Thank you to the small ‘but perfectly formed’ group of students who joined me at Denman recently to Banish Winter Solstice Blues.

We had such an interesting time – and loved sharing our own creative ways of dealing with the difficult times which we all have to face. Being creative is wonderfully therapeutic and we enjoyed doing some fun ‘exercises’ and a quizz to find out how deeply (or not!) our creative selves had been buried under the pressures of the daily grind.

We tested our responses to a variety of essential oils – perhaps those delightfully gentle perfumes are still lingering in the beautiful Nugent Harris room? We wrote along with different pieces of music and enjoyed sharing our writing – and surprised ourselves, and each other, and all wondered “where did that come from?”

A group of amazing women with so much to write about. Working in Kenya (on a wing and a prayer): An artist creating beautiful miniature unique art notebooks during her country walks: A precious piece of heirloom linen, made by hand from flax grown, harvested and woven on a family farm generations ago in Belarus and carried across continents. A beautiful holiday home which has inspired the beginning of a gripping crime novel with so much potential: A series of true ‘Encounters’ which have to be written about – brief, dramatic, unresolved – and unforgettable.

I hope you all enjoyed the course as much as I did – keep writing and keep in touch.

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As we hunker down for those shorter days and long dark winter nights we’re more likely to feel down as SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) saps our energy and make us feel sluggish. But research tells us that writing expressively is therapeutic, relaxing and good for us, the perfect antidote to Winter Solstice Blues.

Together we’ll explore routes to creative writing with music, location, colours, language, essential oils and the seasons. Whether you’ve never written anything but a shopping list before, or whether you’ve been a secret scribbler for years, escape to Denman and treat yourself to some time out and experience the gentle joys of creative expressive writing.

Begin a journal, a story or a memoir, become a diarist or explore your poetic self. Reconnect with your creativity and enjoy writing with a small supportive group of like-minded people; nurture your writerly talents and see how they blossom.

This course is relaxed and friendly, men and women are equally welcome, and it’s suitable for all ages and abilities, including those with no experience of writing.

Price includes a comfortable ensuite room with tea/coffee making facilities and varied menus offering a selection of delicious meals, including buffet style cooked breakfast, morning coffee, lunch, tea in the afternoon, and a waiter service three course evening dinner with coffee/tea.

Contact Chrissie@lifestorywriting.co.uk for course information and Denman College 01865 391991 for booking details.