I find that writing
can be a very solitary pursuit, so it's good to have
opportunities to share writing and discuss ideas, doubts
and the questions that are ever-present when writing,
in a safe and supportive environment; Angela offers
exactly this, whether in her beginners group, her follow-on
group, or working with her one-to-one.
Although
writing has always been a big part of my life, being
a member of Angela's groups really opened my eyes
to the endless possibilities that are screaming to
be discovered and experimented with. Being a part
of the group introduced a freedom in writing that
I never knew existed; to keep the pen moving on the
page, without stopping, without crossing out - this
was new territory for me. And now I can't stop!
Being a
member of the writing group has helped me to gain
confidence in my writing, shed inhibitions, write
six pages of drivel and say “OK - this is progress”.
I've met some wonderful and inspirational women,
whose voices and responses I continue to trust and
respect to this day.
Angela
herself has played a large and important part on
my journey, its progression and continual learning;
she has challenged me, encouraged me, advised me
and helped me to see my own potential and for this
I'll be forever grateful.
L. M.
H. C
Two years ago, at the
time of my fortieth birthday, I joined the beginner's
group as a complete writing novice. After just one
follow on group I decided to begin an MA in Creative
Writing at Swansea University which I am just about
to complete. I feel I have come so far in such a
short time but would never have done so without Angela's
encouragement. She drew material from me that I never
knew was there and I was able to develop many of
the ideas that were hatched in her workshops during
the MA course. Now it is over I intend to return
to Finding a Voice for a further dose of inspiration!
Vicky
Matthews
I found the course to
be incredibly stimulating. In an atmosphere that
was relaxed and friendly I found myself sharing my
deepest memories with women I hardly knew. I had
been anxious about sharing my work but from the outset
all my anxieties disappeared due to the warmth with
which my writing was received.
Nasia
Sarwar Skuse
I loved the classes - discovering
the absolute joy in writing and learning from others
is a wonderful thing. The support from Angela and
those in the groups was always encouraging and has
stayed with me.
Kate
Vaughan
Participating in Angela’s
writing courses is one of the best things I have
done since I came to live in Cardiff three years
ago. The beginners' course was full of interesting
ideas and fun things to try out. It definitely tapped
into the creative part of my mind and I began to
dream and use my imagination more. It also affected
me in a more intellectual way, as a reader, because
it opened my eyes to the devices authors employ and
has made the reading experience even more fulfilling.
Our beginners' group was
a particularly close-knit and encouraging one and
many of us have kept in touch and meet to talk about
writing and our lives. The friendships that have
developed through the writing group are very precious
to me. I found it a very scary thing, to share something
I have written, because it sometimes comes from such
a deep place within me, but the safe, supportive
atmosphere of the group makes it possible. It has
been exciting to discover that people enjoy my writing
and are interested in my stories and this realisation
has given me confidence. The follow-on course is
more serious and challenging, real work rather than
playing at writing, but very worthwhile.
Rosanne
As most of us in the beginner's
group were new to writing, Angela made it fun and
stimulated our creativity by drawing on a wide range
of topics for us to write about in each session.
The thought of progressing to the next group when
our work would be critiqued by our peers brought
about a little writer's block! The reality was quite
different. Angela created a 'safe' environment for
us to explore each other's work and it was refreshing
to have a critical and different voice read our work
too. Critiquing other people's work also showed me
how important it is to examine my own writing with
a much 'harder' eye. I found encouragement to continue
a particular writing project that if I had not been
part of the group, would have remained on the shelf
for many more months.
Diane
Mitchell
Before I started the course,
I had been writing for myself fairly intensely (albeit
around the minor distractions of a full time job, family
etc.) and joined up as much out of curiosity as anything
else.
The group structure, the relaxed
atmosphere, and the standard of tuition and encouragement
Angela gave us all was exemplary. I discovered much
about myself; I learnt so much through listening to
the stories and styles of others; and yes I improved
- dramatically.
I wanted to write in a
style which would be both challenging and pleasing
to me as an individual. In other words, I wanted
to learn how to write something I would myself want
to read. Of course I am not there yet, but at last
I begin to see the possibilities. I have opened a
new depth of understanding, and now, the more I write,
the more I understand. That for me, has been priceless.
Pippa
Bartolotti
Angela is an inspirational
teacher who has not only shared with me the joy of
writing and introduced me to literature I would not
have otherwise discovered but has also encouraged
me to connect with my imagination & discover
my identity. She has given me the confidence to experiment
with my work and find a sense of direction. For me
writing has become an enjoyable part of my daily
life.
Janet Sampson
For as long as I can remember,
I harboured the desire to write, in fact I even felt
like a writer. This was however, despite the fact that
I was rarely brave enough to pick up a pen and try
writing my words on paper. Instead, the desire lived
itself out as a secret narrative on my world – an
internal commentary that turned around and round upon
itself.
By the time I had got to Angela’s
groups in early 2002 it felt that I had created within
me not a beautiful epic that was ready to spill itself
out all over the page but a tightly woven ball of tangled
stories and muddled images that no longer seemed real
but distorted and frightening. Angela and her groups,
little by little, enabled me the time and space to
tease out this ball and to find and to nurture fresh
images and new ideas. To turn this inner world into
an outer reality was a risk. I risked feeling exposed
and I risked not living up to the secret version I
had of myself as writer. But Angela’s courses
gave me permission to experiment, to happily mess it
all up and then to try something new, all in an environment
of unconditional support. This meant that I gradually
came closer and closer got to knowing myself as creative
individual and a very different writer to the contrived
image that I had held onto until now.
After doing a 10 week Beginners
course and a 10 week Follow-on course I went on to
do an MA in The Practise and Teaching of Creative
Writing at Cardiff University. I now teach my own
creative writing workshops in Somerset and facilitate
writing groups for adults with mental health problems.
Angela’s guidance and support have been invaluable
on this journey and she continues to be a dear friend
and valued mentor.
Briony
Goffin
It was my third winter
in Cardiff when I decided to do something to improve
my English. As I didn’t want to attend conventional
classes I was so tempted when I read about this Creative
Writing Course. It was completely different from
what I had imagined: it was much much better. I wrote
in English, learnt how to trigger my memories to
produce texts and as a bonus I met a group of fantastic
women, some of whom have become friends.
Isabel
Rubio
I did the beginners course a
number of years ago. Initially I did not feel confident
that I could satisfy my desire to translate my inner
dialogue into a form that was authentic for me and
that would resonate for others. The course is structured
in a non threatening way using a myriad of imaginative
techniques to stimulate exploration and expansion.
With the encouragement and feedback from Angela and
the empathy and freedom from fellow beginners, I developed
an embryonic optimism (faith) that I could make something
happen on the page.
I have taken part in the
follow-on groups for a several years now. Angela
gives generously of her expertise, her humour, her
insights to create an environment of permission and
support. I am now working on a particular project
and find the honest exchange of ideas has helped
me to hone my writing; gaining from the different
perspectives and understandings. I enjoy giving feedback
to the other women re: their own writing and watching
as it develops in shape and depth. It is a wonderful
to witness the growing belief that we are all writers
with something interesting to say and yet our somethings
are usually very different.
Susan
Rennie