this space to be generative and creative. This is a space for learning and growth, and we will all be at different stages of writing.

If the work you share contains any content that might potentially trigger others, please give a brief content warning to give others the opportunity to opt out.