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The Therapeutic Potential of Creative Writing: Writing Myself"

Gillie Bolton claims that the three basic tenants of therapeutic writing are:

1. Trust yourself.

2. You can't write the wrong thing.

3. Give yourself the gift of this writing.

Bolton's book clarifies why writing is important and necessary in daily life. He believes that there is not much difference between therapeutic writing and creative writing. Literature relies on the material, and if the author is deeply and emotionally engaged with the subject, it will come across strongly in the writing as well.

In the Scribblenauts-like game I plan to develop, any solution to the Mad Libs scenario will be correct. This will serve as a visual representation that anything you imagine can be a correct solution. Similarly, anything you write in creative writing is a solution. Imagination and creativity are never wrong.

Writing is always right.

InsideOut Writers

"True Notebooks" is a memoir written by Mark Salzman. In 1995, he began leading a writing class at L.A's Central Juvenile Hall. The inmates had committed heinous crimes including theft and murder; some were sentenced to life in prison. Nevertheless, Salzman was able to impact these kids' lives through creative writing. Samples of their writing in the novel demonstrate the emotionally purging qualities of writing. When no one else would listen to them, these juvenile delinquents were able to express their feelings and frustrations on paper with Salzman guiding them throughout the process.

Today, Salzman's program has grown immensely and has branched out to other juvenile halls. In addition to a coping mechanism, creative writing has given inmates hope and comfort and has allowed them to be seen as people rather than delinquents.

826National is a non-profit writing and tutoring center. 826 has chapters in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Valencia, Chicago, New York City, Michigan, Boston, and D.C. Each location has a different theme such as pirates or magic that fully immerses the students (ages 6-18) in the creative world. They encourage student publishing, host workshops, offer scholarships, and lead field trips to engage and inspire children in creative writing. 826National teaches children to write creatively, confidently, and effectively.

"Creativity: Cognitive, Personal, Developmental, and Social Aspects" - Dean Keith Simonton

We hear it all the time, but what exactly is creativity? It is a positive yet ambiguous attribute that seems to be inherent in some way or another in every individual. It often supports physical and mental well-being. It also contributes to an individual's personality in terms of problem-solving and intelligence level. Creativity constantly develops over a life span, and its full potential is affected by family, school, and generally stimulating environments; thus, "creative potential requires the simultaneous contribution of both nature and nurture."

American Psychologist. American Psychological Association. Jan. 2000, Vol. 55, No. 1, p. 151-158.

#academic source

"Those Who Write, Teach: But can an artist survive success in the academy?" - David Gessner

Gessner analyzes the timeless tension between art and academia. The work of creative writing is not necessarily grounded in intense scholarship; instead, it is an expression and documentation of the human condition. Writers are trapped between writing what they want to write, or writing to please others and eventually become published.

Gessner describes a "great writer" as someone who must "travel daily to a mental subcontinent, must rip into the work, experiencing the exertion of it, the anxiety of it and, one in a blue moon, the glory of it" (66). Furthermore, writers have immense power to teach through their words. Writing is a craft that simultaneously expresses the author's most innermost feelings and thoughts while commanding power and projecting a larger inspirational message. I want my thesis to highlight this aspect of writing and the unique and valuable way that it balances private and public space.

"Colors of a Different Horse: Rethinking Creative Writing Theory and Pedagogy" - Wendy Bishop

Bishop compiles twenty-two essays to explore the confines of the classroom and its effect on the process of creative writing. With inspiration from the NCTE, Bishop summarizes creative outlets and ideas to encourage inspiration for youths and adults.

Bishop realizes that creative writers often feel "underappreciated" and constantly waits to "arrive [at a] major transformation [...] in a publishing world that offers lottery-like odds of success" (15).

There is also a general lack of motivation to write or feeling of reward (75). Many authors express that their primary reward is publication to earn money. Ina study done to compare perspective from five writing programs, Todd Pierce, a writer pursuing an MRA in fiction at the University of California, Irvine, described his reward as simply "a personal satisfaction in seeing my own work improve and understanding that I can, in fact, finish a novel. Even if I never had another story or book published, I would be content knowing that I was able to write fiction that I enjoyed. Sure I'd love to be published- who wouldn't- and I hope to sell my novel and my collection, but I'm pleased with myself because I've pushed myself hard, because I've stumbled through (My God!) four years of graduate school and two graduate degrees, because I'm able to create stories that are my own, and because I believe I will stick with writing for life" (75).

