Photog
raphy^ Kat^ Gollock70 CalmMoment.com
C
reative writing and, indeed, poetry
therapy have become an increasingly
popular route for those looking for ways
to improve their wellbeing. Yet putting
pen to paper in order to process
thoughts and feelings is actually an instinctive tool
we learn very early on.
Over the years, I’ve experimented with writing
short stories, half a novel, a chapter of a memoir,
a third of a screenplay and many journal entries. Yet
for me, the most transformative and enriching writing
form has been poetry. It’s offered a different ‘way in’,
and on many occasions has channelled a new
awareness and fresh insights from my psyche
onto the page.
I’ve also experienced a real sense of achievement
when writing a simple poem. Every word counts.
A poem is succinct, packed with meaning. Unlike
attempting a short story or a novel, it offers a faster
dose of fulfillment – often it takes just a few hours
to write a draft poem.
Poetry isn’t just a vehicle to express your feelings
and opinions, it’s also a way to develop your voice,
identity and character. In short, poetry hands you
your power back, should it have ever left you.
Reading poetry is equally important; the best
poems will inspire you to reflect, dream, observe and
grow. Poetry has, of course, experienced a revival in
recent years. It’s partly thanks to modern poets such
as Hollie McNish, Kate Tempest, Yrsa Daley-Ward
and Rupi Kaur, who are masters (or rather,mistresses) of expressing contemporary concerns
or truths through poetry.
In fact, truth-telling is another reason why poetry
continues to be universally loved. “Hollie McNish tells
the truth in a way that makes us uncomfortable, she
talks about the realities of living and uses her
experiences to write about the caverns in our class
system,” explains Briony Bax, editor of poetry
magazine, Ambit (ambitmagazine.co.uk).
The therapeutic powers of poetry are not limited
to helping us through periods of low mood either.
A poem is also an evocative way to be heard. Writing
just a few lines of poetry can allow you to process
experiences, often leading to new realisations about
yourself and others. Sometimes, a poem is simply
a way to work things out.
“I’ve always written poetry. I guess at first it was
confusion, or anger, or on a lighter level, humour,”
says poet and Ted Hughes Award winner, Hollie
McNish. “I liked working things out through poetry
but having a laugh too. It has certainly helped me pick
apart my thoughts on things and take my time more.
It has also been an outlet of my honest thoughts on
things, a place where I can just write for myself about
whatever I want. What I then choose to share with
other people comes second to that.”
Indeed, writing for yourself is absolutely crucial.
Being unedited allows you to explore what matters
to you. Sculpting your emotions or concerns into
poetry can give your conscious mind a holiday.
It’s a great way to tap into the fountain of activity
‘beneath the iceberg’, within the subconscious mind.
That’s where the ‘gold’ lies. Or, as the Australian poet
Les Murray describes, poetry is “a zoo in which you
keep your demons and angels”.
There are many other poets, myself included, who
use personal themes to explore past experiences.
“I found that using the character of Bluebeard, that
famous wife-murderer, in my fourth collection,
Waiting for Bluebeard, enabled me to write about an
abusive relationship I was in for eleven years,” says
Helen Ivory – a poet, artist, tutor and Eric Gregory
Award winner. “I found myself one day writing about
a character called Bluebeard, which was aroundHollie McNish, British poet
and spoken word artist,
uses poetry to pick apart
her own thoughts.