The best thing to happen to me last year
…was starting the Writing for Fun and Sanity workshops. It started with a suggestion from my friend Aisling that I do a writing workshop. I put a post up on Instagram asking if anyone would come.
They did.
Six months later, I am astounded by the people who show up every week.
Before Christmas we had a woman join from South Sudan. Her face sat in a stamp-sized square next to a regular who joins from Bombay. Her face neighboured someone from Toronto, who was next to someone still in her pyjamas because it was 6am, where she was joining from LA. On the other end of the world clock, my cousin in Perth, Australia joins us at 10PM her time.
Then we have people from Sweden, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and all over Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England.
We usually start with some kind of lockdown chat, comparing notes on what is happening in our corner of the world and then we’ll start writing anything at all for ten minutes. It could be shopping lists, rants, worries, sentences that read ‘I don’t know what to write’.
Then we might do a couple of other gentle mindful writing exercises which involve paying attention to the room we are in or something good that happened yesterday.
Each week, a different theme emerges - whether it’s gratitude, relationships, feeling totally fed up - and we write based on prompts I share. We are never trying to write anything clever, we are just moving the pen across the page to see what comes out.
We never have to read out loud or talk about what we’ve written but we are also welcome to. Sometimes people are chatty, sometimes quiet. Most people show their faces on screen and some keep their camera off.
You can come as you are. Good mood or bad. Smiles or tears. Social or antisocial. It’s all okay. We have closed captions for people who have hearing difficulties and if there is anything I can do to make it more accessible, then please let me know.
English does not have to be your first language and you can write in any language you like but if we speak it’s in English.
And so I’m just writing this to invite you. Even if you are feeling shy and don’t think this is your kind of thing, give it a go. If money is tight, there is a Pay-What-You-Can option that allows you to donate whatever is doable for you. I invite all hospital staff and teachers for free. If that’s you, send me an email.
This is not a session for writers, it’s a session for humans. It doesn’t matter if the only thing you normally write are texts. We are not learning how to write a book or an essay we are just writing to express ourselves and feel a little bit lighter.
And that’s the hard sell over.
I just know that it was the best thing to happen to me over last year and I’d like to share the best thing with you.
We are now doing Saturday sessions 1-2.30pm UK time, and Wednesday evenings 7.30-9pm UK time. Link to book HERE
And if the idea of sitting with a notepad is the opposite to what you need, ignore this! I recommend Sue Rickards’ online dance sessions which have me flinging myself around the living room. Maite Alonso’s Saturday morning yoga* is the only yoga I have ever enjoyed in my life. (I am not yet a happy, bendy person but I have a greater tolerance of those who are.) And my dear friend Aisling will be getting back to her Sunday Meditations for Good Vibrations which do exactly what they say on the tin. They are free.
Also if you fancy something fun, this Sunday, I’m holding an art inspired workshop with my friend, Rosanna Cooper, who is an art therapist. We’ll be playing with colours and pencils and whatever we have to hand. As with our writing sessions, we are not trying to make anything in particular, we cannot be ‘good’ or ‘bad’ at it - we’ll just have a go and see what happens. I’m so looking forward to it.
Also if you would like to write in a way that isn’t just therapeutic, I recommend following Carrie Jade Williams who is here on Instagram. She has written not one but TWO books this year by getting up at 4.30-8.30am every day and letting the words fly. She has this very annoying habit of making everything seem easy and fun - where’s the drama in that? - and has created a Zoom where others can join her to write in the mornings. She is about the best cheerleader you could ask for and writing alongside her is a privilege.
Ok, that’s all for now. Hope to see your stamp-sized faces on a Zoom soon.
Love
M xx
Nice things people have said:
‘Marianne’s classes are like a Lizzo song for writers had burst into life. I never want the session to end. This class makes me braver.’ Carrie, Kerry
‘These workshops have genuinely been the best thing to happen to me in the last year. I’ve missed traveling so desperately, so seeing and hearing from people all over the world – as well as getting back to my writing - has been amazing.’ Ashley, Boston
‘Marianne has a wonderful way about her - it is always possible to be completely yourself in her company. She brings safety, warmth and honesty to the sessions that is contagious.’ Nikki, Dublin
‘I loved it. I loved the inclusivity and gentleness of the session. I went much deeper than I expected to. I surprised myself.’ Jason, Glastonbury
‘These sessions were among the best Saturdays I’ve had this past year. I don’t know if it’s Marianne’s warmth or listening to people from around the world sharing their thoughts and situations, or the cathartic experience of writing through the exercises that are structured and yet so fluid… I thoroughly recommend making some time for it this weekend. You will not regret it.’ Rituparna, Bombay, India
‘I have never done anything like this before but you were so welcoming and supportive. Writing feels very scary to many people, including myself, but you created a very accessible workshop and it’s made me realise how powerful it is to access my thoughts and feelings. I feel like it’s opened a door to another part of me somehow and what’s in there waiting to come out isn’t that scary after all. So, thank you. I am very grateful.’ Alice, Reading.
‘For those of you like me, who are anxious about doing new stuff, especially new stuff with new people: during this workshop you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, it’s okay to just sit and listen. […] For me, the workshop was mostly about breaking through perfectionism - to write and keep writing despite judgemental thoughts, self-criticism and insecurities. And about sharing the joy and the cathartic effect of writing. I was surprised by what appeared to be floating around in my head, stuff I wasn’t even really aware of, and which showed up between the two blue lines of my notepad.’ Laetitia, the Netherlands
*Maite’s email is Maite.shakti@gmail.com - her sessions are on Saturday mornings 8.45 - 10.30am and you can email her to be sent the link. I’ll be there this Saturday and most Saturdays.