Why so blue? There’s nothing wrong with a little white lie. Watch out, she’s seeing red!

Color has long been used as a symbol to communicate meaning, deepen creative expression, and even call humans forth toward expansive consciousness or social justice. Color can brighten our mood, signal danger, even lower our blood pressure!

Join former Tacoma Poet Laureate Kellie Richardson for an interactive workshop exploring the role and use of color in poetry and prose. In this workshop, we will read various forms - poems, song lyrics, video, visual art - to look at the many ways artists utilize color to explore memory, honor humanity, and practice magic. Participants should be prepared to discuss the readings and engage with prompts to generate or build on their own memories and experiences with color. This workshop is open to all levels of writers and creatives. You will be offered an opportunity to share the work you create (though not required), as well as offer generative feedback to your peers.

ABOUT OUR FACILITATOR:

Kellie Richardson is a queer Black writer and creative born and raised in Tacoma, Washington.
Her work primarily explores themes of love, loss, and longing, with particular attention to how
those themes intersect with Black American humanity. A former Tacoma Poet Laureate, Kellie
has released two collections of poetry, What Us Is (2017) and The Art of Naming My Pain (2024), both published by Blue Cactus Press. Passionate about experimentation and art as a liberatory practice, her poetry often integrates visual elements such as collage and color. Richardson is currently working on her third collection and attending the Rainier Writer’s Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University. You can learn more about her work on her website and Substack.

Presented by Creative Colloquy, funded by the City of Tacoma/Tacoma Creates, and hosted by Tacoma Public Library.