2014 – FOUR SEASONS OF STORIES

Hello & welcome to the final Creative Writes blog post of 2014!

I hope you have been enjoying the Festive Season and are looking forward to welcoming in 2015. 

It has been an incredibly fulfilling & varied 2014 for Creative Writes. I was able to build on work from previous years – running my regular Weekly Blocks of workshops and Themed Workshops at North Bank/Muswell Hill Methodist Church in Muswell Hill, returning to TFL for a staff workshop, continuing the Avenue Club writing workshops & Book Group in Kew and settling in to my weekly sessions at the Claremont Centre in Angel. 

Motivational Writing Surgery – Summer

There was also the first Creative Writes Motivational Writing Surgery in the Summer, which was a three hour workshop with different work stations – where participants had the opportunity to try a range of different exercises, many of which were themed around Summer. They worked individually and in pairs. 

I ventured in to new areas – which included my Women’s Day Workshop at the Eveyln Oldfield Unit and Creative Writing & Reading Groups for the Housing Trust C&C (Central & Cecil). The workshops included care homes & sheltered housing schemes and the final workshop of this year was a staff training session. It felt important to share with some of the care home staff, who may not have had the opportunity to take part in a workshop – what we have been doing with the residents and the general approach I take for my sessions. The group wrote and shared their work and we had a great session. 

The participants from our regular C&C Colville Sheltered Housing Scheme were recorded reading their memories of snow, for the C&C digital advent calendar. The link is below:

Feb 2014, Andy Andrews shooting our video

http://www.ccht.org.uk/day-8

Two highlights of the year were having our new video made by Andy Andrews http://www.andyandrews.co.uk/  and working with my first Creative Writes volunteer, Lanna Ford, who came on board for two months. I learnt a great deal from both experiences and Andy & Lanna were a pleasure to work with. Here is our video and also the link to Lanna’s blog post:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RsbC4yYLJ4

Lanna Ford, our first volunteer

Click here for Lanna’s blog post on her experience as a volunteer: https://www.creativewrites.co.uk/2014/08/a-word-from-lanna.html

Highgate Wood, Autumn

We took inspiration from the changing seasons in some workshops and we will be focussing on Winter during the first Themed Workshop of 2015 on January 28th. 

I am privileged to have heard your stories throughout the four seasons of 2014. I look forward to building and listening to more stories in 2015. 

Here are our new workshops for the first part of 2015: 
https://www.creativewrites.co.uk/p/bookings-workshop-info-how-to-book.html

I wish you love, joy & creativity and look forward to seeing you next year!

Nichola x