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Helping young people believe in themselves through creative writing support and mentoring Gill Pawley – 07771 231563

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Practice 2

By Gill Pawley on February 16, 2021 in

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Avatar Inkpots @Inkpots1·

Wishing everyone returning into schools this coming week - the very best of luck. We know how hard it's been for everyone involved and that feelings may be mixed. But maybe - just maybe - young people's dreams for the future can start to come off hold. #returntoschool

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Avatar Inkpots @Inkpots1·

Blue skies, and long walk to blow the cobwebs away

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Avatar Jess Bradley @VenkmanProject·

@Inkpots1 I'm looking forward to it!

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Avatar Inkpots @Inkpots1·

So excited that hot on the heels of winning the #BluePeterBookAwards @VenkmanProject will be visiting Inkpots in April. To say we are excited is a bit of understatement. Can’t wait! 🥳

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Avatar Knights Of @_KnightsOf·

THIS ** REALLY ** HAPPENED!! https://twitter.com/_knightsof/status/1367523479541723136

Knights Of@_KnightsOf

✨✨WINNER ✨✨

Incredibly proud of @booksandchokers and #AKindofSpark which has won the #BluePeterAward 💙💕

Massive thank you to @cbbc @booktrust and the biggest THANK YOU to the over 200 kids from schools across the UK that voted ⚡️🦈

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Follow us on Instagram

Yesterday Jess Bradley @venkman_project together w

Yesterday Jess Bradley @venkman_project together with Mike Barfield win the Blue Peter award for best book with facts. Jess also agreed to visit our Thursday group to talk about her work in April.
.
I have long been a big fan of Jess’s - I really love her work and she is a brilliant supporter of young people who want to make their own comics and draw out stories.
.
One of the aims of Inkpots workshops is to help young people tell their stories in ways which are good for them. Not everyone wants to write long adventure stories for example, and we try to find the right outlets for all the wonderful ideas young people have.
.
So roll on April - and congratulations again Jess and Mike!

Slowly - very slowly - starting to think about pla

Slowly - very slowly - starting to think about places I’d like to go as the lockdown here in England starts to ease. Initially, it would be nice to leave the town - and just be able to visit a good coffee shop. A walk by the sea maybe. Lunch with friends. All the things we took for granted.
.
And then there are the bigger plans which almost seem too much to take in just now.
.
How about you? What are you looking forward to most?
.
📸 : @archiseye of @boekhandel_dominicanen one of the most beautiful bookshops I have visited. On the list of places to visit further afield. Maastricht, The Netherlands.

It’s a beautiful day here, rounding off a great

It’s a beautiful day here, rounding off a great week at Inkpots. We’ve had visits from @kieranlarwood and @jamesenicol which have inspired our young people. There were lots of brilliant writing tips for us all to think about.
.
There’s also been a lot of laughter (especially about school fire drills with one group 🤷🏻‍♀️). And this plus a bit of blue sky is extremely welcome.
.
Hope you have a lovely weekend and that plenty of fun and inspiration come your way too.

Over the past 12 months, it has felt that the most

Over the past 12 months, it has felt that the most important thing at Inkpots was to keep the ship steady. To try to steer towards the calmest waters possible. To just keep going.⁠
.⁠
And now it seems that we are heading towards another patch of choppy seas (at this point I need to apologise to anyone who really does sail - I don't but the analogies help at the moment!). ⁠
.⁠
As we await news of changes to the lockdown here in England, it's also a moment for me to think about all the young people who come to our groups, course and programmes, and my 1:1 students. It's so important to recognise how much they and their families have dealt with - particularly in this lockdown.⁠
.⁠
Inkpots will continue to provide a safe harbour of creativity and calm so that we can support as many young people as possible in the coming months.

Sending Valentine’s Day wishes to all the member

Sending Valentine’s Day wishes to all the members of the Inkpots community. They are creative, talented, brave, thoughtful and kind - and it’s a total privilege to work with them.
.
Have a great start to half term too ❤️
.
🎨: @charliemackesy

Beautiful blue skies today here at Inkpots HQ. . W

Beautiful blue skies today here at Inkpots HQ.
.
Wouldn’t it be great to see some more sunshine next week when it’s half term. Somehow makes everything seem a bit more manageable. (Bought flowers at the supermarket on the strength of it not raining!)
.
If you’re thinking about half term activities, and you’re looking for something creative, you might be interested in a free workshop I’m running next week for young people in Year 6 upwards, which will take the form of writing/drawing a letter to 2021. All the details are on our website via the link in our bio.
.
Also do DM me if you’re interested - I can then send you the link for the session.
.
Happy Friday ❤️

