Reflective Writing for Creative Practice

In my recent Cultures of Care Group session (and shared in the podcast) I talked about the importance of reflective writing or journalling in my own development. I write a lot, pretty much every day. Some of that writing is just describing the day and getting it out of my head and offloading difficult things. Other times my writing is very reflective and I ask myself questions or use a journalling prompt to help me focus and figure things out.

I’ve nurtured this writing habit for four years now and it has become a positive habit that helps me keep moving forward with my creativity and in touch with my inner feelings and thoughts about my work and the impact I’m having on the world.

I also like to review my journals every few months, sometimes every few weeks and transfer things to another journal to follow up on, and also to reflect and learn from my writing.

I’m now creating a very gentle kind of course to help you get into this practice of reflective writing. It’s not a course that you have to follow strictly and with tasks and assessments, it’s just a structure and some support to help you find your own way with reflective writing. You don’t have to share your writing with anyone.

The course includes:

• Introductory essay about reflective writing and getting into your own writing practice. Lots of tips and suggestions for getting on with it and making it a habit.

• Weekly prompts or questions to guide your writing. You can do whatever you like with this – answer it or go off in a totally different direction. You can write for 5 minutes or two hours.

• A monthly co-writing space. This is a Zoom call where we’ll spend 30 minutes writing in companionable silence, to help you focus and get on with your journalling without procrastinating or forgetting about it.

• A short piece about journalling when times are tough in your creative practice, which you can use any time throughout the course, when you need it.

• Advice on creating your own prompts to feed your writing habit during the week or if you don’t like the prompt I’ve given.

• Details of how I review and reflect on my writing regularly. There will be a monthly reminder to review your writing and at the end of the 3-month course there will be a longer reflection on how I review.

This is all included in the £36 course and you will have access to the resources for a total of 6 months, so you have time to catch up.

The course starts on 28th June 2024 and content / prompts will be released weekly. The co-writing events will take place on Tuesdays at 1pm BST on 16th July, 13th August, 17th September