ASTORIA — Oceans are the most dynamic natural force on the planet. They feed us, determine weather, and provide an endless source of mystery and mysticism. Oceans also offer many people, including writers, inspiration for their creative lives.

Join author and beachcomber Matt Love for a one-day ocean-themed writing workshop in Astoria this August. In this creative thinking, visualization and writing workshop, Love will assist participants to engage with the ocean with the intent of unlocking ways of enhancing the personal creative process. The workshop also calls for a visit to the beach at Fort Stevens State Park.

Whether you are a writer, musician, visual artist, photographer, woodworker, teacher, or some other kind of creative person, embracing the ocean as a source of inspiration could enliven your mind and take your creativity in new, unforeseen directions. It also might make you feel better.

“The ocean is a tremendous part of my creative life,” said Love, “and I discover many of my best ideas for writing when I walk along the beach or watch the ocean from afar. Thinking and writing about the ocean is a great way to open one’s mind. I encourage any aspiring writer to take the class and write about the ocean. It’s the easiest thing in the world to write about and can help get you going.”

The workshop is also ideal for teachers of all grade levels who want to invigorate their nonfiction writing instruction and make the study of the ocean more exciting to students. It might also appeal to environmental scientists and conservation activists who work with the public on education matters about the ocean or want to think on it anew.

The workshop will be held at the Fort George Lovell Showroom from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27. The cost is $90, and participants will pay at the first session. Email Love at nestuccaspitpress@gmail.com to register.

Love lives in Astoria and is publisher of Nestucca Spit Press. He’s the author/editor of 14 books about Oregon, including “The Great Birthright,” his novel about Oregon’s beaches. He writes about the ocean for multiple publications, including Oregon Coast Today and Oregon Coast Magazine. He’s also taught writing workshops at Portland State University, University of Oregon, Pacific University, Clackamas Community College and the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology. In 2009, Love won the Oregon Literary Arts’ Stewart H. Holbrook Literary Legacy Award for his contributions to Oregon history and literature. His website is www.nestuccaspitpress.com