Summary

Welcome to the Stroud School of Art's inspiring course on Expressive Writing for Well-Being. In this course, you will engage with open-ended strategies for your poetry and prose to produce pieces of work that are unique to you. A flexible approach to your writing will elicit pieces of work that avoid the constraints of one specific outcome. In this sense, we privilege the imagination and draw, for example, on the concept of sanctuary to both explore and create an imaginative world through figurative writing. Writing can have a huge positive effect on well-being. Our Expressive Writing for Well-Being course is perfect for learning the tools required to help independent or group writing support your physical and mental health. If your experiencing conditions such as; Stress/anxiety/depression Behaviour-related health issues Bereavement or major life changes Chronic pain or illness Then you could benefit from the experience of joining us! Please read the entry requirements for the course in order for us to meet the funding criteria to maintain these very successful and needed courses in our community.

How will I learn?

Through a combination of independent and group writing exercises, you will discover the transformative potential of expressive writing. Our experienced instructors will guide you in exploring various techniques and approaches to writing, empowering you to tap into your creativity and emotions. You will have the freedom to express yourself authentically, using writing as a means of self-discovery and self-expression. By engaging in a flexible and supportive learning environment, you will develop skills to improve your well-being, boost your confidence, and enhance your creative and vocational abilities. Our classes provide a nurturing and encouraging environment where you can learn and grow as an individual. The tutor will guide you through various techniques and projects, ensuring that you feel supported and empowered to express your creativity.

Entry Requirements

Applicants must be at least 19 years old at the start of the academic year. You don’t need to have any experience to join this course, however as part of our series of funded courses, you are limited to one course per term (excluding online, this can be an additional), students need to meet the criteria as set out below. The aim of the course is to improve your well-being, confidence, self-esteem, and creative and vocational skills whilst providing progression routes for your learning through support and guidance from your tutor. These courses are for self-referring or referred patient/client, making the courses available to all. If you're experiencing conditions like stress, anxiety, depression, behaviour-related health issues, mental health, bereavement, chronic pain, or illness, joining us can provide a beneficial experience and a re-engagement into education or employment. If you have a support worker or have a condition we will need to be aware of, please let us know – there may be other specialised creative courses that are more suited to your needs from other health providers. During your first session the tutor will spend some time with you 1:1 to support you with your declared needs to ensure we give you the best support and guidance during the course.

Additional Information

Enrolments for future course dates will be released towards the end of the current term, on the website and via your course tutor. Each term runs for 10 or 11 weeks. When enrolments open, these dates will be released on the website under Creativity for Wellbeing.