Creative Writing for Wellbeing

Creative Writing

Research shows that creativity and self-expression are enormously beneficial to our health and wellbeing. With that in mind, we are challenging our wonderful community members to get creative for five minutes a week for the next seven weeks.

From Saturday 31 July to 18 September, we posted a quick and easy creative writing prompt on the City of Ryde Facebook page for people to try from the comfort and privacy of their own homes.

Every exercise is beginner friendly so, even if you’ve never tried creative writing before, we encourage you to be brave and have a go. You might be surprised by what you discover! Each exercise includes some example responses to help get your ideas flowing.

Each week’s prompts will draw inspiration from the Seven Colours of Ryde. Each of the colours are evocative of different positive traits or qualities. By spending time focusing on one of these qualities each week, we aim to benefit from the power of collective positive thinking.

FAQs

How do I do this exactly?

How do I do this exactly?

Start by trying to relax with a few deep breaths. Now write the sentence starter on your page and then finish the sentence with the first thing that comes into your mind. You might not like the first thing you write and that’s fine because it’s for your eyes only – no judgment! You can redo it as many times as you like until you’re happy.

  • The colour red sounds like noise
  • The colour red sounds like a big bang
  • The colour red sounds like silence
  • The colour red sounds like trickling water
  • The colour red sounds like crackling fire
  • The colour red sounds like a green frog
  • The colour red sounds like my mind
  • The colour red sounds like the moon
  • The colour red sounds like crash bang pow

How many words/lines/sentences should I write in response to each prompt?

No rules! (Are you sensing a pattern?) You might write one word after each of the sentence starters, you might write a whole paragraph. Whatever comes out of your pen is a product of creativity and self-expression.

Does it have to make sense?

Nope!

 

Does it have to be in English?

No, in fact, we would love to read creative responses in any language you feel comfortable writing in. The point of these exercises is that you are creative and express yourself in your own, unique voice.

 

Can I use one of the prompts and ignore the rest?

Absolutely! If one of the prompts isn’t working for you, or you feel stuck, just move on and come back to it. You could try to replace a word in the sentence starter and see if that helps it flow more easily (for example: you could change “the colour red sounds like…” to “the colour red feels like…” and see if that is easier).

 

How do I know if I’m doing it right?

There are no right or wrong answers. If you get words on page then you’re doing it right. Simply have a go! 

 

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