Hi all,
I’m introducing the Mindful Creative Writing Method™ to my followers and community. My hope is that this will be a liftoff moment.
There has been extensive demand for my writing workshops, and after years of development I’ve decided to release a semi–open-source version under a Creative Commons license with the following conditions:
Attribution (credit: Write with Ritika)
NonCommercial use onlyAdaptations must be shared under the same terms
See Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International.
If you’d like to use the curriculum in a way that falls outside these permissions—or if you’d like to collaborate—I’d love to hear from you. You can contact me via this form.
What is the Mindful Creative Writing Method™?
It’s a simple, three-step structure that combines reflection, discipline, and community to unlock deeper clarity in writing, incorporating mindfulness best practices from India.
In addition to mindfulness teaching being passed down to me generationally, my co-founder Justin and business partner Devon have been working together on researching various structures derived from tradition taught in the Himalayas. The goal is to help people in our fast-paced world slow down and reflect.
It is a comfortable way to embrace mindfulness, improve concentration, alleviate loneliness, and build trust.
The instructional framework
Step 1: Everyone gets to know each other through intentionally curated, mindfulness-informed context-setting questions.
Step 2: The group sits down to respond to a curation of prompts related to self-empowerment and group empowerment, based on the responses from the group.
Step 3: There is a sharing process in which everyone in the group collaborates to build upon a distribution strategy, derived from public relations best practices.
The compound effect is a rising conversational tide.
These three steps, summarizing several interconnected elements, provide a foundation for anyone easy for anyone to build upon and remix. It is extensible across cultures, geographies, and environments. I believe these components are fundamental to indigenous societies, as they have been to my ancestors. But they have never, to my knowledge, been assembled to intentionally create a writing experience.
How it came to be
Over the last decade that I have been running my writing, editorial, and communications consultancy, thousands of learners and dozens of teachers have expressed how tough it is to create a writing experience that works for the neurodiversity that exists in our modern world.
I set out to solve that problem in 2013 by teaching writing in various settings: K-12, universities, graduate schools, and in corporations. Here are a few examples of my teaching practice in action, taught online: https://luma.com/user/WriteWithRitika
The common theme expressed to me, directly from learners, is a feeling that they do not have space for thinking and processing. I was frequently thanked for creating this space.
It has never incorporated any material from a creative writing class or any other teacher. In fact, I have never taken a creative writing course or workshop—or participated in another person’s writing group—since graduating high school.
Why I’m releasing the Mindful Creative Writing Method™
I’ve spent years deliberating whether and how to share this. Do I monetize it directly? Will people want it?
A couple weeks ago, I was reading about the practice of colonialism and how many Indians were forced to practice mindfulness customs in secret. I didn’t know this before. So many missing pieces of my life began to make sense.
As I continued teaching the practice people shared with me that the technique helped them. A lot.
So, I’ve now published it to the best extent of accessibility with the resources and knowledge that I have available. I want this to be bigger than what’s possible within the constraints of monetization.
Please note: This is not a mental health tool
I am building the Mindful Creative Writing Method™ under the discipline of education, not mental health or therapy. I am not a mental health practitioner, nor have I sought advisory consultation from any healthcare experts. I am, however, an experienced coach and teacher.
Why I’ve chosen this particular Creative Commons License
My ultimate goal is to fully open source the curriculum. However, at this present moment, I am concerned that it will be utilized for nefarious purposes to exploit others. There is also a track record, in capitalism, of exploitation of mindfulness without due credit or compensation to practitioners.
Until I open source the curriculum, I want to remain accountable and to be able to track where and how this curriculum is used, to the best extent that is reasonable and possible. I’m putting my name on it.
If you feel like I am infringing
The world is vast with many, many ways of practicing writing and mindfulness. Everyone is entitled to their own approach, and if someone else is utilizing this process, please let me know. One concern that I have is the potential to ‘claim ownership’ of indigenous practice and thinking…or unintentionally appropriating someone else’s culture.
Please let me know, so I can build upon my thinking and ensure that I give you the space to protect your turf.
If you’re running a similar writing workshop
That’s awesome. I want to hear from you to compare similarities and differences, to ensure that I am not stepping on toes, help you elevate your method, and credit you appropriately.
There are a ton of ways to teach, experience, and share mindfulness and writing together.
How to credit
This curriculum is based on the Mindful Creative Writing Method, authored by Write with Ritika. A linkback would be appreciated but not necessary.™
Some version of the credit would be ideal, but you don’t need to use it verbatim. Feel free to remix.
