Leslie Swartz, published author

This is what I love about Rahla’s workshops:

Rahla is that rare combination of kind, keen, and careful. She creates a positive atmosphere in which I feel supported and never judged, and in which I feel free to try new things. In her always kind and encouraging comments, though, there is always something which shows that she has distilled the essence of what I am trying to do, and she unobtrusively pushes me to take things a bit further – to risk more, to try more. I am not quite sure how she manages to make such hard work on her part always seem like fun – but it always does, and her workshops are joyful. I have been in other workshops where I have felt judged, and where I have felt that part of the purpose of the workshop is for participants to admire the facilitators. With Rahla, the focus is not on her but on our work. I always have the feeling that she has my back and wants me to do better – and that makes me a better, and more confident, writer, learning that writing, though hard work, can be fun!

Desiree-Anne Martin, published poet and author

I have had the privilege of attending four writing workshops facilitated by the fabulous Rahla. Her approach is candid and encouraging, her energy is pure love and creative light. The format of “never lifting you hand from the page” is immensely challenging but helps in pushing through self-defeating obstacles and allowing critical beliefs to dissipate. She brings a sense of safety to the process - not an easy container to create online - which gave me all permission to be vulnerable within my writing and courageous within my deeper exploration and sharing with other participants. Rahla is unashamedly authentic which is a quality that resonates with my non-negotiable need to live my truth. During Rahla’s workshops, I have been fully able to write my truth and for this I am grateful for her guidance. And she’s funny as f*ck!

Robert Jones, author of ‘The Refugee Crisis-Through the Eyes of the Children’

Megan Metrikin, Actor, New York

Gail Drucker, New York

Sue Kaplan, Cape Town

I found Rahla’s workshop on creative writing to be exciting and informative. With her guidance and multiple insights into bringing talent to the surface I left the workshop inspired and equipped with new skills.

I absolutely love Rahla’s writing workshops and classes. She has the ability to inspire and create an atmosphere of deep and very personal creativity for each individual. I am always surprised by the places Rahla manages to take me to. The corners that one didn’t know existed. She is a beautiful burst of soulful positivity and heart. Participating in your creative writing workshops, Rahla, is truly like the “gift that keeps giving.” You always create such a warm, safe and nurturing environment, even through the thickness of a computer screen, via a zoom session, you inspire the writers to dig deeper into themselves than they ever could have imagined they were capable of achieving and produce a myriad of beautiful, original and powerful experiences, memoirs and characters. The prompts you give us to begin our writing excursion for the particular workshop are consistently thought-provoking and intriguing. Then to listen to each member of the group read their work is absolutely fascinating and invigorating. We’re all given the same prompt, but our responses and writings are all so different - each piece filled with a genuine and personal richness. Rahla, your feedback to every writer’s work in the group is continually encouraging, spot-on, insightful and most of all, it’s motivating and makes the writer want to write more and then some more. Rahla, you are an innovative, kind, loving, prolific, and extraordinarily gifted writing teacher! I feel so fortunate to have met you. You’re the BEST!

Rahla has the ability to ignite the magic of one’s imagination and make one’s pen moves along a page into narratives of delight. She nurtures and encourages each person no matter how experienced or inexperienced a writer. The first workshop I attended I was so afraid to read what I had written but with encouragement I did and I am now addicted to writing and Rahla’s workshops. They have awakened a narrative within me. I am so grateful to Rahla and hold my pen close at handwriting daily. Thanks to Rahla’s workshops.