Q. Do I need to be good at drama?
Most people have little or no experience of drama. The thing that blocks most people's creativity is the pressure to perform and to look good. You will be encouraged to take this pressure off yourself, to make mistakes and to try new things out. This produces a very safe atmosphere in which wonderful creativity can emerge.
Q. I know I will be made to do something I don't want to or to look silly—which is what happened when I was a child.
You will not be pressurised into doing anything you don't want to do. You will be invited to take your time and to take small steps. If you were shamed as a child in this way, then this will have effected all aspects of your self-expression and may have blocked you in your career path. Getting through this could make a dramatic difference to many areas of your life.
Q. What sort of people do it?
Most people who come are looking to make a creative breakthrough. Many feel their working lives do not give an outlet for creativity or who feel creatively blocked. Some are creative people who want to enhance their creative skills. Many come because they want to get out of themselves and play, and want to release themselves from self imposed restrictions. Some are looking for an alternative to a talking approach or want to explore their inner world through the body and imagination. Some also are attracted because they are going through a crisis or an intense period of change.
Q. What might I get out of it?
Everyone's response is individual and most people are surprised by what they achieve. These are some of the results that people have experienced: feeling more comfortable performing/speaking in front of others, increased self confidence, increased energy and aliveness, to have got out of ruts, to have found a voice, to be expressing feelings with more authenticity, be more spontaneous, overcome social anxieties, have more creative freedom, heal past traumas, become more assertive, have more fun in life, transform negative emotions, get out of the head, overcome shyness, get unstu
ck and find the inspiration for a new direction in life.
Q. What happens?
A typical group session starts with the group sitting on coloured fabrics in a circle around a candle. The candle is lit by one of the group to open the session, followed by time for internal and shared reflection. We then move into warming up the body which might include loosening up exercises and simple drama games to free up the voice, body and imagination. The main body of the session involves exploring a myth or fairy tale through creative expression in small groups. There is a suitcase full of coloured cloths, scarves, hats and masks, a box of percussion instruments and props, for participants to use as they wish. After which there will also time for reflection on what has been experienced. At the end of the session we return to the circle and the candle to reflect on the whole experience.
Q. I'm really shy, how can you help me?
Shyness is learnt or adapted behaviour, and therefore needs to be unlearnt. The reason that drama is so powerful is that it gives you an opportunity to try out new behaviours by playing characters that are very different from you. This is like a rehearsal for life. It's not going to happen overnight and needs determination and commitment to unlearn that behaviour. I recommend the Create and Express group as a first step, a safe environment in which you can gradually experiment with new behaviours with the support of others. For some people coming into a group is too big a step in which case a series of individual sessions will help to prepare you. Basically the more you do, the quicker you will learn new skills and banish the old habit of shyness.
Q. I feel blocked creatively—how can you help?
I usually recommend one of the groups or workshops initially. This the quickest and cheapest way for most people to get unblocked. The twelve week Express and Create group is particularly focused around the release of creativity and the weekly format offers an opportunity to progressively allow your creativity to flow. Workshops are more intense “creativity attack” and I heard recently from someone that they are on a creative high sometimes for weeks afterwards. Individual sessions are useful when there is a personal issue causing your creativity to be blocked and 6-10 sessions may be needed to work through the issue.
Q. Is it therapy?
The approach is therapeutic and healing certainly. My training is in dramatherapy, which I blend with all the personal development work I've done over the years, and so my approach is orientated more towards personal growth. Laughter is a very important part of the process. As I work with archetypes and myths, there is an opportunity to delve into the shadow and to bring transformation to trauma, so it depends on how you define the word therapy. Certainly some of the results people achieve are as powerful as achieved in therapy, in certain cases more so.
Q. I'm afraid of how destructive groups can be.
A lot of people have been in certain forms of group therapy in which the “therapy” is to allow people to verbally tear each other to shreds. This is not therapy to my mind and has never happened in any of my groups. A very supportive and empathic atmosphere is the norm, criticism is discouraged, and encouragement encouraged. In longer groups after people have built up trust it is possible to give and receive feedback which will assist you break through blocks and negative patterns. We live in a culture in which people are becoming more and more isolated, which makes it all the more important for us to find strength in groups. With the support of a group almost anything can be achieved.
Q. What do you mean by ritual—I find the word rather creepy?
Some people have negative association with the word ritual. Maybe they feel they will be asked to participate in an alien spiritual or religious practice. When I speak of ritual I'm talking about personal ritual—a ritual that you either create yourself or in collaboration with others. It is literally a symbolic action that marks a transition from one state to another. So that might mean enacting a feeling of being stuck and then finding a way maybe with the help of others to get unstuck. It might involve using costume or playing some inspiring music. Such rituals can be very emotional and powerful—and can bring about real and lasting inner change.
