The Australian Association of Writing Programs

Your emails whilst I was in hospital this last month were uplifting and really gave me a goal (to aspire to wellness). Thank you all so much for your kind wishes via email and FB.

What came out of this long seclusion, was not so much the hoped for retreat where I could write but a recognition of the need for a safe place from which to write. Also a safe place to draw upon the creative uncosncious. I have learned much that will translate into my exegesis and indeed into future papers.  I can highly recommend such a forced withdrawal from day to day routine. One is forced to reasess life priorities and to recognise the need for a time and place to attend to wellness. I am still learning how to say 'no' and to give 'me time' the priority I need. I will emerge stronger and am definitely more knowledgable about myself as a writing 'creative type'.

How does one write the down times needed for reflection into the exgesis without it seeming to be navel-gazing or indulgent? To me reflection and contemplation play such a critical part of the writing/thinking process. How do you others struggle and balance the demands of the everyday world against other people's expectations and manage to keep that sacred time and space for oneself? Is there a gender dimension to all this stuff?