Creative writing has long been a valued form of self-expression. Whether it be poetry, prose, or journaling, this ever-evolving art form can provide a safe space for us to release our deepest desires and our biggest fears. Not only this, creative writing can also be used as a way to enhance the relationship we have with ourselves and our bodies. Read on for some creative writing exercises designed to do just that…
Top Tip: Don’t worry about spelling, punctuation, or grammar when you’re writing creatively - it doesn’t matter. Anything you want to develop can always be edited later.
EXERCISE 1: WRITE WITH YOUR BODY
There are lots of ways to write. You can type, use a pen or pencil, record yourself speaking, have someone scribe, arrange cut out words and more. It can be stimulating to find out how many ways, and with how many different parts of your body, you can write the same sentence.
Try it: Find a short sentence from a text that you like. How many ways can you use your body to record this sentence? You could hold a writing device in the crease of your elbow. Can you type with your toes? See how many ways your body can surprise you.
Safety note: If any of your attempts start to hurt, please stop!
EXERCISE 2: ‘OTT’ LOVE LETTERS
People have been writing about their love for others for a very long time. The earliest reference to a love letter dates back 5000 years and is found in the Bhagavata Purana - an Epic Indian mythology written in Sanskrit. Generally speaking, people enjoy both writing and receiving love letters because it generates feelings of appreciation and respect.
Try it: write a love letter to your body, showing gratitude for all the functions it carries out daily. The idea is to use language that is over the top so that your letter is overflowing with adoration. Aim to make each sentence more romantic and superfluous than the last - the more over the top it sounds, the better.
EXERCISE 3: CUT UP POETRY
Lots of writers and artists use Dada techniques to inspire their work. One of these techniques is cut-up poetry. Take any number of texts, cut them up and rearrange them to form something new. I find that the physical act of selecting words and phrases that inspire you and turning them into something new is exciting.
Try it: Write a cut-up poem on the theme of ‘the body as power and resistance’. Gather some texts (the poem will work best if the texts are about bodies too - there are some suggestions below if you need them). Once you have the texts, start cutting out words and phrases that you like and then arrange them into a poem of your own.
https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-with-sonya-renee-taylor-on-the-body-is-not-an-apology/
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/articles/70179/disability-and-poetry
https://www.calvertjournal.com/features/show/12886/roman-valynkin-queer-beauty-russia-z
Want an extra Dare?
If you feel that you would like to submit your work somewhere, here are some places to check as they are regularly looking for submissions:
Author Sally
Ldn Dares Assistant Facilitator