In June 2023, our Punjabi Women’s Forum came together for a session on Poetry for Wellbeing.
*Trigger warning - harassment and stalking*
In June 2023, Taraki’s Women’s Forum was joined by poet and writer, Rajnie Uppal. The session brought together women at different points in their writing journey.
Rajnie’s journey with writing began in the wake of her experience with harassment and stalking while at university. She told the forum about how she was unable to find a way of disconnecting herself from the world through the usual mediums. Writing offered a space where she could express herself, make sense of her feelings and navigate her way through challenges she was facing. Alongside her full time job, Rajnie holds poetry workshops in aid of A-Sisterhood.
Before beginning the workshop, attendees shared their creative outlets which ranges form sewing, designing, painting and more.
One attendee expressed that she wanted to remove expectations of herself and just write - quipping that perfectionism can obscure beauty. Another attendee was at the forum to continue their writing journey, while another had abandoned writing because they found it to be overwhelming, and wanted to seek a way of easing back into the practice.
Forum attendees ranged in age and experience in creative writing but one thing they all had in common was a desire to connect to their feelings through written word.
With poetry in both English and Punjabi, the space offered freedom of expression and emotion.
Key takeaways:
- You can use poetry and creative writing to navigate transition
- Journaling can be used to identify a ‘pain point’, which can help you to heal and grow
- Writing can be used to practice gratitude
- You can use writing to reframe your perspective on aspects of your life
Thank you again to forum the attendees for their vulnerability - your participation in the session is valued. Thank you also to Rajnie for creating a warm and safe space for expression.
You can find out more about Rajnie’s written work on Instagram
You can find out more about the Punjabi Women’s Forum by visiting our Events page here.
