How creative writing can help you through life's hardest moments | Sakinah Hofler
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Have you ever seen or experienced something and wished you spoke up? Writer Sakinah Hofler makes the case for writing as a tool to help you process difficult memories and reclaim the power they may hold over you. Pick up a pen or pull up a keyboard and follow along as she walks you through how to unburden your mind and inspire reflection.
It's talks daily, Amelie's you there's a saying that goes always leave a note.
Today's talk from the writer Sakinah Hoffler is an expansion on that idea. It's about the power of bearing witness by writing things down and she walks us through how to do it by the end of her 20/20 talk from Ted Xu of Cincinnati.
And she shows us how effective this can be by sharing a very personal story of her own. Have you ever seen something and you wish you could have said something, but you didn't? A second question I have is, has something ever happened to you? You never said anything about it, though you should have. I'm interested in this idea of action, of the difference between seeing something which is basically passively observing in the actual act of bearing witness bearing witness means bearing down something.
You have seen something you have heard something you have experienced. The most important part of bearing witness is writing it down. It's recording. Writing it down captures the memory. Writing it down, acknowledges its existence. One of the biggest examples we have in history of someone bearing witness is Anne Frank's diary. She simply wrote down what was happening to her, her family about her confinement. And in doing so, we have a very intimate record of this family during one of the worst periods of our world's history.
And I want to talk to you today about how to use creative writing to bear witness. And I'm going to walk you through an exercise which I want to do myself, that I actually do with a lot of my collegiate students desire a future engineers, technicians, plumbers, basically, they're not creative writers. They don't plan on becoming creative writers. But we use these exercises to kind of Ansel's things we can keeping silent. It's always a kind of a burden ourselves.
And it's three simple steps. So step one is to brainstorm or write it down. And what I have my students do is I give them a prompt. The prompt is the time when and I want them to fill in that problem with times they might have experienced something, heard something or seen something or seen something. And they could have intervened, but they didn't. And I had them write it down as quickly as possible. So I'll give you an example of some of the things I write down, the time when a few months after 9/11 and two boys did themselves to touch me.
And they did. The time when the time when my sister and I were walking in a city and a guy sat us and called us terrorists. The time way back when when I was a very odd middle school and girls a couple of years older than me would be a married off to men nearly double their age, the time when a friend put a gun on me. The time when I went to a going away luncheon for a co-worker and a big boss questioned my lineage for 45 minutes.
And there are times when I have seen something and I haven't intervened. For example, the time when I was on a train and I witnessed a father beating his toddler son and I didn't do anything. Or the many times I walked by someone who is homeless and in need, the vaccine for money. And I walked around him and I did not acknowledge their humanity. And the list goes on and on. But I want to think of times when something might have happened sexually, times when you've been keeping things repressed and times with our families because God bless our families, we love them.
But at the same time, we don't talk about things. So we may not talk about the family member who has been using drugs or abusing alcohol. We don't talk about the family member who might have severe mental illness. We'll say something like, oh, they've always been that way and we hope that I'm not talking about it and not and not acknowledging it. We can act like it doesn't exist that will somehow fix itself. So the goal is to get at least 10 things.
And once you have 10 things, you've actually done part one, which is bear witness, you have unsoundness, something that you have been keeping silence. And so after this, you're ready for step two, which is to narrow down and focus and what I suggest is going back to the Statton and picking three things that are like really like tugging at you. Three things you feel strongly doesn't have to be the most dramatic things, but it's things that are like like I have to write about this and I suggest you sit down at a table with a pen and paper.
That's my preferred method for recording. But you can also use a tablet, an iPad, a computer, something that lets you write it down. And I suggest taking 30 minutes of uninterrupted time and that you cut your phone off, put it on airplane mode, no email. And if you have a family, if you have children, give yourself 20 minutes, five minutes. The goal is just to give yourself time to write what you're going to write as you're going to focus on three things.
You're going to focus on the details. You're going to focus on the order of events. You're going to focus on how it made you feel. That is the most important part. So I am the guinea pig today, and so I'm going to walk you through how I do it. So I pick three things. The first thing I feel very, very strongly about is that time, a couple of months after 9/11 when I was two boys, Jack himself touched me.
I remember I was in a rural mall in North Carolina and I was walking, walking, minding my business. And I hope, like, feel people walking behind me, like, very, very clueless. I'm like, OK, that's kind of weird. Let me walk a little bit faster as a whole mall around me, what is happening? And they walk a little bit fast and I hear them going back and forth. You do it. No, you do it.
You do it now you do it. And then what about pushes me and I almost fall to the ground. So I'm kind of pop back up and some type of apology. And the weirdest thing is that they did not run away. They actually went and just stood right next to me. And I remember there was a guy with blond hair who had a bright red polo shirt and he was so not gonna give me my money. I did it, man.
And the guy with the brown hair, brown hair trimmer, had a choppy haircut and he gave him a five dollar bill. And I remember it was crumpled. And so I'm like, am I am I still standing here? This thing just happened. What just happened? And it was so weird to be dating someone is kind of dare and then also at the end to not exist to them. I remember, you know, kind of reminded me of a time when I was younger and someone dared me to touch something nasty or disgusting.
I felt like that nasty and disgusting thing. A second thing I feel very, very strongly about is the time a friend pulled a gun on me, I should say former friend. I remember it was a group of us outside and he had ran up and he had the stereotypical brown paper bag in his hand. And I knew what it was. And so I'm a very mouthy person. And I started going off. I was like, What are you doing with a gun?
You're not going to shoot anyone. You're a coward. You don't even know how to use it. And I kept going on and on and on. He got angrier and angrier and angrier and he pulled the gun out and put it in my face. I remember every one of us got very, very quiet. I remember the tightness of his face. I remember the barrel of a gun. And I felt like and I'm pretty sure everyone around me who got quiet felt like this is the moment I die.