I hope that my thesis can rejuvenate this passion and zest for writing that is often lost as we age and mature. Writing becomes more of a task and people forget that it is truly a pleasure and a privilege.

#academic source

“Teaching Creative Writing” - Christopher Essex

Creative writing is an extremely complex subject. How do you teach creativity? At what point is creativity authentic, and at what point does it become imposed upon a student? The article outlines several ways for teachers to effectively teach creative writing, reminding them to allow children to explore, not worry about spelling errors, and write for the sake of placing written emotions on a page.

#academic source

BBC offers a variety of fun and interactive games for children to improve literacy. One of my favorites is a game in which the child arranges words alphabetically. The words are spelling on a xylophone and as they arrange the words, they simultaneously compose a song. At the end of the game, the words are alphabetized and the child is rewards with a song.

Urban Dictionary has gained immense traction in popular culture. It integrates the traditional layout of a dictionary with modern and sometimes vulgar definitions that are submitted by users. The concept is ingenious; unfortunately, the advertisements clutter the site and often detract from the content.

This popular Facebook game has earned many loyal fans including myself. The game is simple: make as many words as possible before time runs out. If you make enough words, you earn a bonus round where you unshuffle the tiles to spell a friend’s name. The leaderboard is very competitive, and the graphics are fun and exhilarating. However, I would like to see more engagement with the words. In games like this, the user scrambles to combine the letters in any and every possible way in the hopes of finding an acceptable “word.” However, the meaning of obscure words are often lost because the user is too concerned with earning points for simply spelling the word.

Sour Sally is a whimsical, interactive site to introduce users to the first frozen yogurt retailer in Indonesia. I really like the hand-drawn aspects of the website. The drawings evoke feelings of nostalgia and childlike curiosity; they make me want to explore the site. The only issue I have with it is the unclear navigation. The balloon is clumsy, the trampolines often give Sally too much momentum, and walking seems inefficient when so many things are floating in the sky.

#design

To introduce their staff and crew, The Economist uses an impressive three dimensional module that rotates and zooms in on a particular person. After you have zoomed in, you are given the opportunity to explore their workspace, the space where they create and imagine. Red hotspots can be clicked for further insight and explanation. This interactive website allows the user to conceptualize and relate the writers' creativity to a physical thinking space.

#design

The stunning photography of the “One in 8 Million” project is complemented by the sleek design of this site. The pictures are featured in a clear, easy-to-navigate gallery that opens into deeper voiceover narration upon being clicked.

The Pop Shoppe designs and animations are similar to the playfulness of Sour Sally. The sound effects and silly creatures may overwhelm the user, but it is very exciting to watch the scene unfold and discover hiding creatures. This “message in a bottle” scenario works well both as a marketing ploy and imaginative outlet.

"Literacy Literacy" - David Vincent

Vincent attempts to define the word “literacy,” an argument that is relative to both my studies in English and at IML. He believes that the word “literacy” is over-generalized and has lost true meaning because we are frequently exposed to it at home and in school. Literacy is a gift of communication, but we often take advantage of it because it is considered a basic skill.

In a recent survey, the term "literacy" is roughly defined as "the ability to choose, to understand – within the context of content, form/style, impact, industry and production – to question, to evaluate, to create and/or produce and to respond thoughtfully to the media we consume. It is mindful viewing, reflective judgment” (The National Telemedia Council, cited in Silverblatt, 2001, p. 2).

Yet statistics are not always accurate in their representation of literacy and illiteracy in social networks and in the representation of the use of communication skills in society. Surveys and graphs tend to "over-simplify both the problem and the achievement" because "it is easier to measure the capacity of individuals than of networks" (p. 12,13).

"Literacy literacy survives in the era of post-literacy. Whilst the New Literacy Studies have profitably stressed the need to embed command of the written word in a wide range of social practices, so that we are of necessity historians of social mobility, of child-rearing, of political practice, of linguistic conflict, of economic growth, the narrow agenda of the direct use of reading and writing is far from exhausted" (p. 3)

The NCTE website is a very valuable source to me because it drives writers with new ideas and encourages the education of creative writing. The site includes a calendar with events like workshops and writing contests. It also links to resources like the Anti-Censorship Center, Journals, and Career Opportunities.

#academic source

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IML346 Research and Design Notebook