Workshop leader Roohi Choudhry
on “Writing and Mindfulness” 

Born in Pakistan and raised in multiple countries in Africa, Roohi Choudhry currently calls Brooklyn home. A writer, teacher and self-described “nomad,” Roohi has been leading writing workshops for cancer patients and survivors since 2020. After leading a “Writing Personal Essays” series, Roohi created a new workshop, “Writing and Mindfulness,” which explores the essential connection between being fully present and creative expression. 

We hear a lot about mindfulness these days. What does it mean to you? 
What experts have to say about mindfulness could fill many books. But for me, a student of mindfulness, it’s about noticing what’s in the present. So much of the time, we’re lost in memories of the past or dreams of the future. For me, attempting mindfulness is about being aware of what’s here right now and noticing it. 

What’s the connection between mindfulness and creative writing? 
When I first began studying mindfulness, I’d already been writing creatively for many years, and I saw the overlaps between these practices all the time. Creative writing (and perhaps, most art-making) is about close observation. The artist or writer has to be present in order to observe. Being mindful of our senses and telling the story of a single moment in time are also key aspects of creative writing. 

How does your personal history inform your writing and teaching? 
I’m passionate about working with people who do not call themselves writers. Maybe they never felt writing was for them. Or maybe they started doubting their words somewhere along the way. I’ve felt that way often, as a woman of color who was never encouraged to be a writer. In her essay “Speaking in Tongues,” Gloria Anzaldua says: “Does not our class, our culture as well as the white man tell us writing is not for women such as us?” I’m so moved when a student is surprised by what they write in my workshop. My teaching style is pretty much centered around making space for those moments to happen. I’m always trying to help people get out of the way of their own creative subconscious. 

What do you think is the key to finding your voice as a writer? 
The expression “finding your voice” implies that it’s out there somewhere, waiting to be discovered. I believe it’s within anyone who wants to express themselves using words, but many of the ways we’re taught to communicate in school or at work get in the way of that. We’re taught to use other people’s voices, so we forget our own or devalue it. I think of creative writing as a rediscovery. 

What has your experience been leading writing workshops for the cancer community? 
It’s been a humbling and enriching experience. Most of the time, I see my role as facilitator of a community that forms in the workshop, rather than a teacher. The workshop is a platform for people in the cancer community to connect through creativity. I love observing how participants hold and care for each other as they share their writing. It’s an honor to witness.