And the third thing I feel very, very strongly about is this going away luncheon and his big boss, I remember I was running late and I'm always late is just a thing that happens with me. I'm just always late. I was running late and the whole table was filled except for the seat next to him. I didn't know him that well, has, you know, run the office. I didn't know why the seat was empty. I found out later on.
And so I sat down at the table. And before he even asked me my name, the first thing he said was, what's going on with all of this? I'm like, something on my face. What's happening? I don't know. And he actually was two hands this time. What's going on with all of this? And I realize he's talking about my hijab and in my head, I said, oh, not today, but he's a big boss, he's like my boss's boss's boss.
And so I put up for forty five minutes. I put up with him, asked me where I was from. My parents were from my grandparents. He asked me when I was in school at where I did my internship, said he asked me who interviewed me for that job and for forty five minutes I tried to be very, very, very, very, very polite and try to answer his questions. But I remember I was kind of making an eyeball helps to signals that the people around the table, like someone like say something, intervene and is a rectangular table.
So there are people on both sides of us and no one said anything, even people who might be in a position. Bosses Day, no one said anything. And I remember I felt so alone. I remember I felt like I didn't deserve to be in his space. And I remembered I wanted to quit. So these are my three things, and you'll have your list of three things, and once you have these three things, you have the details, you have order of events, you have how it made you feel, you're ready to actually use creative writing to bear witness.
And that takes us to step three, which is the pick one. And to tell your story, you don't have to write a memoir. You don't have to be a creative writer. I know sometimes storytelling can be daunting for some people, but we are human. We are natural storytellers. If someone asks how day is going, we have a beginning, a middle and an end. That is a narrative. Our memory exists and subsist through the art of storytelling.
And you just had to you just have to find a form that works for you. You can write a letter to your younger self. You can write a story to your younger self. You can write a story to your five year old child depending on a story. You go write a parody, a song, a song is a parody. You can write a play. You can write a nursery rhyme. Evraz I mean, these are theories that bhabhi black sheep have you and wool.
Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Three bags full is actually about an impoverished farmers in England being taxed heavily. You can write it in a form of a Wikipedia article. And if it's one of those situations where you saw something, you didn't intervene, perhaps write it from that person's perspective, you know, so if I go back subway and train home, I saw being beaten. What was it like to be in his shoes? What was it like to see all these people who watched it happen?
It did nothing. Why must I put myself in a position of someone who was homeless and just trying to figure out how they got there in the first place, perhaps to help me change some of my actions, perhaps to help me be more proactive about certain things and we'll tell your story. You're keeping it alive so you don't have to do any of that. You don't have to show anyone any of these steps. But even if you're telling it to yourself, you're seeing this thing happen, this rare thing to happen.
It's not in my head it actually happened. And by doing that, maybe you'll take a little bit of power back that has been taken away. So the last thing I want to do today is I'm going to tell you my story and the one I picked is about this big boss and I picked that one because I feel like I'm not the only one who has been in a position where someone has been above me and kind of, you know, talked down.
I feel like all of us might have been in positions. We felt like we could not say anything because this person has our livelihood, our paychecks in our hands, or at times we might have seen someone who, you know, has power talking down to someone and we should have or could have intervened. And so by telling a story, I'm taking back a little bit of power that was taken away from me. And I have changed names and it's been a decade.
So this would be OK. And it doesn't have a happy ending because it's just me writing down what happened that day. And so this is how I use creative writing to bear witness. At least is going away luncheon. I want to ask my boss's boss's boss, is he stupid or just plain dumb after he takes one look at my job and asks someone from in Southeast Asia? I tell him that it's New Jersey, actually. He asks. My parents are from my grandparents, my great grandparents and their parents and their parents parents.
As if searching for some other blood as a strategy for some reason why some black Muslim girl from New York was set up sitting next to him at this restaurant of tablecloths, illuminated menus. I want to say slavery, jerk. But I've got a car note and rent and insurances and insurances and insurances and credit cards and credit debts and the loan and a bad tooth and a pension for sushi. So I dropped the jerk. But keep the truth. Tell me, he says, why don't Sunnis and Shiites get along?
Tell me, he says, what's going on in Iraq? Tell me. He says, what's up with Saudi is Syria and Iran. Tell me, he says, why do Muslims like bombs? I want to shoven in one of his behind and confetti that pasty flesh and that tailored suit. Instead, I'm sipping my sweet, nice tea, looking around at the table, at the co-workers around me, none of whom not one looks back at me rather.
They do the most American things they can do. They praise the Lord. They stuffed their faces and pretend they don't hear him and pretend they don't see me.
Thank you, PR x.
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Writing Can Help Us Heal from Trauma
- Deborah Siegel-Acevedo
Three prompts to get started.
Why does a writing intervention work? While it may seem counterintuitive that writing about negative experiences has a positive effect, some have posited that narrating the story of a past negative event or an ongoing anxiety “frees up” cognitive resources. Research suggests that trauma damages brain tissue, but that when people translate their emotional experience into words, they may be changing the way it is organized in the brain. This matters, both personally and professionally. In a moment still permeated with epic stress and loss, we need to call in all possible supports. So, what does this look like in practice, and how can you put this powerful tool into effect? The author offers three practices, with prompts, to get you started.
Even as we inoculate our bodies and seemingly move out of the pandemic, psychologically we are still moving through it. We owe it to ourselves — and our coworkers — to make space for processing this individual and collective trauma. A recent op-ed in the New York Times Sunday Review affirms what I, as a writer and professor of writing, have witnessed repeatedly, up close: expressive writing can heal us.
- Deborah Siegel-Acevedo is an author , TEDx speaker, and founder of Bold Voice Collaborative , an organization fostering growth, resilience, and community through storytelling for individuals and organizations. An adjunct faculty member at DePaul University’s College of Communication, her writing has appeared in venues including The Washington Post, The Guardian, and CNN.com.
