February 17, 2025 • 26 mins
This episode highlights the life-changing impact of writing residencies on a writer's creative practice. Amra shares personal experiences, offers practical advice on applying for residencies, and emphasises the importance of community, networking, and dedicated time for writing.
• Exploring the transformative power of writing residencies
• Balancing teaching and writing: personal journey as a creative
• Importance of a creative CV for applications
• Networking with fellow creatives in shared spaces
• Practical tips on finding and applying for residencies
• Seeking inspiration through connections and diverse interactions
• Embracing unexpected moments for new ideas and projects
• Call to Action: amrapajalic.com/podcast for handouts and resources
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Amra Pajalic (00:00):
Welcome to Amra's Armchair Anecdotes.
I'm Amra Pajalic, writer,teacher and storyteller.
Pull up a chair and let's diveinto stories about writing, life
and lessons learned, sharingwisdom from my armchair to yours
.
I'm Amra Pajalic.
(00:23):
Welcome to the first episode ofmy podcast, Amra's Armchair
Anecdotes, and today I'm goingto be talking about the benefits
of a residency.
So in my instance, I'll betalking about a writing
residency, but it's alsosomething that applies to any
creative anywhere.
It's also something thatapplies to any creative anywhere
(00:44):
.
So I'm going to be talkingabout my experiences, things
that have happened and thebenefits of it, how to find and
apply for residencies, and Iwill be providing a handout that
can help you with the process.
So welcome and thank you forjoining me.
(01:07):
So I'm going to be really honesthere.
I never understood the point ofa writing residency.
I am like, well, you can writeanywhere, can't you?
And I can, I do, I writeanywhere, and I just kind of
thought people who you know getresidencies are a little bit
pretentious and guess what weare.
(01:30):
So I and also I was sort ofcaught up with domesticity and
being mum to a very young child,and so it was something that I
couldn't consider for a longtime and then the opportunity
came up for me to apply and Ihave now been successful in
(01:51):
getting a writing studio at theHunt Club.
So it's a community art center,and Creative Brimbank, which is
my local council, manages thewriting studios here, and I have
to say it has beenlife-changing for me.
This is my third year as awriting residence and it has
(02:15):
been an amazing experience.
So Creative Victoria managesthese writing studios.
They're low cost and basicallywe do pay for the studio but we
get a room, we get free wi-fi,we don't have to pay for any
bills or any electricity.
And then also, because this isa community center, we get the
(02:38):
benefit of the communityfacilities, which is the kitchen
downstairs, which is reallywonderful, and I get the
opportunity to, you know, talkto different people where we all
meet up for lunch and exchangeideas and network.
So that is a great experience,and so these studios are for
people who work, who study andwho are connected with Brimbank,
(03:05):
and I know that there are othercouncils that have
opportunities like this, so it'ssomething for you to think
about and find out.
Does your local council dosomething like this?
So during my long service, thatwas the first opportunity in my
life that I got to be afull-time author.
Most of my life I have been awriter and I have maintained my
(03:30):
creative practice while I haveworked, and most of the time
I've worked full-time.
So I worked full-time as ateacher for seven years and in
that time I still wrote booksand I wrote articles and I
participated in deliveringworkshops and public events.
And I have to say somethingthat's something I'm really,
(03:50):
really proud of, because, youknow, not many of us have that
opportunity to dedicate to ourcreative practice, especially
when we are starting out and weare building up our creative
practice, and so the fact that Ihad that ability to maintain it
, I did have to build insupports for myself.
(04:11):
So, for example, when I wasworking full time and I was
writing my memoir, I did applyand receive a grant from
Creative Victoria and I did getthe amazing Alice Pung to be my
mentor and to support me, andthat was something that I really
needed at that time.
(04:32):
And so the first time that Igot to be a full-time writer was
when I had my long serviceleave, which I earned after
working seven years full-time,and I got to have three months
of being a full-time writer, andit was amazing.
I wrote a book, I wrotefreelance articles so many of
(04:57):
them and was really pitchinghard and getting them published.
I recorded my memoir as anaudio book and it gave me a
taste of what I would be able todo if I had that privilege.
