Creative Writing - value to society (part 1)

On a day that the Arts Council England slashed funding for many small literature organisations, I thought I should post about how valuable creative writing can be.

The creative arts, when done well, are of course pleasurable and beneficial to both the artist and audience.  Many writers and artists, even amateur ones, benefit psychologically in terms of mood, feelings of accomplishment and self-esteem.

For this reason, the creative arts can be of great benefit to people with mental health problems. Art therapy is where people use a visual art form primarily for psychological treatment, and Chapman et al (2001) reported it to be helpful for child patients who had suffered traumatic injuries.

Writing therapy can be effective in reducing stress, improving health, increasing mood, and helping people to cope (Harber & Pennebaker, 1992).  What makes writing arguably unique among arts-based therapies is the potential of the written word to help people both communicate and re-examine aspects of their life.  Pizarro (2004) found that while art therapy led to more enjoyment, it didn't match writing therapy in terms of improvements to social functioning.

Creative writing has been used to help rehabilitation of prisoners by organisations such as the Writers in Prison Network, helping hundreds of people to transform their lives (and benefitting society as a whole).  Sadly, Writers in Prisons is one of 16 literature-related organisations to lose their core funding.

What can help to treat the mentally ill or rehabilitate offenders can no doubt have smaller-scale benefits for writers in more ordinary circumstances.  All in all, creative writing...  Fun?  Yes.  Valuable?  Very.

References
Chapman, L., Morabito, D., Ladakakos, C., Schreier, H., & Knudson, M. M. (2001). The effectiveness of art therapy interventions in reducing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
symptoms in pediatric trauma patients. Art Therapy: Journal of
the American Art Therapy Association, 18, 100-104.
Harber, K. D., & Pennebaker, J. W. (1992). Overcoming traumatic memories. In S. A. Christianson (Ed.), The Handbook of Emotion and Memory: Research and Theory (pp. 359-387). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Pizarro, J. (2004) The Efficacy of Art and Writing Therapy: Increasing Positive Mental Health Outcomes and Participant Retention After Exposure to Traumatic Experience. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 21(1), 5-12.

Magnet poetry

Good old fridge magnet poetry - there's nothing like a limited selection of words to get the verbal creativity working!

Now available online :)
http://isnoop.net/toys/magwords.php

Characters going along with the crowd

How much do people follow the views of others?   'A lot' seems to be the answer from Psychology - especially if we have no idea what the right answer is.  A classic research study by Jenness (1932) used a jar of beans to test conformity.  Participants were asked to make individual estimates of the number of beans in the jar (this is actually quite hard to guess - my students have tried it and most people get it very wrong!)

Then participants discussed the number in a group.  All were in a state of ignorance, and therefore were open to the ideas of others.  After discussing, each participant gave a revised individual estimate.

Jenness found that estimates had conformed towards a 'group norm.'  Even though nobody knew the right answer, there was apparently comfort in sticking close to others.

In real life, people usually look to others if they don't know what to do - when travelling on an unfamiliar subway network, for example.  In fact, we conform even when we don't want to, and we know we shouldn't.  How much is this reflected in the behaviour of characters in fiction? Are characters influenced by others to a realistic extent?

Reference
Jenness, A. (1932). The role of discussion in changing opinion regarding matter of fact.  Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 27, 279-296.