Rhiannon & Alicia: “We write and we talk”

Intertwining personal and creative development

Names have been changed to protect the young person’s identity.

the context

Rhiannon has always loved writing. She had moved from her hometown, and after a foster placement, was living with her carer in a town outside of a large Midlands city. Whilst she hadn’t really enjoyed school, she did have a brilliant and caring English teacher, who gave her lots of opportunities to write. She left school after her GCSEs, and living in a new place, Rhiannon didn’t have a lot of opportunities to meet and connect with new and like-minded people.

Rhiannon was offered support from her Virtual School to support her after leaving school. As well as learning support, they felt she might find some emotional and mental health support useful. This could help her build her confidence, explore her identity and her interests, and help her feel secure in choosing and moving into further education or training post-16.

The team at the Virtual School knew that Rhiannon was passionate about writing. They thought the Creative Mentoring service would be a good fit for her and that she would enjoy having a Creative Mentor.  The Mighty Creatives matched Rhiannon with Alicia, a published Young Adult author, who lives near the same city. Alicia is an experienced Creative Mentor, having worked with nearly a dozen Creative Mentees, as well as with young people in schools and locally to develop their love of writing and creative expression.

The Creative Mentoring sessions

Alicia likes to speak to those who know her Creative Mentees before they meet, so she can prepare some ideas for their first session.  Rhiannon’s love of writing was the obvious place to start. As in many other examples of Creative Mentoring, their relationship began with an exchange, and grew from there:

Not all my Creative Mentees are interested in writing, but Rhiannon loves to write. I gave her one of my novels … then we started discussing her writing. She read me out some of her stuff. So straight away she showed me a part of her that she didn’t really show other people: her writing. And that’s just continued (Alicia)

building a relationship

Although Rhiannon and her carer remember that she was a bit nervous at the first session, it was easy to get to know Alicia.  Rhiannon describes Alicia as “sweet, funny” and “calm”.  As Alicia describes it, Rhiannon is “fantastic” and they “get along really well”.

This trusting relationship, which is at the centre of Alicia’s Creative Mentoring practice, has allowed them to work together in a way that is led by Rhiannon and her needs. She has set the steady pace of their work together, and Alicia directs this in response to Rhiannon’s strengths. This is an approach used commonly within Creative Mentoring.

We get on so well, so then it’s little steps with her. I quickly recognised that. Little steps and building … on strengths. That’s really good advice for all my mentees, and that’s what I did with Rhiannon – I assessed what she’s good at, what she’s strong at and then built, built, built and, in turn, that helps build self-esteem (Alicia)

Since then, the relationship has focused on the “intertwined” (Alicia) aims of personal development of confidence and self-esteem, with creative writing development. As Rhiannon put this: “we write and we talk”.

personal and creative development

Alicia is experienced in helping young people develop their writing, and she does this with Rhiannon. They have written short stories together, poems, and are currently working on a novel. They write together in their Creative Mentoring sessions, and Rhiannon also said she brings her independent work to share with Alicia to ask for opinion and advice. Something Rhiannon said that is different about working with Alicia is that she is non-judgemental:

She respects your thoughts … doesn’t tell you things are wrong or not correct (Rhiannon)

Instead, as Rhiannon describes it Alicia will explain her thoughts, and why she might or might not agree, “then I can take it, and if I like, change it” (Rhiannon). It is clear that the final decision sits with Rhiannon. When they are writing together, Alicia will often scribe but tells Rhiannon she should make any changes she wants when she writes it up for herself.

There has really been no question that they focus on writing together, as this is Rhiannon’s passion. But Alicia also judges carefully how and when to support Rhiannon to do something beyond her comfort zone – both personally and creatively. For example, Rhiannon loves to write horror, and her novel is a horror story.  Alicia also explores other kinds of writing with her in their sessions, including poetry and other genres.  Her carer noted too how Alicia had opened-up Rhiannon’s eyes to other kinds of writing and means of expression.

