Journalling is a private record of expressive writing. It’s not shared with others – rather, it allows you to create freely without the fear of judgment. By exploring your inner thoughts you’ll understand yourself better, build confidence, and create a treasure trove of material that you can draw from.

When people decide to do something creative, they often feel a pressure to perform. Staring at a blank page can be stressful, but journalling can overcome that anxiety. By writing small amounts every day in a private journal, you can get the creative juices flowing and develop ideas that would otherwise not occur to you.

We will examine some of the different ways to use a journal. You can use it to plan your day and then reflect on your experiences. You can use it for goal setting, and for identifying obstacles to these goals. You can use it to record your dreams, feelings and observations, and to gain a better understanding of what makes you tick.

Please keep in mind that nobody needs to see anything you put in your journal – we certainly won’t be sharing our writing in this class! This course will improve your writing skills in a friendly, non-judgmental environment. It’s suitable for beginners who want some help getting started on their creative journey, and for more experienced writers who feel they need a quick boost!

Course Outline:

• How can journalling help the creative process?
• The importance of non-judgmental writing
• The importance of enjoying the process, rather than being too results-focused
• Connecting with your environment
• Types of journalling techniques – including day planning, reflecting, goal-setting, letter writing, dream journals, gratitude journals
• Journalling prompts to get you started
• Making journalling work for you

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the course, participants will have an understanding of:

• The benefits of journalling for the creative process
• How journalling creates a trove of material that can be drawn on
• The different ways to use a journal and what works for them
• Journalling techniques and strategies

What to bring:

• Pens and a notebook or exercise book to use as a journal – it can be as plain or as fancy as you like!
• A laptop if you prefer to have an onscreen journal.

About the Tutor:

Stella is a lawyer-turned-author who has won several awards for her work. Over the years she’s written books for adults, schools, and children, and has enjoyed every minute! She loves sharing her passion for writing and the knowledge she’s gained and has been running writing workshops with the community college for more than ten years. You can find out more about Stella at https://www.stellatarakson.com/
h4. Other Information:

• To ensure resources are ready for you at the start of your course, we ask you ideally enrol at least one week before the course commences.
• All courses need a minimum number of students to run ("we try our hardest to get those") . If your course does not have enough students it will be cancelled before the commencement and you will be informed.