Creative Writing as Therapeutic Resource: Two-part workshop series with Sally Swain

How can I tell what I think till I see what I say? (often attributed to E. M. Forster). Whether it's a time of fracture or of flow in your work world, let's access the joy, depth and insight of authentic creative writing.

Let's tap into writing's riches to strengthen and evolve professional identity and practice. The act of writing need not be hum or drum. It can be playful, grounding, life-giving. It can facilitate embodied, integrated understanding and problem-solving.

In this two-part experiential workshop, Sally will gently guide you through a series of writing practices that can serve any of the following functions:

• supporting your professional creative self-care and sustenance
• assisting you internally in your work with clients e.g. writing to prepare, affirm intentions, attune to the other, manage self-doubt, critically reflect, clarify areas for further investigation
• providing tools to adapt and offer directly to clients e.g. for self-regulation, creative expression, self-knowledge or empowerment.

The writing practices include creative list-making, free writing with a guiding phrase, sensory object wisdom and postcard poetry portrait. Practitioners at any level of membership or experience are welcome. Numbers are limited, to foster safety, connection and community-building.

Participants can expect to:

• Enliven your relationship with writing as an embodied vehicle of exploration, expression and creative self-reflection
• Augment your practitioner creative self-care and self-regulation toolkit
• Utilise creative reflective writing to strengthen your arts therapist identity and professional practice
• Gather experiential writing tools to use directly with clients, in conjunction with arts therapy processes
• Validate shared and diverse experience in a group of connected peers.

PRESENTER:

Sally Swain (AThR, ANZACATA-approved supervisor) has been running her Art and Soul Creativity Coaching practice for more than thirty years. This includes Write for Wellbeing workshops in contexts such as Carer Gateway and Blue Knot Foundation. Embodied creativity is at the core of all she offers. Sally's internationally bestselling books include Great Housewives of Art. Her initiatives supporting arts therapists include Art Heart Action bushfire recovery program, ANZACATA-sponsored Creative Sustenance in Troubled Times series, Draw (your art) and Pour (your tea) for Arts Therapists monthly online gatherings and Arty Hearty Therapist e-newsletter artandsoul.cc.

When: Friday 31 October (Part 1) and Saturday 1 November (Part 2)
Time: 11 am to 1.30pm AEDT (8 am HKT/SGT/AWST, 10 am AEST/QLD, 1 pm NZDT)
Duration/CPD: 2 x 2.5 hrs
Where: Zoom
Cost: $150 (+GST for Aust. Members)
Open to: All members except subscription only
Min/Max: 6-8 participants
Recorded session: No (privacy reasons)