I woke up to a snowy North London this morning and went off to a networking group in Finchley, which I hadn’t been to before. When sitting in a lovely cafe with my friends & colleagues afterwards (this photo was taken there – a sketch of the venue), we got to talking about how we presented ourselves and what was most important about what we had to offer – what it was that we needed people to understand.
I became aware during this conversation that after several years of doing what I do – as a writer & as a teacher/workshop facilitator that I have got into a slight habit of taking for granted that people will understand the premise & without realising, I was asking them to decode my description. I now realise that it is the time to go back to the roots – the roots of what exactly it is that I do. My friend – who is a life coach, was great at asking the right questions and this is part of what I came up with:
“I help people use words to express themselves. I do this firstly by helping them to find their own voice.”
It’s all about getting to the root of it isn’t it? What do we want to say? What is our story?
It’s about moving the pen across the page because without this, the words remain hidden and silent. You have to show up. I then help you to do the rest. Then you can continue on your journey because you have the tools. Structure, editing, refining, detail – it’s all important. It’s all valid. Critique too. At the right time and place. Firstly, show up – be brave. The pen will do the rest. Through a series of exercises, I will guide you and support you as you start with your own roots. Because without planting these roots, the foundations will be missing. You have to lay the foundations. I have written for years & years, filling up notebook after notebook. I’m not always that interested in reading through them afterwards. That’s okay – the words have been tasted and put into the mix. They are part of the flavour of everything I have written since and my awareness of who I am. I am not a therapist but I believe that for writing to be at its most powerful and authentic, you have to connect with who you are – your own foundations. Be real – whatever you choose to write about. Start with you.
Last Wednesday, it was the first Creative Writes Themed Workshop of 2015, in Muswell Hill N10 and the theme was Winter. We began with our memories of Snow. After 10 minutes, everybody in the group had written their own small story. Memories and images which had floated around their minds – sometimes for several years, were transformed into words. The Themed Workshops run on the last Wednesday of each month – the next Themed Workshop is at the end of February (Writing the Senses).
I am so privileged to hear these stories and to watch how people relax as the workshops progress. They learn to trust themselves and to be guided by their own words. They follow the journey from mind to page, they stop blocking themselves. After this, they can write anything.
Tomorrow is the start of our new block of three Creative Writes workshops (Wednesdays 4,11 & 18 February, 7.30-9.30pm) in Muswell Hill, N10. There are only 3 places left: www.creativewrites.co.uk
Here’s the short Creative Writes video, where some of our writers tell you what it’s all about and what’s it done for them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RsbC4yYLJ4
Bye for now, Nichola x