Diving into creativity

A recent Wangaratta Masters swimming and writing workshop proved a great success, drawing 10 people to the Wangaratta Sports and Aquatic Centre to explore the theme of 'Water and Words'. Funded by the Australian Sociological Association (TASA), and held to mark Social Sciences Week, the event saw participants involved in a swimming activity and collective writing session. The swimming segment was led by Wangaratta Swimming Club head coach Robyn Brown, and involved an adapted program designed to suit abilities and goals. Robyn introduced a creative method for participants to capture their thoughts during the swim using a special graphite pencil on a laminated sheet of paper, enabling them to write down their ideas, without fear of them being rubbed off by the pool water. She also offered swimmers guidance on stroke correction, which many appreciated and, as some participants shared afterwards, revealed to them that swimming in a club was not as scary as they had first imagined. Many are now interested in attending the Wangaratta Masters Swimming Club come and try day, which will be held at WSAC this Saturday 3 October from 9.30am and is open to all. After drying off and fuelling up with morning tea provided by WSAC, swimmers made their way to the 'writing room', where they took part in a 25-minute 'shut up and write' session facilitated by sociologist and Wangaratta Masters swimmer Alexa Ridgway. They used notes gathered during the swim to quietly create their own written works, and you could hear a pin drop as everyone busied themselves with their writing. Some students then shared their writing with the group, while others reflected on the experience and what it was like for them. One of the participants, Tegan Podubinski (an academic with the University of Melbourne who admitted early on that swimming was not her preferred sport), found the morning rewarding. "I really enjoyed the morning, and the way Alexa created a reflective and welcoming space," she said. "The coached swimming session allowed me a place to meditate on some of the things that have been floating around my head for a while, and the journalling part allowed me time to get it all out and leave it on the page. "I particularly appreciated being able to jot random thoughts while resting on the wall." For Sarah Martin, a Melbourne-based author who visited Wangaratta especially for the event after her daughter heard about it on ABC Radio, the pool was a different experience to her usual sea dips with the Icebergers; in fact, it was the first time she had been in a pool in years. After returning to Melbourne, Sarah shared her writing from the day via email. "As I begin swimming back towards the group at the other end, my strokes lengthen, and I feel the water smooth and supple beneath and around me, holding me in its embrace," she wrote. "Something inside me has been released. I am free and refreshed in a way that I would never have expected." In the words of Flo Meredith, a regular Wangaratta Masters Club swimmer and conservation scientist with Parks Victoria, when it comes to writing, "water is the way". All in all, the event was a great success, with participants expressing enthusiasm for another session, perhaps next time with a dip in one of the district's rivers. Facilitator Alexa Ridgway plans to explore ways to continue the group over coming months, and any other interested participants are welcome to reach out to her at alexandra.t.ridgway@gmail.com

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