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Sakinah Hofler Explores Writing as a Way to Get Through Tough Times
Writing can improve mental health – here’s how
Creative Writing Lecturer, Cardiff Metropolitan University
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Ernest Hemingway famously said that writers should “write hard and clear about what hurts” . Although Hemingway may not have known it at the time, research has now shown that writing about “what hurts” can help improve our mental health .
There are more than 200 studies that show the positive effect of writing on mental health. But while the psychological benefits are consistent for many people, researchers don’t completely agree on why or how writing helps.
One theory suggests that bottling up emotions can lead to psychological distress . It stands to reason, then, that writing might increase mental health because it offers a safe, confidential and free way to disclose emotions that were previously bottled up .
However, recent studies have begun to show how an increase in self-awareness , rather than simply disclosing emotions, could be the key to these improvements in mental health.
In essence, self-awareness is being able to turn your attention inward towards the self . By turning our attention inward, we can become more aware of our traits, behaviour, feelings, beliefs, values and motivations.
Research suggests that becoming more self-aware can be beneficial in a variety of ways. It can increase our confidence and encourage us to be more accepting of others . It can lead to higher job satisfaction and push us to become more effective leaders . It can also help us to exercise more self-control and make better decisions aligned with our long-term goals.
Self-awareness is a spectrum and, with practice, we can all improve. Writing might be particularly helpful in increasing self-awareness because it can be practised daily . Rereading our writing can also give us a deeper insight into our thoughts, feelings, behaviour and beliefs.
Here are three types of writing which can improve your self-awareness and, in turn, your mental health:
Expressive writing
Expressive writing is often used in therapeutic settings where people are asked to write about their thoughts and feelings related to a stressful life event. This type of writing aims to help emotionally process something difficult .
Research shows that expressive writing can enhance self-awareness , ultimately decreasing depressive symptoms , anxious thoughts and perceived stress .
Reflective writing
Reflective writing is regularly used in professional settings, often as a way to help nurses, doctors, teachers, psychologists and social workers become more effective at their jobs . Reflective writing aims to give people a way to assess their beliefs and actions explicitly for learning and development.
Writing reflectively requires a person to ask themselves questions and continuously be open, curious and analytical. It can increase self-awareness by helping people learn from their experiences and interactions. This can improve professional and personal relationships as well as work performance, which are key indicators of good mental health .
- Creative writing
Poems, short stories, novellas and novels are all considered forms of creative writing. Usually, creative writing employs the imagination as well as, or instead of, memory, and uses literary devices like imagery and metaphor to convey meaning.
Writing creatively offers a unique way to explore thoughts, feelings, ideas and beliefs. For instance, you could write a science fiction novel that represents your concerns about climate change or a children’s story that speaks to your beliefs about friendship. You could even write a poem from the perspective of an owl as a way to represent your insomnia.
Writing creatively about challenging experiences, like grief , can also offer a way to communicate to others something which you feel is too complicated or difficult to say directly.
Creative writing encourages people to choose their words, metaphors and images in a way that really captures what they’re trying to convey. This creative decision-making can lead to increased self-awareness and self-esteem as well as improved mental health .
Writing for self-awareness
Self-awareness is a key component for good mental health and writing is a great place to start.
Why not take some time to write down your feelings about a particularly stressful event that has happened during the pandemic? Or reflect on a difficult work situation from the last year and consider what you have learned from it?
If you prefer to do something more creative, then try responding to this prompt by writing a poem or story:
Think about the ways your home reveals the moment we are currently in. Is your pantry packed with flour? Do you have new objects or pets in your home to stave off loneliness or boredom? What you can see from your window that reveals something about this historic moment?
Each of these writing prompts will give you a chance to reflect on this past year, ask yourself important questions, and make creative choices. Spending just 15 minutes doing this may give you an opportunity to become more self-aware – which could lead to improvements in your mental health.
- Mental health
- Self-awareness
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Writer Sakinah Hofler makes the case for writing as a tool to help you process difficult memories and reclaim the power they may hold. This talk was filmed at TEDxUCincinnati. All TEDx events are organized independently by volunteers in the spirit of TED's mission of ideas worth spreading. To learn more about TEDxSHORTS, the TEDx program, or give feedback on this episode, please visit http://go.ted.com/tedxshorts . Follow TEDx on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TEDx Follow TEDx on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedx_official Like TEDx on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TEDxEvents
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How creative writing can help you through life's hardest moments
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5 Reasons Writing Can Be Huge Boost for Happiness
Writing just a few minutes a day can have surprising benefits for your mental health..
(GaudiLab / Shutterstock.com)
Writing has powerful mental health benefits that promote happiness, creativity, and helps build the life we want to live. You don’t have to be Mark Twain or Jane Austen to consider yourself a writer. Different forms of writing like expressive journaling, creative writing, or jotting down future goals all have proven links to happiness. The research is in. Find out five reasons writing can help you lead a happier life.
1. Writing promotes well-being and helps process emotions.
Simply writing for the sake of getting your thoughts out of your head and onto a page has huge benefits for mental health. A recent study examined the effects of writing in a sample group of 81 undergraduates. The students wrote for 20 minutes a day for five months on topics of life such as traumatic experiences and personal goals. By the end, the project revealed a significant increase in well-being and improved mood among participants. Why? Writing opens up an outlet to confess fears and worries without judgment. Putting thoughts down on a piece of paper or in a journal has therapeutic benefits that include increased happiness and reduced stress. With that in mind, try to use writing as a tool to express and process events in life to help propel you forward in a positive direction.
