Inspired by Fibonacci
As we create, we grow. As we grow, we change. Fibonacci's spiral can be found in many places in art and nature. It can inspire our creative
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The Creativity Spiral Series
Nurture Your Relationship With Creativity
Do you prefer to learn on your own? Linger and savour ideas at your pace and in your own way. It can feel decadent to take time to do something just because it feeds you--and to do it on your terms.
Using the idea of a spiral as a central metaphor, this program was designed to connect you to your creative story. It's recommended that you choose one article at a time to work through each week at a pace that makes sense to you.
Big ideas move through a series of 8 spirals that combine two big ideas in each spiral.
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Creativity & Process
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Honesty & Courage
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Solitude & Self-Awareness
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Community & Connection
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Ambition & Audience
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Perseverance & Diligence
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Curiosity & Adventure
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Love & Energy
Maybe this will be just the type of independent work that changes everything for you. This series is all about you deepening your own relationship with your creativity.
This series is inspired by "The Writing Spiral: Learning as a Writer" by Jessica Outram.
Praise for the Writing Spiral
ANTANAS SILEIKA
Author of Underground
and former Director of Humber School for Writers
“The Writing Spiral is an inspirational and motivational book for those involved in the practice of writing. It deals with practical matters such as how to avoid getting stuck in a writing project, how to behave in a writers’ group, and how to go about finding a safe community in which to test ideas. But it is also a philosophical book that meditates on the meaning of writing in one’s life, learning how to see, and adapting to solitude and self-awareness. This text wonders about writing, and includes pieces by other writers involved in the same experience, and I recommend it for all those who wonder about writing too and want to get even more engaged in the life of writing. It will also help spur those just starting out on this path.”
JESSICA PALMER
Teacher and Performing Artist
“Diving into The Writing Spiral is like getting to spend time with the creative English teacher whose lesson plans you always secretly wanted to borrow, the inspired colleague you always wanted as a mentor, the wise friend who shares their rich experience, and the author whose electric work keeps you up too late at night turning the pages. Whether you are looking to begin your own writing practice, or help others along their way, The Writing Spiral is an inspiring and practical resource for writers at any level.”
NEIL BUDDEL
Ph.D, Higher Education Student Affairs Professional and Researcher, doctoral dissertation titled, Stories Matter: A Narrative Inquiry Exploring First-Generation Student Persistence
“The Writing Spiral is about discovering a relationship with the human experience through story.
Life, according to renowned philosophers like Thomas King, David Carr, Mary Catherine Bateson, and Jean Clandinin, is narrative composition; we live storied lives and through story we teach, we learn, and we become. This is where Jessica takes us – with The Writing Spiral, Jessica has created a deeply insightful, inspirational, and raw invitation for us to explore humanity.
Writing is telling a story and Jessica’s eight spirals offer both the map and the compass for those charting out the journey or those needing a companion for the journey. Jessica beautifully and intentionally tangles and untangles the many threads of writing experiences, as she weaves in voices and echoes of other authors, to illustrate a tapestry of the writer-educator- learner. The voices harmoniously offer perspectives and examples as fuel for the journey, while honouring the heartbreaks, setbacks, and despair that are inherently human. Jessica illustrates that writing is a tumultuous and innately human experience, ultimately grounded in the love for learning and teaching as we engage in exploration of the social and temporal in particular places and spaces.”
NORA CHRISTOS
M.Ed, High School Lead Teacher, English:
“The Writing Spiral is a terrific teaching tool for creative writing teachers complete with inspiring ideas, lesson templates, rubrics, and metacognitive approaches. It was emotional, joyful, reflective, and quite simply, a pleasure to read. Ms. Outram has lovingly captured what it means to be a writer: to have passion, inspiration, and to never be afraid to dance.”
SUSAN LYNN REYNOLDS
Writer, Creative Writing Teacher, and Therapeutic Counsellor
“In The Writing Spiral Jessica Outram uses the pattern referenced in her title to explore the ways in which writing and learning impact and affect each other.
Through a series of reflections, exercises, essays and the generous inclusion of other writers’ writing about writing, the author spirals through investigation, discovery, and delving ever more deeply into the questions this book addresses. How do we write? How are we changed by our writing? How can we direct our writing toward revelation and resolution?
An engaging and inspirational book designed to challenge each writer to follow their own spiralling line of ink into authentic discovery.”
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