Firstly, to create this 'safe place' Ms Woolfe made it clear that no-one, not even herself, was going to read what we wrote. Nothing was to be shared, and personally I found that the most freeing thing. So freeing that I could almost have happily shared what I did write.
I enjoyed learning that the whole right brain/left brain idea that has been the norm in explaining creative and non creative types for years is not necessarily correct. To understand creativity is to understand that there is more than one way of thinking and engaging our brain.
My takeaways from the workshop?
* I am not going to write my masterpiece for another 5, 10 or 20 years. (Well that eases some pressure!) I am still learning.
* Write with a dialogue first with self, not the audience. The rest will come with later drafts.
* Find the thing that you almost dare not say, the unsayable thing that no-one else can say like you, and say it.
* De-focus your attention, other wise known as find the lull in your brain. Creativity comes from "nowhere" so let yourself go there.
* Two ways of thinking: "Tight construing", our regular state of thinking, linear and controlled
"Loose construing", creativity gold, that comes from the 'lull'
*Ms Woolfe explains that loose construing is where you make your medium, tight construing where you mould or sculpt it.
* If you worry about the purpose, you worry about the outcome - take the pressure off!
* Let all your writing be disconnected, you can connect it all later.
Ms Woolfe gave us the tools for connecting, and in all it was a great practical extension of the just write advice.
In ten or so years time I just may have my masterpiece. Now is the time to go forth and put this into practice, to find my lull, write from my nothing, then create my something.
No comments:
Post a Comment