This week I have been at a writers workshop at Tanoa Hotel, by the University of Edinburgh. It has been a learning experience, one that I will remember for a long time. Using your words and your voice to share who you are. We usually think that writing is intellectual and is not an amazing form of art. Writing for me is simply sharing a part of who you are, not the person, your soul.

Some things that I wrote down during our workshops. Nature of reality, strong medicine, soulful connection. It’s like drinking clean, pure water after wandering the desert for days. Things unseen, digging up thoughts that were either forgotten or ignored. Sacredness. Transformation of suffering into healing. The whole purpose of art. They are one, darkness and light. They are not separate and one cannot exist without the other. It is not either or. All of it together, works to help your soul.

Transferring words from your mind, to your hand to paper. Seasons change, life becomes death and death becomes life. Everything hangs in the balance. Darkness does not exist without light. We have work to do together, the energy created will plant seeds, that will grow into incredibly profound social change.

The sharing for the group is deep and encouraging collaboration. Everyone is staying at the hotel for the week and enjoying sharing from their hearts. Critical thinking is something that is lacking today. A real understanding of why is happening and that is what is at the centre of creating art.

Beautiful language is a form of immortality. What we are engaging in together is creating free writing, exploring dreams, and being highly spiritual. Free writing. It is a therapeutic process, a form of mental awakening. I am feeling like the fresh dew on the grass. Little fresh droplets of water sparkles, like diamonds under my feet.

Sitting there waiting to be plucked. I am feeling light in my mind, like air, clear like optimism.

I feel protective of my writing like wrapping a baby in a soft wool blanket. Wrapped from her head to her toes, in soft linen to protect her mind, her eyes, her ears, her mouth, her mind, her skin from all that is evil. The writing that is supposed to grow, no longer that soft, fragile baby.

She will become her own person, with character shining through. Waking up with her every morning is like hope renewed. It is God smiling down at me, reminding me that he is thinking of me every morning. She asks for a hug first, then a smile, asks about how I am feeling and whether I had a good sleep. Then she urges me to smile and to tell her about my dream.

If you ever have the opportunity to attend a writing workshop, go for it. You will be surprised at what is hidden in your mind and heart. Writing a few pages in the morning as soon as you wake up is releasing heavy and emotional things onto a page and then you can go about your day, light as air.

You have released those things and then you won’t have to worry about them any more. Enjoy the rest of the week Samoa and remember, your writing doesn’t have to make sense at first, the second time around, highlight words that speak to you and then connect and decipher them later. Writing is freedom so do it often and do it always.