Today I had the opportunity to read a few poems from, and talk about my poetry collection, ‘damaged children, Precious Gems. The event was at the Disability Information and Resource Centre, as part of their 30th birthday celebrations.
I was one of three writers who are clients of the SA Writers Centre Disability Writer in Residence program, who were asked to read some of their work. This program is funded by a grant from the Richard Llewellyn Arts and Disability Trust. It helps people with disabilities with furthering their writing, and many of the clients have been able to publish books, when they may never have had chance to do that without the program.
I spoke with a person from the DIRC while I was there, and I hope it leads to something at the Centre next year. I am firmly of the opinion that creative writing can be therapeutic for people who’ve experience trauma in their lives. I feel my creative writing helped me to move on from being a ‘victim’ to being a ‘survivor’ from child sexual abuse.
I would love to be able to assist others to make their own journey along that rocky path, from victim to survivor. Do you ever find help from writing down the crap from your life, and getting rid of it?
damaged children Precious Gems 