We're pretty excited here to be running too delici

We're pretty excited here to be running too deliciously creative workshops over February half term.⁠
.⁠
The first is on Saturday 13 February 2pm - 4pm and takes the form of a Writers' Retreat and is for young people age 12 - 15 years. We'll be reflecting on the past few weeks, doing some serious consideration of the hero's journey as an approach in our writing, plus looking at how the young people can support themselves in the coming weeks. There's be a lovely calm, peaceful atmosphere and lots of support in place. Could just do with being there now...⁠
.⁠
Then on Thursday 18 February also at 2pm for an hour, we're running a FREE workshop for 10 - 15 yr olds. We'll take a look at some of the events which have taken place nationally and internationally already. Also there'll be some time to think about how everyone feels about this lockdown - plus a look to brighter times ahead.⁠
.⁠
Inkpots is also supporting #Dear2021 project organised by @dear2020project . Those taking part in our workshop will get a chance to think about writing a letter to 2021 and submitting it to a new zine to be published in Spring. ⁠
.⁠
More info on both workshops is on our website - link in bio. For the free workshop, we will need you to reserve a place please.⁠
.⁠
Please do also DM for more details.

Quick catch up with some of our older Inkpots this

Quick catch up with some of our older Inkpots this morning for a cuppa between their lessons. Such a treat to see them on a Friday.
.
You can join in with our #getcreativewithacuppa event today to mark #nationalstorytellingweek2021 by taking a photo of your favourite mug and sharing it with us using the hashtags #getcreativewithyourcuppa and #inkpotsstories
.
We’d love to know where you are and what you’re doing this Friday morning.
.
More details are in our bio too.

Join us tomorrow to make #nationalstorytellingweek

Join us tomorrow to make #nationalstorytellingweek2021 and #getcreativewithyourcuppa. Take a pic of your cuppa - maybe a selfie or with your family or bubble.
.
Share with us using the hashtags #getcreativewithyourcuppa and #inkpotsstories and we’ll also share.
.
More details are in our bio too.

It's always so good to get feedback from parents a

It's always so good to get feedback from parents and young people alike.⁠
.⁠
One of the strengths of Inkpots is our warm and welcoming community. A core value is kindness and I see that displayed so many times - often in simple ways such as a book recommendation. Or allowing someone some space if they are having a challenging time.• ⁠
.⁠
On Friday, we'll be coming together for our Get creative with your cuppa event. We'd love it you'd like to join in too.⁠
.⁠
More info is in our bio or on the website: https://inkpots.org/get-creative-with-your-cuppa/

Get creative with your cuppa on Friday 5 February

Get creative with your cuppa on Friday 5 February and help celebrate National Storytelling Week with us.⁠
.⁠
Please join us by also taking a moment to take a photo of your mug, cup or water bottle, and then send it to us to share on social media and include in a video we’ll be making too.⁠
⁠
Take a selfie, a group photo or make a video – we would love to hear all about your morning break!⁠
⁠
Tell us who you are, where you are and what activity you had been doing prior to your cuppa. Tell us the story of what 2021 is starting out like for you.⁠
⁠
We’d also love you to get creative with your cuppa. Is the mug you use a special one? What’s the story? What’s your creative activity? Are you having your cuppa in an unusual place? Do your pets join in?⁠
⁠
We have a few more suggestions over on the website too. The link is in our bio or here too: https://inkpots.org/get-creative-with-your-cuppa/⁠
.⁠
Photo credit: pinjasain⁠

Get creative with your cuppa! Help us celebrate #n

Get creative with your cuppa! Help us celebrate #nationalstorytellingweek2021 next Friday 5 February.
.
Join us as we pause for a few minutes to have a cuppa (of the beverage of choice) to celebrate stories and creativity.
.
Take a photo of your mug, cup or water bottle and send it to us - we’ll be making a video too.
.
Take a selfie, a photo of your bubble people, or make a video - we would love to hear about your morning break!
.
Tell us who you are, where you are and how 2021 is starting out for you.
.
Save the date and we’ll be sharing more info in the next few days.
.
📸@worthyofelegance

Like all skills, creative writing improves with pr

Like all skills, creative writing improves with practice. We encourage all our members to read as widely as possible, and to create on a regular basis.⁠
.⁠
But, as much as creativity is proving to be so useful during this pandemic, it should never become yet another thing for our young people to worry about.⁠
.⁠
Muscles can be stretched by gentle, regular exercise as well as a heavy workout at the gym. So, we're keeping things relaxed here and going with flows, or the lack of them.⁠
.⁠
Creativity can always benefit from some quiet times, when the mind wanders freely, observing and noting. And, sometimes, that's when the magic happens. ⁠
.⁠

This morning I was sent a beautiful poem written b

This morning I was sent a beautiful poem written by one of our members. It is a well crafted, descriptive piece which told a great story in a few lines.
.
So often, young people find it hard to appreciate just how good their work is.
.
I wish I could stand on rooftops sometimes (knees allowing!) and shout all about it for them!
.
📸Florian Klauer

Spotted these snowdrops in my neighbours’ garden

Spotted these snowdrops in my neighbours’ garden this morning. Every year, this little clump is one of the very first signs of Spring. And with it comes some hope.
.
Lighter days are definitely on their way. Early mornings won’t be quite as dark and the evenings will start to stretch out.
.
This past week has been a hard one for many people. Let’s hope the coming one is a bit lighter and brighter.

