Thursday, October 1, 2026
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A shining “Star” in our community, Star Wuerdemann is a beloved published writer, teacher, acupuncturist, who practices Qigong.
A recent addition has been made to her bio that we should all be excited about: Wuerdemann is the founder of OlyPages Writing Studios, a writing community education center that is launching with its first class on Sept. 13.
I invite you to get cozy with a cup of tea as we get to know Star Wuerdemann together. Before you get too comfortable though, make sure your planner and pen are ready so you can mark upcoming events at OlyPages.
One of the things that is very evident when talking to Wuerdemann is that she brings her whole self to everything she does and allows her writing principles and practices within Chinese medicine to intertwine, tango, and continually give her fresh inspiration.
Holding a Bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature and a Master's degree in Acupuncture, Wuerdemann’s journey is quite unique.
“I am so grateful I did that because both have changed my understanding of humans. I would not have been able to have the depth nor the compassion that I have now without my acupuncture studies.” Wuerdemann said. “I truly believe you have to write every character, whether they are fictitious or real, with compassion for them as a human.”
Oftentimes, Wuerdemann’s stories touch the big moments in life, what happens in the before and after, all from varied perspectives. Her storytelling and writing inspiration comes from everywhere.
During our conversation, she told me about coming out of a grocery store one day and seeing an overly full trash can with a brand new bouquet of red roses on top.
“I’ve always wondered — something happened, went really wrong. As a writer, I looked at the explorations of why," Wuerdemann said.
At the time we chatted, Wuerdemann was working on a short story about a couple who decided to get an abortion as told through the boyfriend’s perspective.
This particular story describes dysfunctional relationships, how they happen, how people get stuck, and how things fall apart.
“It’s a bit of an anti-hero’s journey, but there is a good ending for one of the characters," she said.
Adding to that, Wuerdemann said, “Five element acupuncture is very holistic and it’s about how we interact with life and the stories behind that, including things like why we are the way we are, why we make the choices we do, and considers the false beliefs we have about ourselves or the trauma we have experienced. I love to look at that in writing as well.”
I believe that most people would really enjoy writing and find it gratifying if they gave it the chance.
Dear JOLT readers, I invite you to take that chance and check out everything taking place at OlyPages Writing Studio.
OlyPages partners with Browsers Bookshop, but is a separate entity that resides upstairs in the Olympia Hardware Building at 107 Capitol Way N, Suite 200.
Wuerdemann shared how the partnership grew out of shared values and vision.
“Reading and writing enhance our hearts and community; we want to expand the reach of stories to the Puget Sound and beyond," she said.
OlyPages vision is to “strengthen community and individuals through the art of writing via education, opportunity, and the space for human connection.”
This vision will be fulfilled through two different pathways: donation-based “OpenPages” events and fee-based “StudioPages” classes and workshops.
Here are the September offerings to get started. Be sure to click on each link to register:
I look forward to seeing our Olympia writing community expand through these incredible opportunities. Thank you Wuerdemann for creating this space and making it happen.
Rachel is a writer, arts advocate, performing arts enthusiast, and passionate about our beloved Thurston County. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in History and Political Science and minor in Music. You can enjoy more of Rachel's writings by visiting her website. All inquiries for Rachel can be submitted here.
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