On Wednesday, I ran a new Themed Workshop entitled ‘Colourful Writes.’ I have always been fascinated and excited by colour – especially bright, sumptuous colour in art and nature.
I read a review a few years ago in Mslexia magazine on Derek Jarman’s book ‘Chroma.’ It sounded fascinating and when I read it, it didn’t disappoint. The book is a kind of memoir through colour – we travel on Jarman’s journey as he loses his sight. He has captured glimpses of his life and the world through colour.
For example, in the chapter ‘Grey Matters’ he writes: ‘I spent an afternoon in a silver grey wood, a dead wood on the banks of the Mississippi…’ and ‘On Seeing Red;’ ‘Red is a moment in time. Blue constant. Red is quickly spent.’
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| Red Wheelbarrow, Devon |
It was wonderful to have the opportunity to work on exercises which heightened our senses and enabled us to engage with the world through colour.
We started the workshop with a really interesting discussion about the free flow approach to writing. Although the participants hadn’t written in this way before or attended a creative writing workshop, they understood the process when we talked about drawing and said that essentially it was all mark making. Whether it was through drawing or writing – it was simply about making the mark on a blank page.
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| Mosaic colour |
We each chose a colour and went for a walk in silence – absorbing our surroundings. I had chosen red and it was as if I had been presented with gifts when a woman in a deep red dress decorated with tiny flowers cycled by with a red handbag in the basket.
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| Modern Colour |
Other exercises included mining our memories and poetry which engaged all five senses. We shared the work and the stimulating discussion around the writing process and colour continued.
The group left with a toolbox of ideas with which to continue making their mark and notebooks with fewer blank pages…
All Creative Writes workshops will equip and engage you in this liberating writing approach. We have a growing programme of Summer/Autumn workshops and an Early Bird offer on selected workshops until July 31st 2013:
https://www.creativewrites.co.uk/p/bookings-workshop-info-how-to-book.html
Look forward to sharing the experience with you.
Bye for now!
Nichola