Welcome back to the Create Shift podcast. It’s been a little while since I released a new episode, and even longer since I did an interview. I’m so excited to share today’s interview episode with writer Tutku Barbaros.

Tutku is a writer – across forms – of Turkish Cypriot heritage from south-east London. She is an alumna of the Royal Court Writers' Programme as well as Sphinx Theatre's year-long writer's development programme, Sphinx 30. Her play debut Layla and Youssef was longlisted for the Bruntwood prize and the Paines Plough Women's Prize For Playwriting. "All The Women She Knows" is her debut book. Tutku also leads creative writing workshops designed to playfully and joyfully help adults unlock their imagination in relaxed settings.

Follow Tuts on Instagram @Tutku_Barbaros (this is also the place to get all the info on the writing workshops Tuts runs)

Order Tuts’s debut short story collection (I really recommend it) All The Women She Knows

Topics covered in the episode

* Writing as a practice for survival, and creativity for the sake of creativity

* Success, finding your own definition of it & how it’s “not about what success looks like, it’s about what it feels like”

* Writing trauma

* Tuts’ process of writing All the Women She Knows, and how she allowed herself to slow down and enjoy the journey of it - “allowing myself to just sit in the world and go slowly”

* Burnout, Tuts’ experience with this in 2019 and how the pandemic was a time for her to re-assess and re-connect with writing

* How there’s a need for a radical overhaul in the theatre industry

* The importance of artist dates, and of surrounding yourself with inspiration

* Movement and creativity, and the importance of embracing the weird and the uncertainty

* Trigger warnings in creative work

Links & resources

* Dear Damsels So Long As You Write club

* My recent post on the myth of the tortured artist

* My upcoming workshop A seasonal approach to creativity and artistic practice

* Upcoming Rebellious Artists' and Creatives' Café on the theme of inspiration. April 26th (not the 27th as I said in the episode), 12pm BST. Book your free space here. )

* All the info on 1:1 coaching

Thanks for listening.

Until next time.

Stay inspired, stay curious and stay connected.

Ellen x

It’s another episode of Create Shift!

In this episode I am talking about:

* My practice of flowing with the energy of nature & resistance felt towards this

* The magical things that happen when we start to trust our own intuition and flow (lessons learned from my own experience & my clients’)

* Building up evidence that going with your own flow (and against the constant push of society) works and how this supports new beliefs

Links:

* My Trauma Sensitive Theatre and Performance Making Course is now available to book onto. This course is a must for anyone serious about increasing accessibility of theatre and performance making spaces, and ensuring practices are more supportive of everyone’s wellbeing. More info & booking.

* I have space for 4 wonderful new 1:1 coaching clients to work together over either 3 or 6 months. Are you ready to figure out how to have a more sustainable creative work life, and want some help with that? More info & booking here.

* Sign up to be part of my artist & creative newsletter community to receive weekly(ish) inspiration, support and encouragement. Breathe a deep breath and let’s shake off patriarchal capitalist conditioning together. Yeah?

Thanks for reading Creative Embers with Ellen Franklyn-Carr! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

It’s so easy to get caught in the ‘new year new you’ energy that society pushes on us. Easy to feel full of ‘shoulds’ and bad about not having started all the things yet.

Here’s my alternative to all of that. A reminder that January is not nature’s new year, and it’s okay to (good, even) to take things slow.

Mentions:

The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2024 by Lia Leendertz

Rebellious Artists’ and Creatives’Café - next one happening Friday 26th January, 12pm GMT (I definitely got the date wrong in the recording). Discussion theme will be rest. Book your free space here.

Yoga for Radical Wellbeing - a monthly seasonal and trauma sensitive yoga class for all bodies and abilities. Next one 9:30am - 10:30am GMT Friday 26th January. Recording available for 30 days to all booked on. Full price booking here. Accessible price booking here.

Explore my artist and creative coaching packages here.

Thanks for listening, sharing and spreading the word.

Stay curious, stay connected and stay inspired.

Ellen x