2. Writing gains perspective about ourselves.
According to Psychology Today, "There's simply no better way to learn about your thought processes than to write them down." Writing down emotions reveals thought patterns leading to breakthroughs in understanding the reasons these emotions arise in the first place. Past experiences can trigger our automatic defense system, and emotions arise to protect us without us realizing it or knowing why. For example, a person who went through a difficult breakup may express shyness, avoid getting close to anyone new and isolate themselves. Through writing, we can become aware of how our emotions stem from the past in order to slowly heal rather than block opportunities to experience life.
3. Writing increases chances of achieving goals and self-realization.
Throughout the day, our minds can become over stimulated with thoughts. Taking a moment to write down goals helps to refine thought processes and clarify desires. In fact, research shows that listing goals has a huge impact on increasing the odds of actualizing them, whether in career, family, health, relationships, and so on. On top of that, when we do accomplish our goals, the brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that triggers the feeling of pleasure and motivation. Write down your aspirations, and you’ll find yourself on a path to success in accomplishing your dreams and creating a life you love.
4. Expressive writing helps deal with life’s hard times.
When an unexpected negative situation happens, writing serves as a way to cope and move forward. In a study examining 63 engineers who lost their jobs , scientists assigned a portion of the participants to write about their emotions surrounding their job loss. Those among the group who wrote down their emotions, not only felt less anger over the situation but also found new employment faster than those who did not take part in daily writing. In times of trouble, try expressive writing, a form of writing that pays attention to feelings, memories, people, and other aspects of our lives, to process and overcome difficult situations.
5. Creative writing promotes happiness
Scientific evidence proves the link between creative activities and happiness. New research from New Zealand’s University of Otago indicates that everyday creative writing leads to long-term happiness and inspires an “upward spiral” of enthusiasm to pursue even more creative outlets. Dr. Tamlin Conner, a researcher from the study, explained,” Engaging in creative behavior leads to increases in well-being the next day, and this increased well-being is likely to facilitate creative activity on the same day.” So if you’re looking for a way to feel better and get your creative juices flowing, put pen to paper and enjoy the tremendous benefits.
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- Self Development
How Creative Writing Can Help With Hard Moments in Life
- Mila Pavlovic
- October 1, 2021
- Last update:December 5, 2023
On this page:
We don’t have to understand what an author or artist wanted to say through the brush strokes or verbose metaphors within their work. We solely have to feel them…Interpret, wonder, and react to them. Once we do, we are ready to write those characteristics down, creating our very own pool of wonder others can respond to. A sort of an inception spider web, if you will.
That’s how life works .
Everything is happening all the time, with no clear or visible purpose. Good things are just around the corner, and bad things are just above it…Depending on where you’re standing and observing the happening from. Big fireworks are breathtaking from afar, but terrifying for those closer to the noise. And since perspective is everything we have, purpose can only be found from within…Ourselves, our philosophers or, exceptionally good pieces of art.
Whatever the case, it’s important to keep your eyes open enough to translate what’s happening around you, that’s one of the first journaling techniques you’ll need. You don’t even have to be traditionally creative to write “creatively”. The point of it doesn’t lie in conceiving culture-defining art or pushing boundaries. It lies in creating a dull Sunday into a merry one, as you start to visualize why writing is important. Plus, you sometimes don’t even know exactly how you feel until you Bukowski your way through the center of it. Words may seem a bit more blurry in your head than they do on a piece of paper.
Chapter 1: The Art of Acceptance
Coming face to face with some harsher truths in our lives is extremely challenging. No one likes to feel like they’re under a magnifying glass. In many cases, we like to hide some of our lesser-known, “faulty” traits from other people. But in all honesty, are we even capable of saying these things aloud? To ourselves? If the answer is no, try writing it down… Creatively . Allow the paper to be your mirror and guide you through journaling prompts for mental health.
“I am too lazy for the position I want. No more denial, no more half-truths. I am objectively not enough and it’s time to change that.”
Today you have a choice to either close your journal, with nothing written in it. Or, stop deceiving yourself by writing a letter to yourself. As a concerned academic would to a scholar who is just a little stuck. Furthermore, try reading what you wrote the next day or even week. You’ll be surprised at just how much our feelings can shift in a short period of time.
A routine-like practice like that one will help you organize whatever is going on in your life, ever so lightly. Dissecting your own emotions and thoughts gives you their:
- Place of Origin;
- The biggest negative factor of influence;
- The antidote, eventually;
Allow yourself to learn a thing or two about what’s hurting you instead of letting it hurt obliviously.
Chapter 2: The Aftermath
My, my…We are finally here. You’ve accepted what’s to come and what’s to go, and it sucks doesn’t it? Well, just like in our favorite novels and other books of admiration, it’s always the chapter right after the tragedy that’s the most memorable one.
Think about it. In every book, the closer the protagonist is to the “bad guys”, the closer he gets to the chapter of true revelation. That’s what we call the aftermath. Feel the pain, let it in and let it hurt. Cry and scream and curse those who’ve wronged you and write it all down to the very last drop of emotion, as this chapter is made to be felt and remembered.
On a psychological level, writing about trauma is not only recommended but greatly beneficial. After practising this every day for 10-15 minutes a day, you will relieve your body stress, as well as PTSD and chronic stress disorders.
Writing can, sometimes, be even more reliable than talking, as most victims of traumatic experiences have a hard time articulating their words with another person, regardless of their good intentions. Because when it all passes, as everything eventually does, the harmony you’ll have in your possession is worth all the chaos. We truly would never know peace without war, both in books and in real life.
Chapter 3: The Revival
Every protagonist has to reach this step in their meditative journaling journey. This chapter is the readers’ favorite one, as it characterizes the story while defining the main character into an eternal remembrance. And just like that, you’ll have a moment of recognition on why you had to go through the hard times that you did. Things will be a little more clear now, and your writing, just as the pressure of your pen will be less aggressive. You can even visibly see the benefits of writing by hand as it changes over time and through chapters.
