Survivor Circle 1 [breast cancer survivors]

Cancer That Creates

A monthly group for breast cancer survivors, where we come together to relate & reflect on our suffering & grief, uncover redemptive themes, & create something new from the pieces.

Our goal is integration for the parts of ourselves that were blasted apart. We practice the generous act of creation, using the raw materials of our lives to make works of art with transformative power—for ourselves and for others.

Victoria—founder of eleVe, award-winning MFA in Creative Nonfiction, ballet & writing instructor, & mixed-media artist—will facilitate each seminar, ensuring a lively, in-depth discussion as we connect with ourselves & one another. You’re welcome to share as much as you want, or listen and be healed by the voice of others. There is no judgment, only space for you & your story to be lifted up.

Through this circle you will…

  • Develop somatic awareness of how your body carries the history of diagnosis and treatment

  • Grow in courage to face the hard stuff with an intimate & safe group

  • Learn how to view life through the eyes of the narrator you are

  • Express yourself in new & creative ways via prose & poetry, mixed media collage, & the spoken word

  • Gain a depth of friendship with a small circle of survivors committed to sharing & making together

  • Build confidence and hope that the path forward, however uncertain, holds beauty

The Experience

  • 45 min | Discussion & Reflection
    Victoria facilitates an in-depth dialogue drawing from literature, neuroscience, and somatic wisdom to help us connect with our stories.

  • 45 min | The Act of Making
    Using provided materials and prompts, we transition from words to works—creating poems, songs, and collages that memorialize our journey.


Registration Details

  • When: First Friday of the month (following Somatic Movement class @ eleVe studio).

  • Capacity: Strictly limited to 4 survivors to maintain an intimate, safe environment.

  • Note: Launching Fall 2026.

Reach out to Victoria at victoria@eleve-uv.co to reserve your spot!

MEMO FROM V:

This idea for an “adult-survivor-ed-group” came, perhaps, as a reaction against the all too cliché “BE STRONG” banners & campaigns, that often left Victoria feeling more alone than ever. From her own experience as a survivor & artmaker, she has lived the truth that true hope can only rise out of “the pit.” We don’t need to label it sparkly & pink for it to mean something real or good. What happened matters — the truth is enough — the only thing that can move us out of the darkness of what was. We are not forgetting what happened as we move on, but memorializing it, which honors our pain. And even though this means facing & feeling our weakness, it is the only path where we can find lasting healing.

BE STRONG