Post by Jen on Sept 7, 2016 10:16:07 GMT
Hello! This forum is intended for people who want to try their hand at therapeutic and reflective writing as they undergo their cancer journey.
Everyone can write, and writing itself can be a pleasure. But creative writing can be used in a reflective way, to make positive changes in we see ourselves. It can also be used for therapeutic purposes - it can help you work through issues you would rather not deal with in another way.
The act of writing itself - pen to paper or fingers to the keypad - is small. It doesn't require much physical effort at all. But the connection with your mind is powerful, and it can elicit powerful release: of thoughts you didn't know were there, of emotions you were storing up.
Simply put - writing in this way can make you feel better. It is also something you can control - and in a world where there is much we cannot be in charge of, that is positive in itself.
This course is comprised of 6 sections and these will allow you to experience different kinds of therapeutic/reflective writing. Some you will get on with, some you may not - but that is a valuable learning process in itself.
For each section, there will be practical writing exercises. The more time you can put into these the better - and having time to reflect is important too. Taking it slow and steady, writing and pausing, is the best way to tackle this. Trying to get everything done in a few hours' time won't allow your mind to fully process what you are asking it to do. So don't view the exercises as 'homework' to be dashed off - but rather something important to be squeezed into your life somewhere. Give it a chance and see what happens!
IMPORTANT POINTS TO NOTE:
You aren't meant to produce polished pieces of writing. They are raw and often edited. Grammar, punctuation and spelling - these are not things you should concern yourself about as otherwise it will slow you down. Write with abandon and without worrying about an audience. Just write for you.
Sharing writing it a brave thing to do. Be supportive of others. The purpose of writing in this context is not about producing a brilliant piece of creative writing - it is how it might help you. So respect and encouragement are always what is needed.
Jen 