To make things a bit more factual, taking a stressful or traumatic situation and reliving it in a safe space, though words can lessen the “horrors” currently connected to that specific hardship. In other words, you are taking control of the fear and trauma by overcoming this sense of victimhood. The repetitiveness of this practice will in due time grant you the ability to reduce the intensity of the trauma, resulting in a much healthier state of mind.
This chapter is all about pretty handwriting and beautiful sentences. And as the storm of the previous chapter quiets down, you are ready to start building everything the tide has pulled into the deep ocean waters, left only for the archaeologists and treasure hunters of the writing world to re-discover.
And one day when you’re old enough to remember and mature enough to not let it hurt you anymore, you’ll come back to this chapter just to see how the beginning of your new life actually began. No need to emphasize why writing is good for you anymore.
Chapter 4: A Leap Of Fate
When we lose trust in people, we often approach everyone else with great caution. After a while, we tend to realize not everyone is out to get us, so we let go and allow some to get to know us on a more intimate level. However, when we lose trust in life and living, it’s a little harder to give that a second chance.
Even after the revival chapter, old wounds and scars never fully trust the universe and what it has in store for us. And since we’re all kids of the universe, we lose trust in ourselves, as well as our abilities and possibilities. On a healthier note, giving these traumatic experiences meaning is one way of reducing the damage that has been done to your psyche.
In a study from 1986, it was reported that “those who wrote about more severe traumas report fewer physical symptoms afterwards, compared with persons who described lower-severity traumas”. Furthermore, our psychological ability to not only convey factual events on paper but emotions as well is what eventually leads us to overall relief. So, in this chapter, we want the words that we write to help us take another, beautifully blind leap of faith. Nothing religious or spiritual if you don’t want it to be. It’s just about hope .
“Dear Faith,
I hope the future is a lot brighter than the past has been. I hope I wake up feeling more beautiful tomorrow. I hope I get through the hardships life has in store for me. I hope my heartache is small and laughter common. And if not, I hope I’d rather have lived optimistically ignorant than always in fear of the unknown.”
Or something along those lines.
Chapter 5: The Art of Letting Go
Believe it or not, letting go conceptually is extremely hard. Even when the thing we’re letting go of was hurting us in some way. Psychologist Jennifer White writes how toxic situations and people are hard to let go of because they sometimes benefit us . Certainly, not in value, but in short-term bursts of serotonin, because we probably don’t know any better…
This can even be applied for work and uni! The benefits of journal writing for students are off the charts thanks to this new-age and sadly very common Millenial pink student depression .
It all boils down to that one ancient Facebook post stating you can’t really expect a bird who has spent her entire life in a cage to not think flying is insane. But in this chapter, we should encourage ourselves to let go of that cage…Destroy it even. And although that pain and cage bars have made a nice and cozy home in our head for themselves it’s definitely time to change landlords…
Write down a list of everything that has surfaced and identified itself as toxic since the beginning of these chapters, and start cutting them out of the picture one by one! That’s the best sort of mental health journaling!
Closing The Chapter
If you’ve made it thus far, you most likely feel like a weight has been lifted off of your chest. It’s no secret how helpful journaling can be, not to mention the benefits of creative writing. All you need to do is get over the fear of a simple pen and paper, as well as kiss your procrastination goodbye. Close this chapter with the utmost maturity and grace, as you get ready to start writing the next one.
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Sakinah Hofler: How creative writing can help you through life’s hardest moments
Have you ever seen or experienced something and wished you spoke up? Writer Sakinah Hofler makes the case for writing as a tool to help you process difficult memories and reclaim the power they may hold over you. Pick up a pen or pull up a keyboard and follow along as she walks you through how to unburden your mind and inspire reflection.
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Last updated on Dec 23, 2022
Creative Writing: 8 Fun Ways to Get Started
Creative writing is a written art form that uses the imagination to tell stories and compose essays, poetry, screenplays, novels, lyrics, and more. It can be defined in opposition to the dry and factual types of writing found in academic, technical, or journalistic texts.
Characterized by its ability to evoke emotion and engage readers, creative writing can tackle themes and ideas that one might struggle to discuss in cold, factual terms.
If you’re interested in the world of creative writing, we have eight fantastic exercises and activities to get you started.
1. Use writing prompts every week
Coming up with ideas for short stories can be challenging, which is why we created a directory of 1700+ creative writing prompts covering a wide range of genres and topics. Writing prompts are flexible in nature, they are meant to inspire you without being too constrictive. Overall, they are a great way to keep your creative muscles limber.
If you’re struggling for motivation, how does a hard deadline and a little prize money sound? Prompts-based writing contests are a fantastic way to dive into creative writing: the combination of due dates, friendly rivalries, prize money, and the potential to have your work published is often just what’s needed to propel you over the finish line.
We run a weekly writing contest over on Reedsy Prompts , where hundreds of writers from all around the world challenge themselves weekly to write a short story between 1,000 and 3,000 words for a chance to win the $250 prize. Furthermore, the community is very active in providing constructive feedback, support, and accountability to each other 一 something that will make your efforts even more worthwhile.
Take a peek at our directory of writing contests which features some of the most prestigious open writing competitions in the world.
2. Start journaling your days
Another easy way to get started with creative writing is to keep a journal. We’re not talking about an hour-by-hour account of your day, but journaling as a way to express yourself without filters and find your ‘voice in writing’. If you’re unsure what to journal about, think of any daily experiences that have had an impact on you, such as…
Special moments . Did you lock yourself out of your house? Or did you catch a beautiful sunset on your way back from groceries? Capture those moments, and how you felt about them.
People . Did you have an unusual exchange with a stranger at the bar? Or did you reconnect with someone you haven’t seen in years? Share your thoughts about it.
World events . Is there something happening in the world right now that is triggering you? That’s understandable. You can reflect on it (and let some steam off) while journaling.
