The Mindful Writer 2017
Who: Walter Mason
When: 4 x Tuesday evenings: 1, 8, 15, 22 August 2017, 6:30-9:30pm
Cost: Full Price: $440; Member: $310; Conc Member: $265
Level: All levels
Join Walter Mason as he combines the insights of meditation and mindfulness with the joy of creative writing. Diaries, poetry, fiction, memoir, essays – all can be approached from a place of profound stillness and great wisdom. Go deep within to unleash your amazing capacity for story.
Over four weeks, you will learn meditation, meaningful ritual and active forms of mindfulness to enrich your writing. These new and powerful techniques will enable you to more fully comprehend and access your creative possibilities. You will also learn to sustain your writing practice beyond the course.
Tap into your true creative thinking through mindfulness and become aware of the vast reserves of wisdom within.
Course breakdown
Week 1: Doing the meaningful things first – Basic meditation; Recording your days; Memoir and confession; Observing your thoughts
Week 2: Actions and Feelings – Journalling; Confronting our fears; Sitting in the stillness; Telling stories; Cultivating beginner’s mind
Week 3: Living with joy – Remembering when; Working with affirmations; Stepping stones; Commitment to learning
Week 4: Momentous Ideas – Flash fiction and writing walks; The Zen of observation; Key themes in your life; Embracing the power of objects; Cultivating play
Participant Requirements
Pencil and paper
Required reading: The Mindful Writer by Dinty W Moore
Suggested Reading: Wild Mind by Natalie Goldberg; The Barn at the End of the World by Mary Rose O’Reilley; Touching Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh
About the tutor
Walter Mason is a travel writer and blogger, and the author of Destination Saigon (2010) and Destination Cambodia (2013). He has trained in meditation traditions in Thailand, Taiwan, Cambodia and Vietnam, and teaches courses in Buddhist cultural history and the spiritual traditions of Vietnam.