Whether you’re tentatively embarking on a new creative pursuit or you’re an established writer or artist, it’s common to experience anxiety and imposter syndrome – that little voice in your head trying to shut you down, or asking who you think you are.

Creative anxiety can be crippling, but with the right tips and techniques, you can wrangle it under control, freeing you to focus on your writing or art.

In this online class, psychologist and writer Sanchana Venkatesh teams up with published author Ashley Kalagian Blunt to discuss real-life experiences and practical ways to push past anxiety and focus on creating the work that matters to you.

What will we cover?

In this class we will explore:

Common creative anxieties experienced by everyone from beginners to established artists, including NY Times bestselling authors
Techniques and tips for taming your anxiety
Resources to draw on for further support
Short writing exercises to help you connect with your creative self (no matter what kind of art you practice or aspire to practice)

What to bring

A notebook and pen work best, though you may prefer to write on your device. Whatever works for you!

Accessibility

Closed Captions
Discounted Early Bird Tickets
Free Tickets for First Nation Attendees
Auslan Interpreters Upon Request

Who will be teaching?

Sanchana (she/her) is a psychologist and writer of short stories and essays. She has been practising as a psychologist in schools, public mental health, and non-profit settings since 2008, and is currently the sole practitioner and founder of flourish inside out psychology services. Her areas of special interest include anxiety, depression, chronic illnesses, life transitions, tics and Tourette’s. Sanchana enjoys working with creatives, single people, gifted individuals, and migrants/people of colour.

Sanchana was shortlisted for the 2021 Peter Carey Short Story Award, and her writing appears in the 2017 Newcastle Short Story Award anthology and the 2020 Better Read than Dead Writing Anthology.

Find her at flourishinsideout.com.au and @flourishinsideout on Instagram and Facebook.

Ashley (she/her) is the author of Dark Mode, a psychological thriller. Her earlier books are How to Be Australian, a memoir, and My Name Is Revenge, a novella and collected essays, which was a finalist in the 2018 Carmel Bird Digital Literary Award. Her writing appears in the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian, Australian Book Review, Overland, Griffith Review, Sydney Review of Books and more.

Ashley is a Moth StorySLAM winner and has appeared at Sydney Writers’ Festival, Story Club, and the National Young Writers’ Festival. She co-hosts James and Ashley Stay at Home, a podcast about writing, creativity and health.

Find her at ashleykalagianblunt.com and at @AKalagianBlunt across social media.

Important info:

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Any questions or other accessibility requests? Feel free to email Maddy (she/her) at melbourne@lanewaylearning.com.