top nav

Youtube
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook

Navigation

inkpots.org Helping young people believe in themselves through creative writing

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

Home

main menu

Home
Support for young people
Support for parents and supporters
- 1:1 support for parents
Free resources
- Creative writing tips
- Encouraging unsure writers
The Inkpots blog
All about us
Say hallo!

Return to Content

Payment Failed

We’re sorry, but your transaction failed to process. Please try again or contact site support.

InkpotsFollow

Avatar Inkpots @Inkpots1·

Snow moon and a rising sun on this morning’s early walk

Reply on Twitter 1365983294786072578 Retweet on Twitter 1365983294786072578 Like on Twitter 13659832947860725784 Twitter 1365983294786072578

Retweet on Twitter Inkpots Retweeted

Avatar Lesley Parr @WelshDragonParr·

Huge thanks, lovely @JamesENicol.❤️💚 https://twitter.com/Inkpots1/status/1365326452464451585

Inkpots@Inkpots1

Whenever an author visits Inkpots we ask them to recommend a book for our members. Yesterday @JamesENicol recommended The Valley of Lost Secrets by @WelshDragonParr - on our TBR pile now too!

Reply on Twitter 1365642851560943616 Retweet on Twitter 13656428515609436161 Like on Twitter 13656428515609436162 Twitter 1365642851560943616

Avatar Inkpots @Inkpots1·

#SnowMoon

Reply on Twitter 1365547082149466112 Retweet on Twitter 13655470821494661121 Like on Twitter 13655470821494661122 Twitter 1365547082149466112

Avatar Inkpots @Inkpots1·

Whenever an author visits Inkpots we ask them to recommend a book for our members. Yesterday @JamesENicol recommended The Valley of Lost Secrets by @WelshDragonParr - on our TBR pile now too!

Reply on Twitter 1365326452464451585 Retweet on Twitter 13653264524644515851 Like on Twitter 13653264524644515857 Twitter 1365326452464451585

Avatar Inkpots @Inkpots1·

Dawn chorus. With full moon

Reply on Twitter 1365180670004367361 Retweet on Twitter 1365180670004367361 Like on Twitter 13651806700043673611 Twitter 1365180670004367361

Follow us on Instagram

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.

This quote from @brenebrown really resonates with

This quote from @brenebrown really resonates with us. Especially as we go deeper into Lockdown 3. More than ever, we believe that young people's voices should be heard. But that will only happen when they feel secure in the support around them. ⁠
.⁠
We all need connection. We all need to feel valued and safe.⁠
.⁠
It's what we aim for at Inkpots. And it's why we now have three weekly online groups for different ages from 9 - 15 years.⁠
.⁠
There's more information on our website (and the link is in our bio. And you can also book in a free no obligation call with Gill to find out even more.

Load More... Follow on Instagram

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.

This quote from @brenebrown really resonates with

This quote from @brenebrown really resonates with us. Especially as we go deeper into Lockdown 3. More than ever, we believe that young people's voices should be heard. But that will only happen when they feel secure in the support around them. ⁠
.⁠
We all need connection. We all need to feel valued and safe.⁠
.⁠
It's what we aim for at Inkpots. And it's why we now have three weekly online groups for different ages from 9 - 15 years.⁠
.⁠
There's more information on our website (and the link is in our bio. And you can also book in a free no obligation call with Gill to find out even more.

Load More... Follow on Instagram

Website string concept & design. Copyright © 2017 Inkpots Writing Workshops

Home / Terms & conditions / Sitemap / News / Contact

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More

Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.

Necessary

Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.