A Note for Parents

INTUITION IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ABILITIES WE CAN CULTIVATE.

— Jagdish Parikh

There is no more influential or challenging role than being a parent. We believe that parents are heroes. That’s why we are here support you, to provide a “creative antidote” to the relentless pressures that confront young people—the moment they walk out the door or look down at their screens. Our mission is to give young people the tools and resources they need to become their best, most authentic, most confident selves.

In all our work with teens, we’ve found several universal themes. Teens today feel overwhelmed by both academic and social pressure: the pressure to succeed and the pressure to conform. What young people really want is a safe place to speak their truth, be themselves, and feel connected and supported. This is precisely what we work to provide.

Q: What are some of the benefits of enrolling my child at The Intuitive Writing Project?

Greater ease and eloquence in writing
Improved mental health and emotional resilience
Deeper social connections and a sense of belonging
Greater self-knowledge, self-awareness, and self-confidence
Development of personal leadership, learning the tools of advocacy for self and others
A creative antidote to social media culture

Q: What’s the practical benefit of writing?

A: While social media allow us to communicate with simplicity and breadth, writing ensures complexity and depth. The more a young person writes, the more they understands who they are. This enables them to cultivate a unique point of view, the single most essential element in all exceptional writing—including college application essays! Likewise, the more young people enjoy writing and the more often they write, the more their technique will improve, as well. Last but not least, a young person who knows how to connect with themself will also know how to connect—and effectively communicate—with the people around her. (Including her parents!)

Q: How does this program support my child’s growth and development?

A: In his book Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain, Dr. Dan Siegel talks about the importance of “emotional stimulation, social engagement, novelty, and creative exploration”—all experiences that are directly supported by expressive activities like writing as part of a group. The experience of being heard and validated in a positive writing community also helps to cultivate the qualities Daniel Goldman has written most famously about, including emotional intelligence, social intelligence, and the ability to focus. The more a young person writes, the more they discover who they are, what they value and how they want to contribute to the world.

Additionally, our focus on positive feedback empowers kids to become better writers and stronger thinkers. You can read more about the science behind positive feedback in the latest article by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall in The Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2019/03/the-feedback-fallacy

Q: How does this program support my child’s academic and career success?

A: As Daniel Pink wrote in his book, A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule The Future, most of our left-brain skills can now be automated and outsourced. “In an age of abundance… mastery of design, empathy, play and other seemingly ‘soft’ aptitudes is now the main way for individuals and firms to stand out in a crowded marketplace.” At the Intuitive Writing Project, we believe that creative writing and self-reflection can foster precisely the kind of whole-brain thinking our world needs most. Likewise, there is no more persuasive college application than the one written with heart-felt conviction and an original point of view. It is passion that opens doors. And it is intuition that helps us know which doors to knock on.

You can also read about the growing research demonstrating the value of a creative education, the way activities like expressive writing teach us to think critically and discover more creative solutions to global problems.

https://theconversation.com/here-are-some-more-reasons-why-liberal-arts-matter-49638

https://www.forbes.com/sites/willarddix/2016/11/16/a-liberal-arts-degree-is-more-important-than-ever/

Q: How does writing support the social, emotional and mental health of my child?

A: At the end of the day, we all need the same thing: a place to tell our story and people to listen, understand and validate our experiences. This is exactly what our writing community provides. In fact, girls often call our classes "the best part" of their week and "better than therapy." While writing is NOT a replacement for therapy (we are big advocates for therapy for all of us!), writing with other kids in an unconditionally supporitve enviroment can be quite therapeutic. As we write about our experinces, we recontexulaize them, reclaiming our power and personal agency.

https://www.elizabethperlman.com/post/the-power-of-girls-writing-together

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_help_teens_put_less_pressure_on_themselves

Q: How can I enroll my daughter?

A: We strive to tailor our programs to the specific needs of each individual writer. Our classes are organized by grade level and you explore our programs to learn more about each offering. To learn more or to schedule a complimentary consultation, call with the Executive Director, Elizabeth Perlman, write her at elizabeth@intuitivewritingproject.org