The Four Seasons of Writing & Thriving with Sally-Shakti Willow

Writing & Thriving
Written By Sally-Shakti Willow

In this video I explain how I use the four seasons in the northern hemisphere (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) as a model and foundation for my writing practice.

This seasonal cycle can help you to get unstuck with your writing, overcome writer’s block, and create finished content for ANY writing project.

The Four Seasons of Writing & Thriving Visual

1.Spring: Initiation

Writing the raw material

- Free-Writing

- Focused Writing

- First draft

2. Summer: Illumination

Seeing with objectivity

- Noticing what’s good & what can go

- Preparing your writing to be seen by others

3. Autumn: Curation

Creating structure and narrative

- Selecting, shaping & discerning

- Working your written material into its final form

4. Winter: Cultivation

Editing & Proof-Reading

- Refining your writing

- Completion and Celebration

- Letting go & moving on

Watch the video to find out more!

Sally-Shakti Willow

Writing my PhD in Utopian Poetics showed me what it means to be a writer. I wrote four books of poetry and a 50,000 word thesis, and I started journaling as a way to ground and heal myself.

While I was studying, I also wrote and maintained the Contemporary Small Press website, writing regular reviews of new fiction and poetry published by small presses. I was on the judging panel for the 2018 Republic of Consciousness Prize for literary fiction from the small presses. So I was reading a lot of great writing too. And I co-developed and taught a series of workshops called WELLBEING WHILE WRITING for doctoral researchers at the University of Westminster.

WELLBEING WHILE WRITING used practical techniques from Creative Writing pedagogy to support PhD students of all disciplines with the work of WRITING their thesis. I also used my knowledge and experience of yoga and meditation to provide MOVING & BREATHING FOR WELLBEING workshops to graduate students at the University.

I’ve been teaching English since 2004 and I’ve been teaching Creative Writing at the University of Westminster since 2017.

https://www.writingthriving.com
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Writing & Thriving 3 Part Writing Practice with Sally-Shakti Willow
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Radical Doula - A Poem