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Creativity is non-acceptance, wonder, rebellion

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Tag Archives: Writing exercise

Creativity exercise: photo challenges
Writing exercise

Creativity exercise: photo challenges

Posted on December 7, 2017 by Tamara Pearson

A lot of people on social media are doing the 7-day black and white photo challenge, so here are some more creativity-provoking photo challenges to try. After you’re done, you could even use them as story prompts or for mini writing exercises (with a vignette for each photo). Note, for these you could do one … Continue reading →

Writing for liberation exercise: odd moments
Writing exercise

Writing for liberation exercise: odd moments

Posted on November 2, 2017 by Tamara Pearson

It can be nice, and freeing, to move away from the typical (overused, cliche) plot points of murder, marriage, affairs, and winning, to just honing in on a single, strange moment. I like these moments because they are so humanising, and precisely because they can counter the Hollywood cliches about life and what is exciting … Continue reading →

Writing exercise: Ghosts of injustice
Writing exercise

Writing exercise: Ghosts of injustice

Posted on September 28, 2017 by Tamara Pearson

Ghosts in stories tend to represent a single person – a child who died young or was killed, whose presence continues to haunt her family, the victims of a serial killer who haunt a house, a woman killed on a highway who scares passing drivers. For me, a non-believer in ghosts, I see these as … Continue reading →

Writing for liberation exercise: word portrait
Writing exercise

Writing for liberation exercise: word portrait

Posted on August 24, 2017 by Tamara Pearson

Ask a friend, or someone you know who feels comfortable with you- ideally a person feeling pain or suffering in some way – if you can word-draw them. The idea is that they sit in front of you, quietly, and you can observe them. Instead of drawing, you’ll write down words.  Maybe you’ll notice the … Continue reading →

Writing for liberation exercise: Madlib poem
Writing exercise

Writing for liberation exercise: Madlib poem

Posted on July 27, 2017 by Tamara Pearson

The purpose of this exercise is to have some fun, play with those creative juices, and get them flowing for ideas to come. We’re going to use someone else’s poem though, so the product coming out of this obviously can’t be used elsewhere: but in the process of doing this exercise or afterwards, who knows … Continue reading →

Writing for liberation exercise: play like a child
Writing exercise

Writing for liberation exercise: play like a child

Posted on June 23, 2017 by Tamara Pearson

Last week in class, I watched my tiny kids turn pillows into castles, physically eat and swallow a “pizza” we made out of much spilt glue and coloured-in vegetables, and act out the animals of the masks they wore. I wish I had that amount of imagination, that much freedom in my mind to think … Continue reading →

Writing for liberation exercise: “Preaching” politics
Writing exercise

Writing for liberation exercise: “Preaching” politics

Posted on May 23, 2017 by Tamara Pearson

Some journalists, writers, and fiction authors would argue that when we have a social justice message we should communicate it subtly through situation, rather than stating the message outright. Many argue that this method respects the reader more – they’ll understand. On the other hand, respect can also be just saying what you mean, clearly, … Continue reading →

Writing exercise: Go crazy
Writing exercise

Writing exercise: Go crazy

Posted on April 25, 2017 by Tamara Pearson

The students I work with struggle to let go sometimes: I have to find tools, techniques and activities which seemingly give them permission to be creative. At the ages of 12-15, they have been excessively trained in the so-called rules of writing, drawing, and maths: to do the task as the teacher asks, because the … Continue reading →

Writing for liberation exercise: Who are you as a writer?
Writing exercise

Writing for liberation exercise: Who are you as a writer?

Posted on March 28, 2017 by Tamara Pearson

Our role as writers, and the way we write varies with the social and economic times that we find ourselves in, and with who we are. That is, our writing reflects and rebels against the current inequalities, the current discourse, and our own economic oppression. It can take up the current struggles, and it speaks … Continue reading →

Writing for liberation exercise: news writing prompts
Writing exercise

Writing for liberation exercise: news writing prompts

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Tamara Pearson

Here are some writing prompts for a story, poem, vignette, spoken word… taken from the current news. Rebel! Imagine! What would that be like? What could happen instead?Or what’s the worst or best that can happen? A French police officer accidentally fired a gun during the president’s speech. Then.. A woman who kept a £20 … Continue reading →

Writing for liberation exercise: Monsters
Writing exercise

Writing for liberation exercise: Monsters

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Tamara Pearson

  Horror films are often allegories for what we most fear – and what we most fear is often political (nuclear wars, war and violence, disappearances, sexual violence, or even just not being heard or listened to). In this exercise, we’re going to use similar sorts of metaphors to look at issues (personal or political … Continue reading →

Writing for liberation exercise: opposites
Writing exercise

Writing for liberation exercise: opposites

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Tamara Pearson

Often talking about or thinking about opposites has a similar psychological effect to telling people not to think about something (they won’t be able to help thinking about it). Here, I am suggesting you create (ie describe) a character that is the exact opposite of you-with all your complexity of faults, strengths, and strange habits. … Continue reading →

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Resistance words is run by author and journalist Tamara Pearson. Here you'll find her writing and articles, as well as resistance writing by excluded voices from around the world. The aim is to promote writing and creativity as tools for justice. There are discussions about the book and media industries and writing world, as well as writing exercises for liberation.

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