Load More... Follow on Instagram

Yesterday Jess Bradley @venkman_project together w

Yesterday Jess Bradley @venkman_project together with Mike Barfield win the Blue Peter award for best book with facts. Jess also agreed to visit our Thursday group to talk about her work in April.
.
I have long been a big fan of Jess’s - I really love her work and she is a brilliant supporter of young people who want to make their own comics and draw out stories.
.
One of the aims of Inkpots workshops is to help young people tell their stories in ways which are good for them. Not everyone wants to write long adventure stories for example, and we try to find the right outlets for all the wonderful ideas young people have.
.
So roll on April - and congratulations again Jess and Mike!

Slowly - very slowly - starting to think about pla

Slowly - very slowly - starting to think about places I’d like to go as the lockdown here in England starts to ease. Initially, it would be nice to leave the town - and just be able to visit a good coffee shop. A walk by the sea maybe. Lunch with friends. All the things we took for granted.
.
And then there are the bigger plans which almost seem too much to take in just now.
.
How about you? What are you looking forward to most?
.
📸 : @archiseye of @boekhandel_dominicanen one of the most beautiful bookshops I have visited. On the list of places to visit further afield. Maastricht, The Netherlands.

It’s a beautiful day here, rounding off a great

It’s a beautiful day here, rounding off a great week at Inkpots. We’ve had visits from @kieranlarwood and @jamesenicol which have inspired our young people. There were lots of brilliant writing tips for us all to think about.
.
There’s also been a lot of laughter (especially about school fire drills with one group 🤷🏻‍♀️). And this plus a bit of blue sky is extremely welcome.
.
Hope you have a lovely weekend and that plenty of fun and inspiration come your way too.

Over the past 12 months, it has felt that the most

Over the past 12 months, it has felt that the most important thing at Inkpots was to keep the ship steady. To try to steer towards the calmest waters possible. To just keep going.⁠
.⁠
And now it seems that we are heading towards another patch of choppy seas (at this point I need to apologise to anyone who really does sail - I don't but the analogies help at the moment!). ⁠
.⁠
As we await news of changes to the lockdown here in England, it's also a moment for me to think about all the young people who come to our groups, course and programmes, and my 1:1 students. It's so important to recognise how much they and their families have dealt with - particularly in this lockdown.⁠
.⁠
Inkpots will continue to provide a safe harbour of creativity and calm so that we can support as many young people as possible in the coming months.

Sending Valentine’s Day wishes to all the member

Sending Valentine’s Day wishes to all the members of the Inkpots community. They are creative, talented, brave, thoughtful and kind - and it’s a total privilege to work with them.
.
Have a great start to half term too ❤️
.
🎨: @charliemackesy

Beautiful blue skies today here at Inkpots HQ. . W

Beautiful blue skies today here at Inkpots HQ.
.
Wouldn’t it be great to see some more sunshine next week when it’s half term. Somehow makes everything seem a bit more manageable. (Bought flowers at the supermarket on the strength of it not raining!)
.
If you’re thinking about half term activities, and you’re looking for something creative, you might be interested in a free workshop I’m running next week for young people in Year 6 upwards, which will take the form of writing/drawing a letter to 2021. All the details are on our website via the link in our bio.
.
Also do DM me if you’re interested - I can then send you the link for the session.
.
Happy Friday ❤️

We're pretty excited here to be running too delici

We're pretty excited here to be running too deliciously creative workshops over February half term.⁠
.⁠
The first is on Saturday 13 February 2pm - 4pm and takes the form of a Writers' Retreat and is for young people age 12 - 15 years. We'll be reflecting on the past few weeks, doing some serious consideration of the hero's journey as an approach in our writing, plus looking at how the young people can support themselves in the coming weeks. There's be a lovely calm, peaceful atmosphere and lots of support in place. Could just do with being there now...⁠
.⁠
Then on Thursday 18 February also at 2pm for an hour, we're running a FREE workshop for 10 - 15 yr olds. We'll take a look at some of the events which have taken place nationally and internationally already. Also there'll be some time to think about how everyone feels about this lockdown - plus a look to brighter times ahead.⁠
.⁠
Inkpots is also supporting #Dear2021 project organised by @dear2020project . Those taking part in our workshop will get a chance to think about writing a letter to 2021 and submitting it to a new zine to be published in Spring. ⁠
.⁠
More info on both workshops is on our website - link in bio. For the free workshop, we will need you to reserve a place please.⁠
.⁠
Please do also DM for more details.

