Writing is very much an art and a craft. Unlocking your creativity and producing strong writing doesn't just happen by accident. You have to learn to access what is deep inside you.

Every aspiring writer has a large reservoir of untapped talent. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Every work of genius are our own rejected thoughts.”

However, without guidance and a process to bring your thoughts and feelings to the surface and guidance in shaping them into a form, they remain dormant.

There are tools and techniques you can employ to access your imagination - the true source of creative power.

This is the aim of the first session in our Four Week Unlocking Creativity Course.

As Jasmine, one participant wrote at the end of the opening night, "I walked in her tonight  full of doubt and apprehension, but leave feeling I have accomplished something good. I've learnt to trust my inner voice and let the words flow."

And Ruth wrote, "I have discovered I have a voice! I have an endless supply of characters waiting to be born. I can't wait to meet them. I have been empowered tonight."

This doesn't happen by accident.

Dara Marks, PHD and author of INSIDE STORY: The Power of the Transformational Arc, writes, "New ideas, even great ones, seldom rise to the level of consciousness fully formed. They often begin as a jumble of thoughts, impressions, feelings, and images that can be as confusing and contradictory as they are inspiring and compelling.

"However, most of what we know is unconscious, which makes getting to this information difficult, especially if all we have to rely on is accidental or inadvertent moments of insight and clarity. A successful writer must, therefore, develop and hone an effective process to gain access to the knowledge that lies within.

"Therefore, what is needed in the way of writing tools are instruments of excavation that can unearth the bounty of self- knowledge that lies beneath the surface of our own stories.

"The method for getting to the emotional heart of a story is not a divine secret bestowed only on the anointed. All writers have a well of valuable feelings and insights; it’s just a question of knowing how to tap into them."

In other words if you want to write in a way that will move, entertain and inspire others, you have to not only tap into the power of your imagination, you have to put in the work and learn the craft.

Craft being the tools and techniques that a writer needs to master in order to create a story that will draw readers into deep involvement, keep them involved, take them on a journey and ultimately reward them with a moving and meaningful experience.

As John Tullius, author and founder of the Maui Writers' Conference, said, "I don't care how talented you are. It's not about contacting your muse. Success comes from talking the time to learn the craft."

Just about any writer can make great strides forward when shown the pathway to accessing the power of their imagination and some of the fundamental tools and techniques of writing and storytelling.

When aspiring writers do this, the quality of their writing jumps to a whole new level. And they experience the great pleasure of accessing their creativity and seeing it flourish.

INSIGHTS FROM RECENT UNLOCKING CREATIVITY PARTICIPANTS

Here are some thoughts and insights from a few participants (both live and online courses) which shows why the course is called Unlocking Creativity.

We are always thrilled to see and be part of the profound and inspiring journey everyone goes on. One of the goals of the course is to help people discover whether they want to make writing part of their life.

"If the imagination is a fragile muscle and needs constant work and attention' then I know I have been on an intensive exercise regime for the past four weeks during my online Unlocking Creativity course and I'm much fitter than I was!

This course was a gift to myself as part of my long-service leave. I decided at the very beginning that I was going to do absolutely everything I could do to get the most out of this course and I haven't disappointed myself. I have sucked it all in and spat out as much as I could! Any podcast, any film clip, very quote and every exercise - I have immersed myself in it all and I have come out the other end as a different person."

Meg

"Well, I did it. I sucked up my fear and insecurity and I completed the writing course! Over the past few weeks I've felt happy and confident and "suddenly" have energy...this course was the reason for all of it.

If it takes 21 days to build a habit, and I really think I have done it. I don't want to go back to life four weeks ago when I did not leap out of bed in the morning and stay up late at night, to write the next exercise or read the work of others. I don't think I've ever seen me "bursting" with passion for life and activity, but here it is!

This course has been one of the most amazing things I have ever done. I am no longer afraid to write junk, I am no longer afraid of people reading my junk. Now I just write."

Jen

"Right now, exploring this skill is what I want, but I still fear what I have to give up to make it a reality. I think the enjoyment that this has given me each day makes me think that I'm on the wrong path, or at least that I should be looking for a way to get off it.

I have missed making the time to write and I didn't realise how much until now. I remember spending hours and hours on the computer in the high school typing out short stories and film scripts and novels just because it felt great to do so.

Life has gotten in the way until now. It's time to make it happen."

David

"I have loved the writers' course and at the same time it has terrified me. It has been both a liberation and an unkind mirror. The writing itself was surprising. I was surprised at how 'inside' it I felt and at how playful I could be with character and situations.

It was a strange and unwieldly process, all the more so because I would think later about how I was posting stuff that felt exposing and stuff I couldn't believe I'd written, let alone shared. At the same time that made me feel bolder. It was like a mischievous secret, I had a new secret power - my imagination. That was a wonderful gift.

All in all it was a very humanising process and I realise that having a 'voice' no matter how small or simple, gives us great power."

Samantha

Click here for more information on Unlocking Creativity live or online courses.

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