As readers of my blog will know when I run a Creative Writing
for Academics event I always try to write at least one thing myself. Mostly
my time is spent introducing, timing and
discussing the exercises I set but I usually mange to at least begin a piece of
writing. Last week I had the pleasure of attending the British Sociological
Association, Auto/Biography Study Group 2024 summer conference (10th-12th
July) and in addition to presenting a paper I ran a workshop entitled Writing Through, and Out of, Disappointments and Dissonances. ‘Disappointments and Dissonances’ was the theme of
the conference. From a free-writing starter exercise I asked participants to
write something including at least eight words included in the free-writing of
others. I wrote a poem (with my chosen words highlighted in bold), inspired
by friend and colleague Christine Lewis’ wonderful paper Tokitae: turning a
life of disappointments and dissonances into joy.
An Activist Now
A coffee in hand,
I’m on my way.
Trying to cut out the noise,
Yet embrace the emotions.
I’m on my way.
So much evidence.
But still SO many questions.
I’m on my way.
An activist now,
Who’d have thought it.
I’m on my way.
A reaction to the loss.
A need to search for meaning.
An attempt to find some healing.
It might take some time but,
I’m on my way.
And that, is enough for now.
Exercises such as this both stimulate the writing muscles and encourage us to perhaps write in different ways, outside of the traditionally academic, which can help not least in reaching and engaging wider audiences. Following a recent Academic Writing Retreat (to which participants bring their own projects to work on but within which I include two or three short ‘creative interludes’ each day) one participant said:
I loved the creative writing
exercises! I was actually longing for them and planned my writing/work so that
a section would be finished in time for the next one. My creative juices are
overflowing at the moment.
It is worth noting too that these exercises are guides
rather than prescribed activities which participants might adapt or twist to
their own particular interests and concerns.
Creativity rules!
#CreativeAcademicCoaching