Outside of writing, both Alicia and Rhiannon mentioned a visit to the theatre as a highlight of their work together and which they did in the middle of their Creative Mentoring relationship. Rhiannon hadn’t been to the theatre recently and, as she has ADHD, wasn’t sure she would be able to sit through a show.  But as Alicia describes it: “I had done my research, and picked something I knew she would love”.  Rhiannon said that once the show began, she was transfixed:

I didn’t move the whole time! It was amazing, I want to go again, but it’s not on any more (Rhiannon)

Alicia had carefully selected something that she knew would be a new experience for Rhiannon, but one that she was confident she could enjoy. This is her role as a Creative Mentor: to see the things that Rhiannon can do – see her strengths -and support her to develop those. To do this, Alicia will actively encourage Rhiannon, even when she can see she isn’t sure by “coaxing, playfully because  Rhiannon is playful herself” (Alicia). By pitching this gently and in a way that reflects how Rhiannon communicates and relates, she makes sure that Rhiannon is supported but ultimately in control of taking on these new experiences or challenges when she wants to.

life events

Rhiannon and Alicia have been working together for about eight months. Rhiannon is preparing to move into semi-independent living in another town, and this is going to be a big change. Alicia and Rhiannon have discussed this in their session, and how it is both exciting, but also stressful. Alicia’s response has been to offer more support.

For example, Rhiannon is currently – with Alicia’s support – an intern with a local writing organisation. Alicia felt that earlier on their Creative Mentoring relationships, Rhiannon would probably have felt more confident going to her first day on her own, but as she’s been under additional stress then Alicia has gone with her too.  An important part of Creative Mentoring at the moment is for Alicia to judge what additional support Rhiannon may need again, even when in the past that might not have been necessary.

what’s changed for Rhiannon?

It was clear from hearing how Rhiannon talked about her Creative Mentoring that she enjoys and values her time spent with Alicia. She has written widely and as well is beginning to become part of her local writing community.  As well as the internship, she is attending a Young Writers group which is a “a really big step” (Alicia).  Rhiannon gets stage-fright at the idea of reading her work out loud, but when attending with Alicia, she has shared it on her behalf. Rhiannon has had great feedback from others on her work.

So, I read it [the poem] out … then the organiser came up … and quite rightly praised her.  Rhiannon was so pleased. (Alicia)

Although Rhiannon didn’t mention this herself, both her carer and Alicia thought she seemed proud of her work, and this shows especially when she shares it:

She loves that creative process … on a couple of occasions we’ve read it to Rhiannon’s carer … and she’s been there, pleased as punch. She’s so proud (Alicia)

Her carer and Alicia both felt that Creative Mentoring has helped Rhiannon grow in confidence, and have fed this back to her team at the Virtual School.  The contract for Rhiannon and Alicia to work together has been extended twice, as the Virtual School understood that it was supporting Rhiannon effectively.  It was particularly important for them that Rhiannon’s carer has found the Creative Mentoring supportive too. All involved have wanted the Creative Mentoring to continue as far as possible:

The choice to continue was based on me hearing from Rhiannon’s mentor what she had been doing and getting the perspective from her carer’s point of view. Seeing that small steps of progress are happening in terms of confidence. The fact that she’s getting out and doing things in the local community – which she wasn’t doing before … so about maintaining that routine and support for her (Virtual School Educational Support Officer)

the role of Creative Mentoring in change

The use of writing as a tool for both creative and personal development has been essential in Rhiannon and Alicia’s work together. Alicia sees the two aim as perfectly matched, even when working with Creative Mentees who aren’t as interested in writing as Rhiannon is:

By weaving writing into our time together, the mentee often finds that they can express themselves and their feelings … the writing and the building up of self-esteem, confidence and resilience are intertwined (Alicia)

Whilst it’s not essential in the Creative Mentoring model, Rhiannon and Alicia’s shared love of writing provided a basis for their relationship, and this seemed to have contributed to the natural and secure relationship they now have.  The Virtual School in particular felt that having Alicia’s deep expertise and knowledge of the local writing and arts community means she has been able to connect Rhiannon up with other sources of support that are really well suited to her development:

I do think the routine and support in general helps, but the mentor and their knowledge and their interests really do really help give that support, for Rhiannon in particular (Virtual School Educational Support Officer)

The Virtual School officer sees the programme as providing important support that is complementary to looking at post-16 options in employment or further education and training. What Creative Mentoring does well is build confidence that helps mentees like Rhiannon find the right options for them:

There is plenty of support out there for job interviews, CV writing.  It’s just more that inner sense of maybe ‘self’.  Some young people have interests, but they don’t have the confidence … It’s that feeling supported and secure enough to explore these options (Virtual School Educational Support Officer)

what’s next?

Rhiannon will be completing her writing internship over the coming months, and wants to finish her novel while she is still working with Alicia. When she moves into semi-independent living, she will be beginning a college course. Although she will be moving away from the writing community she has joined, the hope is her previous, positive experiences with Alicia will help her continue her passion in the future.

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