Memories . Did you go down memory lane after a glass of wine? Great, honor those memories by trying to recollect them in detail on paper so that they will always stay vivid in your mind.
Life decisions . Are you having an existential crisis about what to do with your life? Write down your thought process, and the pros and cons of the possible decisions in front of you. You’ll be surprised to discover that, not only is it a great creative writing exercise, but it can also actually help you sort your life out!
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3. Create an anonymous social media account
Like anonymous blogging, an incognito Twitter account sidesteps the pressure that comes with attaching your name to your work. Anonymously putting tiny stories out into the ether gives you the freedom to create without worrying about the consequences — which is great, so long as you don’t use it as an opportunity to troll people or spread conspiracy theories.
You could use the anonymous account in different ways. For example, you could…
- Tweet from unique perspectives (e.g. a dog observing human behavior );
- Create a parody account of real or fictional people (e.g. an English poet from the Middle Ages );
- Challenge yourself to write tiny flash fiction stories that fit into Twitter threads.
Just remember, you’re not doing this to fool anyone into thinking that your account is real: be a good citizen and mark yourself a fiction account in your bio.
But if you’re not really a social media kinda person, you may enjoy our next tip, which is a bit more on the analog side.
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4. Find an old photo and tell its story
Find a random old photo — maybe on the web, maybe from a photo album in a yard sale — and see what catches your attention. Look closely at it and try to imagine the story behind it. What was happening? Who are the people in it and how are they really feeling? Do they share a relationship, and of what kind? What are their goals and dreams?
In other words, bring the photo to life with your imagination. Don't be afraid to take artistic license with your story, as the goal is to be creative and have fun while writing.
How do you know it’s creative writing?
5. Create a character from a random name
Just as our universe started from a few simple elements, you can create a character from a few basic information, like their name, culture, and gender. Reedsy’s handy character name generator can help you with that, offering random names based on archetypes, Medieval roots, fantasy traits and more. A few examples? A Celtic heroine named Fíona O'Keefe, a hero’s sidekick named Aderine, or a Korean track star named Park Kang-Dae.
Once you've chosen their name, begin to develop their personality. Set a timer for 5–10 minutes and write anything that comes to mind about them. It could be a page from their FBI dossier, a childhood diary entry, or simply a scene about them boiling an egg.
Just ‘go with the flow’ and don’t stop writing until your time is up. Repeat the process a few times to further hone the personality. If you like what you end up with, you can always go deeper later by creating a character bible .
If a stream-of-consciousness exercise is not your thing, you can try to imagine your character in a specific situation and write down how’d they respond to it. For example, what if they were betrayed by a friend? Or if they were elected in power? To help you imagine situations to put your character in, we made a free template that you can download below.
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40 questions to help you develop memorable characters.
6. Construct a character by people-watching
People watching is “the action of spending time idly observing people in a public place.” In a non-creepy way, ideally. Sit on a bench on a public square or on a road-side table at your favorite café, and start observing the people around you. Pay attention to any interesting quirks or behaviors, and write it down. Then put on your detective’s hat and try to figure out what that tells you about them.
For example, the man at the table next to you at the restaurant is reading the newspaper. His jacket and hat are neatly arranged next to him. The pages make a whipping sound as he briskly turns them, and he grimaces every time he reads a new article. Try to imagine what he’s reading, and why he’s reacting the way he is. Then, try to build a character with the information you have. It’s a fun creative exercise that will also, hopefully, help you better empathize with strangers.
7. “Map” something you feel strongly about into a new context
Placing your feelings into new contexts can be a powerful creative writing exercise. The idea is to start from something you feel strongly about, and frame it into a completely different context.
For example, suppose your heart is torn apart after you divorce your life-long partner: instead of journaling or crafting an entire novel about it, you could tell a story about a legendary trapeze duo whose partnership has come to an end. If you’re struggling with politicking and petty power dynamics at the office: what if you “mapped” your feelings onto an ant who resents being part of a colony? Directing your frustration at a queen ant can be a fun and cathartic writing experience (that won’t get you in trouble if your co-workers end up reading your story).
8. Capture the moment with a haiku
Haikus are poems from the Japanese tradition that aim to capture, in a few words, daily moments of insight (usually inspired by nature). In a nutshell, it’s about becoming mindful of your surroundings, and notice if you can see something in a new or deeper way 一 then use contrasting imagery to express whatever you noticed.
Here’s an example:
Bright orange bicycle
Speeding through the autumn leaves
A burst of color waves
It may sound a bit complicated, but it shouldn’t be 一 at least not for the purpose of this exercise. Learn the basics of haiku-writing , then challenge yourself to write one per day for a week or month. At the end, you’ll be able to look back at your collection of poems and 一 in the worst case scenario 一 revisit small but significant moments that you would have otherwise forgot about.
Creative writing can be any writing you put your heart and soul into. It could be made for the purpose of expressing your feelings, exploring an idea, or simply entertaining your readers. As you can see there’s many paths to get involved with it, and hundreds of exercises you can use as a starting point. In the next post , we’ll look more in detail at some creative writing examples from some fellow authors.
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Sakinah Hofler: How creative writing can help you through life's hardest moments
Table of Contents:
1. Introduction: The Power of Bearing Witness
2. The Importance of Writing it Down
3. Anne Frank's Diary: A Testament of Bearing Witness
4. Using Creative Writing to Bear Witness
5. Step 1: Brainstorming and Writing it Down
6. Step 2: Narrowing Down and Focusing
7. Step 3: Telling Your Story
8. Different Forms of Creative Writing
9. The Impact of Bearing Witness
10. Conclusion: Empowering Through Writing
**Introduction: The Power of Bearing Witness**
In our lives, we often come across situations that leave a lasting impact on us. Sometimes, we witness events that we wish we could have spoken up about, but for various reasons, we remain silent. The act of bearing witness goes beyond passive observation; it involves actively acknowledging and recording what we have seen, heard, or experienced. By writing it down, we capture the memory and give it the recognition it deserves. This article explores the concept of bearing witness and how creative writing can be a powerful tool in this process.
