My Writing Journey

 

Facilitating wellbeing workshops for women with a focus on writing is a path I feel honoured to have stepped into. These 4 hour workshops are a safe space for our circle of women to gently be guided through their emotional landscape to challenge limiting beliefs, release mental blocks, and pave a new path forward with tangible solutions and optimism. I love being immersed in the energy of women’s circles, especially when we’re doing the inner work (my favourite kind).

 

For me, writing is a portal to a place within where time travels in its own dimension. Hours float by disguised as mere minutes, my mind slows and calms as ideas dip and dive allowing stories to flow through me, and the feeling of joy floods in. I began writing as a young child looking forward to story writing class more than any other subject, more than lunchtime, more than play. For me, writing is playing.

 

I have devoted tireless years to the craft of story writing learning from my elders at writing groups, engrossing myself in courses – face to face and online, and endless hours of practice and rewrites. Being a regular participant of writers’ groups provides me with my tribe and has helped me learn a multitude of techniques to hone my skills.

 

Ideas for stories and poems come to me as I rest and recover in the bathtub, when I drive the winding roads beside Gondwana forest taking in the scent of wet hummus, as I dream. My muse knows not the rules of the land and seeks me out when she is inspired, but we have a healthy arrangement, she brings the inspiration and I weave the tale. When I am out of reach of pen and paper I simply call ‘Scribe!’ and like magic my now thirteen year old daughter appears poised at the pad, ready to write my musings. Of course, there’s a monetary exchange for her services but I’ve come to know that no amount of wishful thinking will bring those ideas back to me once they’ve passed on by, floated on back to the clover speckled ground of creativity.

 

I am presently working on my memoir, Breaking Anaphora, my inner journey beyond my troubled childhood to personal transformation. It is written in the form of creative non-fiction which reads as a story with hints of magical realism. I have also written a deck of guidance cards designed to support women on four aspects of their life: self-care, self-love, inner health and gratitude.

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One of the highlights on my writing journey was winning a residential mentorship in 2020. Esteemed author, Marele Day, was our mentor for the four-day retreat on Cavanbah country. Marele generously shared her industry knowledge and editing skills. The support from the other attendees was fantastic too. I came away with a stronger synopsis for my memoir.

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I have won several awards for my poetry and won a trip to Paris for a song I wrote and sang live over the radio for Star FM, Port Macquarie. I sang my heart out from my bathroom – the only place I dare to sing and flew over the Pacific Ocean to see Madonna up close at an intimate promo tour. Unforgettable!

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I was thrilled to have been selected to publish a poem and a short story in the anthology, The Magic Of Storytelling compiled by Simona Galimberti. I have several articles posted on the Home Education Association’s website, one titled: 'Proactively De-schooling Through Play, Strewing and Natural Rhythms' with over 380 reads. And every year I publish an article on applying Tai Chi Principles to real life in the Tao Zen Wing Chun Internal Martial Arts newsletter.

 

My work as a beta reader/editor is a continual source of reward as I help fellow writers with clarity of voice, literacy, and confidence to forge ahead with their manuscript. I truly enjoy facilitating writing classes for home-schooled children with loads of imagination. It is such a joy when they realise they have created their very own story and sometimes entire worlds. Exciting! I also liaise for their participation in the annual Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival. My Poetry classes I run from home once a month. I am ever inspired by my students.

 

I have had the great pleasure of hosting two writers’ retreats on Biripai country set in exquisite forest: one at Falls Forest Retreat, Johns River, and the other at Jaspers Village Resort, Mt Seaview. I was thrilled to present story crafting workshops alongside inspiring authors. I am conjuring my next writers’ retreat on Gumbaynggirr country for 2024. Stay tuned!

 

 

I hope you can join me for one or more of my Women’s Wellbeing Workshops in 2023. Watch in awe as the pen weaves your

new-found affirmation for the next chapter of your life to reveal the Goddess within.

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