What worked, what didn’t work, what would you do differently next time?
Umi Sinha, a writer and writing facilitator, came to talk to us at the second Arts and Learning day in November, and passed on some invaluable exercises which I have used with my students. They reminded me how I use creative writing techniques when I’m working with academics, business people and students, and how I can use them for myself. So when Elizabeth, Jane and I decided to set up The Storyworks as a writing consultancy for schools, one of the first things we did was to meet at Elizabeth’s and find out about each other through the use of metaphor.
Exploring what colour, animal, vehicle we were in automatic writing, we then allowed each other to explain our choices. I was a jasmine plant, potentially fragrant but rather in need of some solid bamboo to hold me up if I was to reach for the sky. My waggy dog was eager to please, loyal and fun, and if put on a lead might pull till I choked. The others described their silent, gregarious, creative, self destructive, resourceful and generous selves through metaphorical old jalopies, contented cats and vibrant colours. We found out more about each other’s strengths and weaknesses and how we might support each other in those 2 hours than I think I’ve ever done with other professional – or any other – partners.
With our business plan, visions and expectations - as well as our flabby and scrawnier bits given form by metaphor - we were able to pool our ideas into a website that gave us a mirror to look into. Did we like what we saw? Our newly tuned sensitivities, like homing devices went in to nip the buds and prune the branches to allow our tree to grow tall and strong.
Since then, we’ve divided the work on our plan fairly, I think, and when commissions come in, we’ll be in a good place to share our skills with our clients. The jasmine has found her bamboo…
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