Tina Teeninga at The Glen

Tina Teeninga just got back from The Glen Workshop in New Mexico. It's an annual IMAGE Journal event, with week-long workshops for artists in many disciplines. Here's the email she sent, updating me on her adventures.

Hi Ron,

A few words about the Glen Workshop: inspiring, wonderful, brilliant! It was an amazing week full of stimulating conversations about art, literature and faith. I very much felt like a real intellectual a few times, discussing and debating theology and the arts! I thoroughly enjoyed my playwriting workshop. Mark St. Germain is very encouraging and yet had lots of helpful things to say about LUDDITES. I feel very motivated to write my next draft now, and am confident as to where I’m going to take the play. Mark gave us readings each day which we then reported to our class, which were enlightening as to the generals of structure, plot, character.

Probably the most tremendous thing about the Glen Workshop was being around hundreds of intelligent, thoughtful people who love to integrate their faith and art. It became clear to me that anything I write, as a thinking Christian person, will naturally weave my faith into the story. My worldview sees a tiny sparkle of hope in every situation because of God. So, even in tragedy (and you know I love a good tragedy!), there will always be some slant of light that shows us not *all* is lost, or at least, not forever. I don’t need to coerce or drag my worldview into my stories. I trust it will be there, even when the words “God” and “Jesus” and “faith” aren’t to be found in the script. Very freeing!

You should really try to get to the Glen next year. You’d love it. It’s sumptuous to be surrounded by all the other arts and artists - wordsmiths, people obsessed with textures and form, light and shadow junkies, musical magicians. Santa Fe is spectacularly artsy as well. My first day back to reality, I was rather miserable because leaving the Glen is like leaving a little bit of Eden. I know what I’m going to be doing in heaven! Sigh.

Cheerios,

Tina