The Art of Writing: A Personal Experience at TIS Annual Creative Writer’s Workshop 2016

One of my passions as a student and a young adult is to explore the world around me through writing. That is why I am keen on taking every opportunity around me to explore and develop my writing skills. It is interesting and coincidental that my English teacher asked me to attend a writing workshop which I believe has had a positive impact on my life as a young writer.

I really enjoyed my two-day learning experience at TIS mainly because of the environment of the school. I think the people at TIS are very friendly. I was quite content with the way they happily welcomed strangers into their school. I don’t consider myself as a stranger because I’ve been there before and I also have friends there. My friends, Anik and Abrahim who I consider strangers in this context were welcomed heartily by many of my friends in the school.

The major highlight of the workshop for me was the poetry session which was facilitated by Bernard Akoi-Jackson, a poet and an artist who specializes in absurdity in art. During the sessions, I worked with my group and learnt about the rudiments of Concrete Poetry and Dadaist Poetry.

To me, poetry is a free form of art. It is the way an artist can express himself/herself in very little words.

The Graveyard People

Every morning she dyes her hair jet black,
To prevent people from seeing the grey hairs that shine so brightly in the dark
She’s aging fast,
And soon our beloved will join the graveyard people,
The people who send shivers down your spine
The people whose faces twist into a wicked smile,
The people whose faces are deteriorating and being torn into soil,
The people whose bodies have been cast into the abyss,
The people whose deeds are abysmal,
The people who deserve to be in the inferno,
But my darling doesn’t belong among the graveyard people,
Or does she?

By Rashida Hassan

Overall, the experience was amazing. Not only did I get to learn about new things I did not know about, I also met new people and socialized with different people. I think the workshop helped me greatly and I will definitely be attending next year’s. I encourage all ARIS students to take up writing as a chore because it is extremely fulfilling. The school has never attended this programme before so I am extremely thankful for Mr.Essuman inviting ARIS.