Reading like a writer stuff
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Personal
Creative writing clubs can enrich students' personal lives. These skills can help students practice self-exploration, gain self-awareness, and/or access some benefits of narrative therapy.
Self-Exploration
Writing helps people explore their identities. Through creative writing, writers explore their interests, glamorize their ambitions, and villainize their fears. Creative writing clubs are particularly helpful for adolescent learners in the process of figuring out who they are.
Creative writing clubs may be especially interesting for students as they establish their identities. According to Erikson's (1950) development theory, adolescent learners tend to focus mostly on figuring out their identities (as cited in Woolfolk, 2014). Lawton (personal communication, 2022) praises the way the creative writing allows writers to control the world in a way that young people usually cannot.
Creative writing clubs can facilitate students' identify development by allowing them to experiment with styles and ways of being. Activities that allow students to try new ideas and cultivate their aesthetic preferences may be particularly meaningful.
Self-Awareness
Creative writing clubs can also be a positive outlet for students to improve their mental health. Personal writing (or fictional writing with personal undertones) can help students vent and gain new insight on personal challenges.
Writing as a tool for healing is well-established in the field of mental health services. Many sources report that writing, especially in community, can positively influence mental health (Lawton, 2021b; King et al., 2013; Pennebaker & Chung, 2007; Johnson, 2017; Appleman, 2013). There is even an established method of Narrative Therapy, which encourages patients to become aware of and interrogate the dominant stories about their lives (Garabrandt, 2022).
A creative writing group can build on the mental health benefits of writing by encouraging self-reflection, especially about challenging situations. It may use writing as a mindfulness practice, encouraging members to slow down to become more grounded. For these clubs, creating a space and calming space that promotes reflection may take precedence.