Julie Yoder is an emerging writer and poet - emerging in that she only recently embraced her own creative writing practice after decades of teaching technical writing to others. In between, she taught herself how to play drums, founded an English language coaching business, played actively in local bands, co-founded the nonprofit Girls Rock! DC, and started tap dancing. While searching for a creative outlet that would be less annoying to the neighbors in her apartment building, she stumbled on an experimental poetry workshop. The practices she learned there helped her finally let go of her inner editor and open up to new and exciting ways of approaching the writing process.
Julie is also a life long gardener and recently bought a farmette in Maryland where she plans to start a growing and donation program to help address food scarcity in the local community. Her superpowers are being unafraid to suck at new pursuits and never giving up.
Zena Verda Pesta is a maker of pottery, quilts, supper, grower of food, nurturer of partnerships, roller dancer, and participant and steward in all types of learning environments. She is one generation removed from working the land in Appalachia Kentucky. She comes from mountain people. Zena currently resides in Washington County, NY. She is pursuing ancestral love of the dirt through pottery, connecting kids with nature, natural dying, gardening & community building.
Zena’s ceramic work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. She has been a resident in Jingdezhen, China and had her work highlighted in The New York Times, W Magazine, & a Japanese publication. Her career in craft, design, & teaching has taken her all over the world. Zena has been working with kids & adults in process based workshops & facilitating learning environments for 15 years. She feel's very strongly about the power of hands-on experiential and immersive learning. She has devoted her practice to the dirt & making with others of all ages. If you'd like to learn more about her teaching philosophy, past workshops, or other work you can visit www.soulmagical.com!