**The Importance of Writing it Down**
Writing down our experiences is a crucial aspect of bearing witness. It serves as a record, preserving the memory for ourselves and future generations. One of the most significant examples of bearing witness is Anne Frank's diary, which provides an intimate account of her family's life during a dark period in history. By writing down her experiences, she immortalized her story and allowed us to gain insight into the realities of that time. Writing it down not only acknowledges the existence of these events but also ensures that they are not forgotten.
**Anne Frank's Diary: A Testament of Bearing Witness**
Anne Frank's diary stands as a testament to the power of bearing witness. Through her diary, she documented the struggles her family faced during their confinement. Her words provide a vivid and personal account of the hardships they endured. By sharing her story, Anne Frank gave a voice to countless others who suffered during that period. Her diary serves as a reminder of the importance of bearing witness and the impact it can have on preserving history.
**Using Creative Writing to Bear Witness**
Creative writing can be a powerful tool in the process of bearing witness. It allows us to express our experiences in a way that engages the reader and evokes emotions. Through creative writing, we can bring
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Chapter 2: Considering Structure
The 5 Act Structure
Melissa ford lucken.
The five-act structure is a narrative framework that divides a story into five distinct acts, providing a more detailed and nuanced approach to storytelling. This structure builds upon the traditional three-act structure by further expanding the narrative progression. Here’s a detailed description of the five acts:
Act 1: Setup/Exposition The first act sets the stage for the story and introduces the characters, setting, and initial conflicts. It serves to engage the audience and establish the foundation for the rest of the narrative.
The key elements of Act 1 include:
Introduction: The audience is introduced to the main characters, their world, and their ordinary lives before any major changes occur. This establishes a connection between the audience and the characters.
Inciting Incident: A significant event or problem occurs that disrupts the normalcy of the protagonist’s life. It acts as a catalyst for the story and creates a need for action.
Goals and Motivations: The protagonist’s goals and motivations are established as a response to the inciting incident. They have a clear objective or desire they want to achieve.
Conflict and Obstacles: The protagonist encounters conflicts and obstacles that prevent them from achieving their goals. These challenges drive the story forward and create tension.
Plot Point 1: Towards the end of Act 1, a major turning point occurs, often referred to as the first plot point. It presents a significant change or event that propels the story into Act 2.
Act 2: Confrontation/Rising Action The second act forms the bulk of the story and focuses on the protagonist’s journey as they face escalating challenges and obstacles. Act 2 deepens the conflict, develops the characters, and builds suspense.
The key elements of Act 2 include:
Rising Action: The protagonist embarks on a series of attempts and encounters various obstacles, conflicts, and setbacks. Each challenge gets progressively more difficult, raising the stakes and intensifying the narrative.
Midpoint/Twist: At the midpoint of Act 2, a significant event occurs that changes the direction of the story or adds a twist. It often brings new information, raises questions, or alters the protagonist’s understanding of the conflict.
Subplots and Character Development: Act 2 allows for the development of subplots and secondary characters, providing depth to the story and adding complexity to the main conflict.
Complications and Climax Building: The challenges and conflicts the protagonist faces become more intense as Act 2 progresses. These complications build towards the climax, creating a sense of mounting tension.
Plot Point 2: Towards the end of Act 2, another major turning point, known as the second plot point, occurs. It raises the stakes even higher and sets up the final confrontation in Act 3.
Act 3: Climax Act 3 marks the climax of the story, where the conflicts reach their peak and the protagonist faces their biggest challenge. It represents the highest point of tension and serves as a turning point for the narrative.
The key elements of Act 3 include:
Climax: The climax is the most intense and crucial moment of the story. It is the point where the conflicts come to a head, and the protagonist faces their ultimate challenge. The outcome of the climax determines the resolution.
Act 4: Falling Action Act 4 focuses on the aftermath of the climax and the resolution of the story’s conflicts. It explores the consequences of the climax and sets up the final act.
The key elements of Act 4 include:
Falling Action: The intensity subsides, and the story enters a phase of falling action. The consequences of the climax are explored, and loose ends are tied up. This stage allows for a breather before the final act.
Reversals and Revelations: Act 4 may include unexpected reversals, revelations, or plot twists that provide new insights or change the direction of the story. These moments keep the audience engaged and intrigued.
Character Growth: The protagonist undergoes further growth and development, reflecting on their journey and the lessons learned.
Act 5: Resolution/Denouement The final act wraps up the story, providing resolution and closure. It ties up loose ends, concludes character arcs, and offers a sense of fulfillment to the audience.
The key elements of Act 5 include:
Resolution: The conflicts are resolved, and the protagonist achieves their goal or reaches a new understanding. This resolution provides closure and answers any lingering questions or conflicts.
Denouement: The denouement is a period of reflection and aftermath. It allows for a brief glimpse into the future, showing the aftermath of the story’s events and the long-term consequences.
Final Image: The story concludes with a final image or moment that leaves a lasting impression on the audience. It can reinforce the theme, provide a sense of hope, or leave room for interpretation.
The five-act structure provides a comprehensive framework for storytelling, allowing for a more detailed exploration of the narrative and character arcs. It offers greater flexibility and depth, enabling authors to create engaging and dynamic stories.
The 5 Act Structure by Melissa Ford Lucken is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.
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TED-Ed How creative writing can help you through life's hardest moments
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How creative writing can help you through life's hardest moments. 1,654,112 views | ... Writer Sakinah Hofler makes the case for writing as a tool to help you process difficult memories and reclaim the power they may hold. Pick up a pen or pull up a keyboard and follow along as she walks you through how to unburden your mind and inspire ...
