Creative Words@ Friars Street

The November series of Creative Words was attended by 13 enthusiastic people and we looked at ways of seeing the bright side of November and the English winter. We celebrated rain, snow, and light (much of the latter artificial) and wrote about them in prose and poetry; in haiku and kennings and many other ways. We were inspired by all sorts of poems, music clips and the paintings of Breughel. (We also had biscuits)

So thanks to all the participants, and to Robert Frost, Basho, Saint Lucia, Charlie Rossiter, Brian Patten and all the others who inspired and delighted us.

The photo shows our last session - sadly a few missing due to illness or having left Blighty for warmer climes. But we have decided to do more - we re-convene in April for a summery series - please get in touch if you'd like to join.

Therapeutic Words @ Friars Street, Hereford

Therapeutic Words@ Friars Street

The introductory workshop on November 6th - which was called "Therapeutic Uses of Creative Writing"- was a success and there was some very positive feedback. I noted down such comments as: enlivening, inspirational, gave me hope, gave me ideas, opened up possibilities.

So the result is that we are doing some more next year (see poster) but I have slightly changed the emphasis because people seemed as interested in personal development as in professional development i.e. although they may use the techniques and ideas they experience on the course in their work lives, their main interest is in their own development using creative writing.

So there will be 4 more Friday morning sessions next year - the first one on January 22nd. Do get in touch if you are interested.

Inside the Yurt

Recently it seems as though yurts are following me around - in a good way!
On World Mental Health Day in October I visited the Herefordshire Mind drop in centre at Heffernan House and there was a beautiful full-sized yurt miraculously squeezed in to their lovely garden and the sun shone on us. A couple of weeks later I visited the new visitors centre at the Edinburgh Botanical Gardens and found myself inside another yurt - this time with its own carpets and a TV showing us a film about their amazing wych elm project.

And of course - Carol Ann Duffy recently wrote a very moving poem entitled Inside the Yurt - a typically image-crammed and magical piece dedicated to the work of Catherine Lockerbie. (You can see the poem on the Times online - click here

Current and future workshops

Creative Words @ Friars Street - Summer Words

Summer series 2010, 5 Mondays from 19th April 9:45am to 12:15.

Dates: 19th April, 26th April, 17th May, 24th May, 14th June (there are gaps for bank holidays, Segments etc).

We will be looking at poetry, prose and pictures with a summery flavour.

Segments
Happily, this series will now run into 2010. Segments until February are very nearly full but a new series starts in March. Please contact me to register your interest.
A reminder that the last segment of the year is Dec 7th 2009.

Dates for 2010:
Feb 8th, Mar 8th, Apr 12th, May 10th, June 7th, July 12th, Aug - no segment, Sept 13th, Oct 11th, Nov 8th, Dec 6th.
All sessions run from 9:45am - 12:15





Creative Words @ Friars Street
The November '09 series is now full. Please contact me if you would like details of similar courses in the future (or keep an eye on this page).


2nd August 2009
New weekly sessions in Hereford November 09

Many of you have asked when the next open workshops are going to be - glad to say I can confirm that a short 5 week course will take place at Friars Street, Hereford in November. (See details on right)
Please contact me for a booking form - I will collect deposits but not cash cheques until the course starts. (Deposit £15)














Therapeutic Uses of Creative Writing Nov 09

An introductory half-day workshop will take place in Hereford in early November. This course is designed to be useful to counsellors, therapists of all kinds and other health professionals. (Anyone with a general interest is also welcome)
I am hoping to develop a course on this theme if there proves to be enough interest.

Please contact me for a booking form. (details right) Or you can write to me at 35 Gresleys, Ross on Wye, HR9 5JN.












Segment Two is fully booked but there are still a few spaces left for Three and Four - priority goes to those who haven't been before so please do get in touch. ( Also I can add you to the waiting list in case people drop out at last minute.)






















Hereford Workshop July 09



This is the first in a series of new workshops that will be taking place more or less bi-monthly until next year.






We'll be looking at the different meanings of the concept of segments and I am hoping to use items from the Resource Centre's documentary archive.

Where is Friars Street?

The lovely new learning room at the Museum Resource and Learning Centre in Friars Street is still not as widely known as it deserves to be, being a relatively new development. Friars Street is close to the centre of town but is a small one way street so a map comes in handy - see left.

Creative Words DIY Kit

Creative writing gives a sense of pleasure and achievement; it can offer new insights and be shared with others. Creative activity often enables us to regain a needed sense of autonomy and clarity in times of stress and confusion.

Below are just a few ideas that you might like to try:

Mindmaps


A mindmap can be a great starting point for creativity.
They range from the very simple (left) to a complete piece in its own right (below)

Typically you would select a theme such as HOPE and create as many associations as possible without stopping to think too deeply. Having created your mindmap you can develop the most interesting strand and explore it further. This could turn into a poem, memory, story or even a second more elaborate mindmap.

Lists

Never underestimate the humble list - most of us enjoy writing lists and this familiar activity can be surprisingly powerful used in creative ways. For example a long list of moans can be a beneficial way of unburdening ourselves without burdening others. Also we often find that by writing down every single complaint we get to a point when our sense of humour or at least a little lightness creeps back in.
Difficult decisions can be made easier by dividing your paper into two columns and listing all the things in favour on one side and all those against on the other. We may still decide with the heart and not the head but the process will often give clarity.


Free Writing
What seems to be the trouble?

The idea of free writing comes under many different names but essentially it involves picking up a pen and writing continuously for a fixed length of time - say 15 minutes. It can be a great way of discovering what’s really troubling us. It doesn’t matter where you start, just keep going and see what arises.


The Unsendable Letter
Writing a letter that you don’t intend to send can be very liberating. You can convey anger, grief, despair or any other powerful but unexpressed feelings in a completely safe way. Some people read the letter aloud to an empty room, others share it, and some simply read and destroy.

Journals and Notebooks

You may carry one of these already and the benefits of keeping a notebook are well recognised. Some people say that the notebook that they always carry can seem like a friend. Our notebook can be a place for keeping a record of our experiences and enables us to go back and see how we have progressed.


Word-weaving

If you enjoy writing short fiction, try this. Choose four or five words or ideas, either things that come easily to mind or select words at random from a book. You will need at least a couple of nouns. Having chosen your words, create a story employing them all as fancifully as possible. Here is a crossword solution - these make great starting points.