This past June, The Porch partnered with Turnip Green Creative Reuse to create a program called Write, Reuse, Reimagine. A group of teens met me at Turnip Green every Thursday for an experience that blended writing, art, and lessons on sustainability. Students got to bind and decorate their own journals, then fill them with poems and stories inspired by objects discovered in Turnip Green’s warehouse of oddities and art supplies. (Thank you to artist Billy Kilgore for leading the bookbinding and crafting lessons!)

On the last day of our writing journey, students gathered in Turnip Green’s art gallery. Large pieces of framed collage lined the walls and rested on pedestals. The artist, who was hanging the last few pieces on the back wall, graciously paused to chat with us and answer a few questions. Then everyone staked out spots with a good view of their favorite college, opened their handmade journals, and started writing. We had been practicing ekphrasis (writing in response to art), so everyone knew how to dive right in. I started writing my own poem, but I kept pausing to appreciate the scene around me. Teens sat cross legged on the gallery floor, bent over notebooks, and occasionally stood to take a closer look at the piece of art they were writing about. There was soft music drifting in from another room, but the loudest sound was the scratching of pencils on paper. After a round of feedback and revision, the poems written that day were hung on the gallery walls next to the art that inspired them.

One parent told me that her daughter loved her English classes, but they only wrote book reports. She wished they had more time to practice creative writing in class.

If you’ve never been to the Turnip Green Creative Reuse Center, you should definitely check it out. It’s kind of like a thrift store for art supplies, but even better. There are tall shelves packed with old magazines, fabric scraps, loose colored pencils, and tiles left over from construction projects. There are also less-expected treasures like a bin full of unwanted family photos, masquerade masks, or the music rolls for a player piano. New items arrive all the time, so each visit has the potential for new discoveries.

At the end of each of our writing sessions, the teens always wanted a few extra minutes to explore the shelves of art supplies, and while they did, I was able to chat with their parents. One parent told me that her daughter loved her English classes, but they only wrote book reports. She wished they had more time to practice creative writing in class. Another parent told me that her daughter was especially grateful to participate because she had been enrolled in the Tennessee Young Writers Workshop (an overnight camp for creative writing), but the program was cancelled when the federal government refused to distribute the arts funding promised for 2025.

With dramatic cuts to funding for education and the arts, it’s more important than ever for organizations like The Porch to provide the next generation of writers with creative opportunities that inspire, build writing skills, and foster community. The Porch’s youth programs send teaching artists into K-12 classrooms, libraries, community centers, and after-school programs across the city. We also host two weeks of creative writing summer camp and unique creative experiences like Write, Reuse, Reimagine (in partnership with Turnip Green) and Art Wire (in partnership with OZ Arts).

We’re proud of how much our programs have grown, but there is much more work to do. Our goal for 2026 is to provide an additional 25 creative writing sessions to MNPS classrooms at no cost to students or schools. We need your help to meet that goal. If you’re able, consider making a donation to The Porch’s youth programs. Every little bit helps. Help us support Nashville’s schools, teachers, and young writers who are still forming their relationship to creativity and the arts.

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Note: The Write, Reuse, Reimagine series is made possible with funding from the Bonnaroo Works Fund and Preds Foundation.