Have you ever seen or experienced something and wished you spoke up? Writer Sakinah Hofler makes the case for writing as a tool to help you process difficult...
And you just had to you just have to find a form that works for you. You can write a letter to your younger self. You can write a story to your younger self. You can write a story to your five year old child depending on a story. You go write a parody, a song, a song is a parody. You can write a play. You can write a nursery rhyme.
We owe it to ourselves — and our coworkers — to make space for processing this individual and collective trauma. A recent op-ed in the New York Times Sunday Review affirms what I, as a writer ...
Jana Pijak — January 22, 2021 — Keynote Trends. References: youtube. 'How creative writing can help you through life's hardest moments' is a thoughtful and inspiring TED talk by writer Sakinah Hofler. Hofler "makes the case for writing as a tool to help you process difficult memories and reclaim the power they may hold," asking viewers to ...
Writing reflectively requires a person to ask themselves questions and continuously be open, curious and analytical. It can increase self-awareness by helping people learn from their experiences ...
Writer Sakinah Hofler makes the case for writing as a tool to help you process difficult memories and reclaim the power they may hold. Pick up a pen or pull up a keyboard and follow along as she walks you through how to unburden your mind and inspire reflection. ... Start listening. Share. December 9th, 2020 • 14:53. How creative writing can ...
Listen to How Creative Writing Can Help You Through Life's Hardest Moments | Sakinah Hofler and 141 more episodes by TED Talks Art, free! ... Writer Sakinah Hofler makes the case for writing as a tool to help you process difficult memories and reclaim the power they may hold. Pick up a pen or pull up a keyboard and follow along as she walks you ...
Why you should listen. A former chemical engineer for the United States Department of Defense, Sakinah Hofler is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Cincinnati studying English and Comparative Literature where she teaches courses on composition and creative writing with an emphasis on social change. She's an advocate on ...
<p>Writer Sakinah Hofler makes the case for writing as a tool to help you process difficult memories and reclaim the power they may hold. This talk was filmed at TEDxUCincinnati. All TEDx events are organized independently by volunteers in the spirit of TED's mission of ideas worth spreading. To learn more about TEDxSHORTS, the TEDx program, or give feedback on this episode, please visit <a ...
Benefits and Drawbacks of the Creative Writing Workshop Chapter 4: Plotting: Scenes, Sequels, and Narrative Novel's Story vs. Plot Novel Scenes, the Basics ... Video: How creative writing can help you through life's hardest moments Video: How to write a story | John Dufresne | TEDxFIU Video: Matt Hughes-On Writing Scenes
The research is in. Find out five reasons writing can help you lead a happier life. 1. Writing promotes well-being and helps process emotions. Simply writing for the sake of getting your thoughts out of your head and onto a page has huge benefits for mental health. A recent study examined the effects of writing in a sample group of 81 ...
And just like that, you'll have a moment of recognition on why you had to go through the hard times that you did. Things will be a little more clear now, and your writing, just as the pressure of your pen will be less aggressive. You can even visibly see the benefits of writing by hand as it changes over time and through chapters.
Once you have these three things, you have the details, you have the order of events, you have how it made you feel, you're ready to actually use creative writing to bear witness. Step 3: Pick one and tell your story. You don't have to write a memoir; you don't have to be a creative writer.
How creative writing can help you through life's hardest moments. 14 minutes 43 seconds. 04:57. Daniel L. Schacter. ... There's an art to happy memories — you can make more by experiencing more "first"s. ... so let's use this tendency to add to our storehouse of memorable and meaningful moments, says happiness expert Meik Wiking. ...
Have you ever seen or experienced something and wished you spoke up? Writer Sakinah Hofler makes the case for writing as a tool to help you process difficult memories and reclaim the power they may hold over you. Pick up a pen or pull up a keyboard and follow along as she walks you through how to unburden your mind and inspire reflection.
If you're interested in the world of creative writing, we have eight fantastic exercises and activities to get you started. ️🤩 Don't miss on the joy of Creative Writing: here are 8 ways to get started. Click to tweet! 1. Use writing prompts every week. Coming up with ideas for short stories can be challenging, which is why we created a ...
Table of Contents: 1. Introduction: The Power of Bearing Witness 2. The Importance of Writing it Down 3. Anne Frank's Diary: A Testament of Bearing Witness 4. Using Creative Writing to Bear Witness 5. Step 1: Brainstorming and Writing it Down 6. Step 2: Narrowing Down and Focusing 7. Step 3: Tellin
Writer Sakinah Hofler makes the case for writing as a tool to help you process difficult memories and reclaim the power they may hold. Pick up a pen or pull up a keyboard and follow along as she. Monday, May 27 2024 Breaking News. Humble leaders who mentor can improve their organizational status and promotability !
Climax: The climax is the most intense and crucial moment of the story. It is the point where the conflicts come to a head, and the protagonist faces their ultimate challenge. The outcome of the climax determines the resolution. Act 4: Falling Action Act 4 focuses on the aftermath of the climax and the resolution of the story's conflicts.
TED-Ed How creative writing can help you through life's hardest moments. Share ... Writer Sakinah Hofler makes the case for writing as a tool to help you process difficult memories and reclaim the power they may hold over you. Pick up a pen or pull up a keyboard and follow along as she walks you through how to unburden your mind and inspire ...
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Creative exercises to improve writing skills. Here are some ways to begin putting pen to paper: Freewriting. Freewriting is the easiest creative writing exercise that can help with creative blocks. Simply write down anything that comes to your mind, without any attention paid to structure, form, or even grammar and spelling mistakes.
How creative writing can help you through life's hardest moments Sakinah Hofler explains how we often keep painful experiences to ourselves. However, by writing about those painful experiences, "we can start to diffuse their memory and reclaim our agency". In other words, writing about our experiences help you process difficult memories and reclaim the power they may have over you.