Writing Through The Dark
Writing Through The Dark is a nourishing, inspiring group programme for folks who want to establish a regular writing practice and explore the wellbeing benefits this can bring.
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What’s the story?
Woven with the latest positive psychology research, this programme creatively explores why journalling is such a powerful practice when it comes to boosting our health and wellbeing. And how processing our thoughts and embracing our full range of emotions through writing can help us to thrive as our wonderful, sometimes messy, authentic selves.
Starting on Wednesday, November 16th, our intimate group will gather – and grow together - six times over winter.
We will meet at fortnightly intervals three times before the festive break, then pick up again in January for our next three sessions.
In each session we will come together to explore different writing practices and journalling styles, and experiment with what works for us.
Who is it for?
This is for you if any of these resonate…
You want to write more regularly, but are finding that life just keeps getting in the way.
You have a shiny new notebook, but it’s still looking as intimidatingly pristine as the day you bought it
You’ve been meaning to do that journalling thing forever, but aren’t quite sure where to begin
You are looking for a supportive group of fellow writers (even if you don’t feel quite ready yet to step into the power of that word), to meet with over the winter months
You love the idea of gathering in an inspiring, nurturing space with considerate, creative-minded folks (all genders are so very welcome here)
Who is leading the programme?
I’m Christina and I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. From short stories to poetry to newspaper articles and magazine features, I’ve left a lot of words in my wake.
But while I’ve dipped in and out of styles and forms over the years, it was discovering the power of having a regular journalling practice that really shifted things for me.
I’m a creative coach, with a MSc in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology, and love to explore the myriad ways writing can boost our wellbeing. I can’t wait to share what I’ve learned with you in this warm and welcoming, nourishing group programme.
What will I learn?
During our time together you will…
Explore and experiment with different styles of journalling, to find what works for you
Get to play with processing your thoughts and emotions, and gain insights into what’s really going on below the surface
Learn how to, lovingly, silence your inner critic
Gain confidence as you move creatively through stumbling blocks
Experience the magic of being supported in an intimate, nourishing group
Getting excited now… When does it start?
Registration closes on November 14th 2022 and we open with our first live session on Wednesday, November 16th.
Programme dates and themes…
Wed, Nov 16 – Freestyling, getting those first words down
Wed, Nov 30 – Checking in, a weekly practice
Wed, Dec 14 – The lost art of letter writing
Festive break
Wed, Jan 11 – Writing for your future
Wed, Jan 25 – The power of prompts
Wed, Feb 8 – Beyond journalling, getting creative with your words
Sessions will run from 10.30am until noon and will take place over Zoom. A replay will be available if you are unable to attend a session.
Sounds good! What’s the damage?
Writing For Winter Wellbeing is priced at £300, which is payable in 4 x monthly payments of £75.
The programme also includes four months of membership to The Spark Crew creative community, plus three workshop replays.
Some lovely words…
This is a new group programme, but here are some lovely words previous coaching clients and workshop attendees have shared to give you a flavour of what working with me is like.
“Thank you Christina for the coaching today. Just amazing!”
“That was fab, thanks! Lovely way to spend a Sunday morning.”
“Our Zoom calls have quite honestly been a highlight of my year. Your suggestions are considered, relevant and kind. They’ve helped me to question my reactions and think more strategically around the overwhelm, which has helped me to set some clear priorities.”
“Christina, working with you has been more transformative that you would know. Not only for my professional/business life, but in my personal life too. Working through mental blocks and personal habits and tendencies, our call allowed me to see things from a new perspective.”
“Our session left me feeling great, motivated, and gave me a welcome boost. I definitely enjoyed the process and your input/feedback/enthusiasm came across as genuine and caring, which I’ve never really found when talking to traditional business advisers/mentors.”
FAQs
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Nope. You can be an absolute beginner, all levels of experience are welcome here. And if you have explored some or even all of these styles before, you may find that revisiting them in a supportive group setting brings new insights and experiences.
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We will gather for 90 minutes each fortnight, with a break over the festive season. This is an experiential programme and you will get the most from it if you are able to attend live.
There will be NO homework, NO worksheets to print out, NO additional sessions to watch (unless you miss one and then you can catch up on the replay).
However, I hope you will enjoy experimenting with the different styles between our sessions.
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When we gather in our warm and welcoming group, we’ll settle in by sharing some moments of connection before I introduce our theme. We’ll then spend the first part of our session writing in this style.
If you haven’t written in community before, it’s a wonderful way to be deeply supported and held accountable, as everyone quietly works away. We’ll then come back together as a group, and share our experience – whether we found this style of writing natural and the words flowed, or if we met with resistance along the way. There are no right or wrong answers, it’s all part of the process.
There will also be the opportunity to share any themes, phrases or words that felt significant in our writing. But there’s no pressure to share your words, unless you feel comfortable doing so.
We will finish our time together by exploring some of these themes and ideas, sharing insights and takeaways, and learning from each other along the way.
Cameras will be kept on for our group conversations, but you are welcome to turn them off while writing if you prefer.
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Just your lovely self, plus something to write with and on. I recommend going analogue if possible, as the physical process of writing words on paper is very different to tapping away at a computer or dictating into the notes app of your phone. However, feel free to experiment to find what works for you.
These are my favourite notebooks to journal in (I have a stack, coded by colour for different things). They’re not cheap, but I love that they lay flat and are big enough to keep me going for quite some time. I also love using plain old A4 blank paper, especially when I’m writing and then redrafting.
A word of warning – once you unlock the words, you may find that they start coming thick and fast. For this reason, I find it helpful to carry a tiny notebook in my bag and am regularly found jumping out of the shower and dashing to get them down before they are gone. It’s a good problem to have, promise.
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There will be zero pressure to share any of your written work. You may find that you wish to do so, once you have experienced the warmth of the group. However, writing can be deeply personal, and it’s important to only share if you feel safe to do so.
While my work as a coach is trauma-informed, we won’t be actively exploring any past negative experiences in this programme. However, sometimes when we write we tap into our subconscious thoughts and feelings. If anything comes up in your journalling that you feel you would like to explore at a deeper level, I recommend contacting a therapist who will be able to support you with this.
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I hope to run this programme again next winter but the format and pricing may look different.
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I’m afraid not, so please do invest intentionally and be aware that all four monthly payments are required once you sign up and secure one of the limited places on the programme.
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I’d love to! Please drop me an email and we can discuss any accommodations you may need to be able to attend and feel comfortable in this programme.
If you have a question that hasn’t been answered here or require any other information before deciding if this programme is right for you, drop me an email at hi@thesparkcrew.com
