It doesn’t matter whether I talk to kids, teens or adults, when I mention that creative writing can be great for mental health, they look at me as if I’ve lost my mind. For many people, creative writing is linked to English class.
For most people I speak to, this means following a particular path, writing plans, worrying about things being perfect, fitting a template for a story or poem. In essence, writing to fit in a box.
When I talk about creative writing for wellbeing, I’m talking more about free writing. Writing whatever you want, in any style you want, and don’t worry about spelling or grammar errors, after all, you are writing for yourself not for anyone else. If you decide you want to show someone, or get it published in the future, you can always rewrite your piece and edit it.
There are many ways you can write for yourself. Some of the things I do include writing my thoughts and feelings as poetry, give my struggles to a character and let them play things out in a way I wish I could, and write a silly story to escape from life for a little while. There are other things and I’ll share more detail in coming posts.
The beauty of writing for my mental health is that I’m writing for myself. I don’t have to finish anything and it doesn’t have to be perfect. There are times I’ll write a single paragraph, and other times the first few chapters of a novel. Because I’m writing for myself, it doesn’t matter. I’m there in the moment, and the act of writing is what’s important. I usually feel much better after a writing session.
If you think about creative writing and all you see is English class, it can be hard to get through this. It is possible. Pick up a notebook or open a document on your favourite device and just write something. If you aren’t sure where to start, find a writing prompt to help you get started. Just write something. You don’t have to show anyone. I encourage you to give it a try.
To help you, try the following prompt:
Write a story featuring the following flowers: Rose, Peony, Daffodil, Lily, Gerbera
This is one of the prompts from Let’s Write: Flowers, Plants, & Gardens
