Creative writing group’s story: A space to think together
When a small group of men meet every two weeks, they come together for a creative writing session. Even though writing is fundamentally part of it, there’s more to it. The group becomes a space where men come together, talk, reflect and then put their thoughts into words.
The group is part of the Signature Project, delivered by Change Mental Health in Edinburgh through services based at the Stafford Centre. The service supports men who have experienced PTSD and C-PTSD. It runs regularly enough that people start to recognise each other and settle into it.
Rosa is the volunteer who facilitates the group. She first came into contact with Change Mental Health while looking for employment in the mental health sector. Although she didn’t take up a role at the time, the conversation led to volunteering. From there, the idea for the group began to take shape.
Rosa facilitates the group by introducing a theme, keeping the structure light and making space for people to respond in their own way. Most of the time, she will ask questions and let people build on their ideas, rather than steering it in a fixed direction.
As she describes it:
“It’s a chance to be reflective and experimental in the way that you verbalise things. It gives a space where people can go between personal experiences and more outward-looking topics, like nature or politics. And it’s not about being a good writer or producing something of a professional quality, it’s just about having a chance to be creative and exploratory.”
Over time, it becomes less about the writing itself and more about what happens around it: conversations, ideas and how people respond to one another.
how the creative writing group works
Each session follows a similar rhythm, but it’s not rigid. It usually starts with a check-in, before moving into a stimulus. That might be a poem, a piece of prose, or sometimes just an idea or theme. From there, discussion develops and writing happens.
What people write, and whether they write at all, is up to them. Some go straight into poetry or prose. Others jot down notes or ideas. Sometimes people stay with the discussion.
Rosa keeps things deliberately simple.
“The writing is only a small part of it. We have a stimulus that we talk about, which can be philosophical, political or based on people’s interests. Then people write whatever comes to them. It’s also a place for discussion.
“People are really good at listening to each other and building on each other’s ideas.”
There’s enough structure that people know what they’re coming into, but not so much that it feels fixed or demanding. It shifts depending on who is there and what they bring.
what people take from it?
The group doesn’t try to teach creative writing in a traditional sense. There’s no pressure to improve, no expectation to produce something finished and no single way to take part.
For Patrick, who has been part of the group from the beginning, that openness has made a difference:
“I was hoping to boost my creativity, to learn some tools and to follow my inner stream. I’ve realised I can be more expressive than I thought. The highlights have been discussing the points which really engaged everyone and how one person’s opinion generates other responses. The topics have a long-lasting impact, helping me to seriously engage more with writing and practising.”
Kevin joined with the intention of expressing emotions through writing, but found something broader:
“I’ve learnt different aspects and styles of creative writing and that I can better comprehend different genres. It has been great to be around other people with a keen interest in creative writing and it has improved my interest in writing.”
From a staff perspective, the impact is often seen in the confidence people build over time.
Ken Morrice, Outreach Worker for the Signature Project, reflects:
“Each time I have joined the group, I have been inspired by the creativity evident among the group and their willingness to put this to paper and read it out in public. It demonstrates a real trust and confidence in Rosa and in the other members, and also their growing sense of self-confidence. Members often share things that reveal more about them as people and their daily lives.
“It can be quite moving to hear and has been very enlightening. The group is a real celebration of creativity.”
moments that stay with you
The group impact shows in small moments and things that happen during sessions. However, the moments that stay with you tend to reveal something real about other people’s experiences.
Rosa said:
“There have been really touching moments in what people have shared. Sometimes it’s expressed very simply, but it feels quite unique and honest. And those moments stay with you because they reveal something real about people’s experiences.”
At other times, it can come from the material itself. In one session, the group explored the theme of darkness, what it means and how it connects to change. The conversation moved between abstract ideas and personal experiences, and one participant shared reflections on difficult periods in his life alongside a sense that things could shift or improve.
In another session, a poem by Maya Angelou about race, led to a level of empathy Rosa hadn’t expected. It opened a conversation about experiences far outside the group’s own, but it was met with a level of empathy that stayed with her.
Emma Young, Locality Manager for the Signature Project, describes a similar experience: “On the surface, the poem was about a hare in winter, but it was clear to everyone that it was some kind of allegory. We all shared our thoughts about the deeper meaning: what the reader brings to the text is as important as what the writer intended.”
Even quieter sessions carry weight. On one occasion, only one participant arrived and questioned whether it was worth continuing. After a short conversation, he stayed and the session unfolded in its own way. By the end of the session, he said he was glad he had stayed. That shifted Rosa’s own view of the group. Even with one person, the creative writing still works.
Once people start talking and reflecting, something happens in that space. And that, in itself, is enough.
support
Our National Advice and Support Service can help you and people you care for with mental health concerns and money worries.
We can link and signpost you to relevant local and national support, including our own Change Mental Health services, as well as support with debt, grants and benefits.
The service is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm (closed for lunch between 12.30pm to 1.30pm). Contact 0808 8010 515, email advice@changemh.org or fill in the form on the service webpage.
For full details about the service, visit the National Advice and Support Service webpage.
