The group coordinator and facilitator is Marina Bielenky. Please contact her using the email link above.

A developing body of research shows that expressive writing calms the mind and emotions and increases feelings of happiness and well-being. Research has shown increasing evidence of the emotional and physical benefits of all types of expressive writing, for example: creative writing, poetry, journaling, keeping a diary. There is little doubt that writing has positive consequences and results in long term improvement in mood and health and that it increases the immune response.

I completed a diploma in the subject shortly after my husband died and found the benefits for myself were profound.

The Stroud u3a expressive writing/writing for well-being group began in 2018 and we meet around my kitchen table. We retreated to zoom during the pandemic but are now back in person.

Writing for well-being is different from other creative writing groups in that the writing takes place in the group, is spontaneous and participants are encouraged to let go of their heads and let the pen write. There is no expectation of “literary merit” spelling or grammar, just the ability to play with words and see what happens.

We start with 5 mins free writing which is not shared, in which the pen does not leave the paper and it is a chance to let the stream of consciousness around the rest of the day come to rest. eg. I sometimes write “oh dear I wasn’t quite ready. Still haven’t done….”

There is then a quick warm up exercise such as making sentences out of magnetic words or headlines from the newspaper picked at random.

I then provide prompts such as small objects or post cards and I sometimes ask people to bring a small object or post card of their own.

Usually, I send round 1 or 2 poems beforehand and we look at them and then the invitation is to take a line, or phrase and write from there, or simply write whatever comes in response.

Sharing of writing and participation in the exercises is completely voluntary although I do encourage some sharing as it brings a sense of community and is always interesting how differences and similarities arise. Sometimes people share the process, what they felt about the exercise, rather than the content.

One of my tutors Nigel Gibbons wrote an acrostic which gives a flavour of the nature and guidelines for the group which is pictured on this page.