It’s been quite some time since I’ve done an introductory post here, and now that I’m changing things, I thought I should introduce myself again and share a bit more about what is going on.
My name is Melissa Gijsbers. I am in my 40s, have two adult children, and live in Gippsland in Victoria, Australia. I’m also the oldest of four children, and have five nephews.
I am also an author, booklover, and speaker. Stories have always been part of my life and, I realised recently, have been a key part of my mental health. I also run workshops with young writes, and have done for over 10 years.
A couple of years ago, I was diagnosed autistic and ADHD, which helped me realise that I’m not broken, I was living a life that doesn’t suit me.
This brings me to now.
Creative writing is so much more than what you learned in English class, or for writing a book. It’s a lot of fun to sit and write a bad poem or a silly story for the sole purpose of creating something. I have hundreds of stories that I’ve created, along with poems, that I wrote just to write. They may or may not turn into anything, in fact, most of them will just sit on my computer. Publishing is not the point.
I am also learning about my brain, and that creativity is important, along with different ‘rules’ for writing. The methods I was taught in school and other places simply don’t suit me. Instead of beating myself up about it, I am learning to do things my way. In my writers groups, I encourage participants to play and experiment to find the things that work for them.
My goal is to inspire others to have fun with creative writing and with reading and use them as activities to enjoy rather than for them to have a purpose.
So watch this space as I share more of my own story and how creative writing and reading has helped my mental health and wellbeing, as well as tips on how you can give it a try yourself. Not to mention continuing to write and publish more awesome books like the ones I already have on my website.