Quick catch up with some of our older Inkpots this

Quick catch up with some of our older Inkpots this morning for a cuppa between their lessons. Such a treat to see them on a Friday.
.
You can join in with our #getcreativewithacuppa event today to mark #nationalstorytellingweek2021 by taking a photo of your favourite mug and sharing it with us using the hashtags #getcreativewithyourcuppa and #inkpotsstories
.
We’d love to know where you are and what you’re doing this Friday morning.
.
More details are in our bio too.

Join us tomorrow to make #nationalstorytellingweek

Join us tomorrow to make #nationalstorytellingweek2021 and #getcreativewithyourcuppa. Take a pic of your cuppa - maybe a selfie or with your family or bubble.
.
Share with us using the hashtags #getcreativewithyourcuppa and #inkpotsstories and we’ll also share.
.
More details are in our bio too.

It's always so good to get feedback from parents a

It's always so good to get feedback from parents and young people alike.⁠
.⁠
One of the strengths of Inkpots is our warm and welcoming community. A core value is kindness and I see that displayed so many times - often in simple ways such as a book recommendation. Or allowing someone some space if they are having a challenging time.• ⁠
.⁠
On Friday, we'll be coming together for our Get creative with your cuppa event. We'd love it you'd like to join in too.⁠
.⁠
More info is in our bio or on the website: https://inkpots.org/get-creative-with-your-cuppa/

Get creative with your cuppa on Friday 5 February

Get creative with your cuppa on Friday 5 February and help celebrate National Storytelling Week with us.⁠
.⁠
Please join us by also taking a moment to take a photo of your mug, cup or water bottle, and then send it to us to share on social media and include in a video we’ll be making too.⁠
⁠
Take a selfie, a group photo or make a video – we would love to hear all about your morning break!⁠
⁠
Tell us who you are, where you are and what activity you had been doing prior to your cuppa. Tell us the story of what 2021 is starting out like for you.⁠
⁠
We’d also love you to get creative with your cuppa. Is the mug you use a special one? What’s the story? What’s your creative activity? Are you having your cuppa in an unusual place? Do your pets join in?⁠
⁠
We have a few more suggestions over on the website too. The link is in our bio or here too: https://inkpots.org/get-creative-with-your-cuppa/⁠
.⁠
Photo credit: pinjasain⁠

Get creative with your cuppa! Help us celebrate #n

Get creative with your cuppa! Help us celebrate #nationalstorytellingweek2021 next Friday 5 February.
.
Join us as we pause for a few minutes to have a cuppa (of the beverage of choice) to celebrate stories and creativity.
.
Take a photo of your mug, cup or water bottle and send it to us - we’ll be making a video too.
.
Take a selfie, a photo of your bubble people, or make a video - we would love to hear about your morning break!
.
Tell us who you are, where you are and how 2021 is starting out for you.
.
Save the date and we’ll be sharing more info in the next few days.
.
📸@worthyofelegance

Like all skills, creative writing improves with pr

Like all skills, creative writing improves with practice. We encourage all our members to read as widely as possible, and to create on a regular basis.⁠
.⁠
But, as much as creativity is proving to be so useful during this pandemic, it should never become yet another thing for our young people to worry about.⁠
.⁠
Muscles can be stretched by gentle, regular exercise as well as a heavy workout at the gym. So, we're keeping things relaxed here and going with flows, or the lack of them.⁠
.⁠
Creativity can always benefit from some quiet times, when the mind wanders freely, observing and noting. And, sometimes, that's when the magic happens. ⁠
.⁠

This morning I was sent a beautiful poem written b

This morning I was sent a beautiful poem written by one of our members. It is a well crafted, descriptive piece which told a great story in a few lines.
.
So often, young people find it hard to appreciate just how good their work is.
.
I wish I could stand on rooftops sometimes (knees allowing!) and shout all about it for them!
.
📸Florian Klauer

Spotted these snowdrops in my neighbours’ garden

Spotted these snowdrops in my neighbours’ garden this morning. Every year, this little clump is one of the very first signs of Spring. And with it comes some hope.
.
Lighter days are definitely on their way. Early mornings won’t be quite as dark and the evenings will start to stretch out.
.
This past week has been a hard one for many people. Let’s hope the coming one is a bit lighter and brighter.

Load More... Follow on Instagram

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