But also that momentum helpedsupport me when I went back to
work, and I was working fourdays as a teacher, which is what
(05:18):
I'm still doing, and one day asa writer, and so having this
writing studio makes me thinkabout my writing practice as a
job, which is a novel concept,because usually, when you're
creeping it into the edges ofyour life, you just sort of have
(05:39):
to think about it as somethingthat you do, and so it's really
transformed what I think aboutmyself and how seriously I take
myself.
One of the things I also wantedto talk about was I've always
had a literary CV.
However, I also then created acreative CV, so I'm affiliated
(06:02):
with bold authors and I have acourse with them about grant
writing, and there was a grantwriting.
There was a course about how tocreate a CV, a creative CV, to
sort of showcase your writing,and this was the first
opportunity that I was applyingfor using that new CV and I
(06:22):
think that sort of helped alittle bit.
So I would encourage you tosort of think about a creative
CV, about showcasing youropportunities through that
format, and check out thatcourse.
So the way I approach my writingpractice is this is another
work day.
I get up in the morning, I getready as if I'm going to work, I
(06:44):
prepare my lunch, I prepare mysnacks, I drop my daughter off
at school and then I come topick my daughter up from school,
and so that means that evenwhen I come here and I'm
incredibly tired and I feel kindof just really struggling to be
(07:07):
creative because I've got thatlimited time and also I don't
have the distractions of, youknow, being at home with a tv to
watch, with snacks to eat andjust sort of go to the cupboard
and then also, you know, withall the things that you have to
do when you're at home in termsof the errands and the chores, I
literally just sit at my deskand I end up just starting the
(07:30):
day and starting to do things.
I've also learned now to comehere and to have a to-do list
and just be very focused aboutwhat am I trying to achieve in
this day and what can I do athome, in my regular life and
manage my creative practice inthat way?
(07:50):
One of the other things that Iwas really surprised about in
terms of a writing residency ora writing studio is how much
having the opportunity tonetwork and connect with other
people really is inspirational.
So within this Hunt Club, wehave five writing studios, and
(08:14):
each studio has someone who is adifferent type of creative.
So there's an art therapist,there's a visual artist, there's
a muralist and there is ahusband and wife team who do
sculptures, and so it's beenreally wonderful to speak to
other people who have a creativepractice and who have their
(08:38):
creative life, but also acrossthose various disciplines, and
so we're still able to shareideas.
Just had a great chat withLucas, a muralist who is just
doing such amazing work, whojust had his YouTube channel
monetized, and so just sharingideas, sharing tips and
(08:59):
inspiration, but also talking topeople who actually get you and
get this part of life.
Those of you who are creative,you know that sometimes this can
be lonely.
You are, you know, doing thingsthat are really fun, and not
many of us have fun in oureveryday lives and then
sometimes in society, value isonly put on things that produce
(09:24):
money, and so when you'restarting out and you are an
emerging artist and you are notyet earning money, sometimes
people diminish what you'redoing.
So I have now built up mycreative writing practice so
that, basically, that day that Iam not teaching, I am earning
(09:48):
the income that I would haveearned if I was working that day
, and that has been also a greatsource of pride and inspiration
.
But even before that, when Iwas earning peanuts, for me this
was about nourishing my souland this was about, you know,
doing something that matters tome.
(10:10):
So, you know, even with thispodcast, I hope people listen, I
hope people tune in, but that'sokay.
I just want to do fun things, Ijust want to try new
experiences, I just want tolearn new things, and that's
what I also really cherish aboutmy creative practice and have
(10:33):
really found just so joyousabout having this space and
having the network that I havecreated and met.
So I wanted to talk about thebenefits of a writing residency,
and I remember in high schoolthere was a performance of
Virginia Woolf's essay extendedessay A Room of One's Own where
(10:57):
she was talking about howimportant it is for women to
have a room of their own tocreate, and one of the quotes
that I always sort of resonatedbut I really understand now is a
woman must have money and aroom of her own if she is to
write fiction, and that's whatthis writing residency has done
(11:21):
for me.
It's given me money, in onesense because I'm investing
myself in myself by having thiswriting studio, but also then
being able to dedicate this oneday to just being creative and
writing and pitching articlesand writing my fiction to create
(11:42):
the money of my own, and soit's really changed my
perspective and made me muchmore focused in that way.
So, obviously, having thatdedicated time and space to
write, I still obviously writeat home.
I write every day.
I do something towards mycreative practice every day when
I am at home.
I write every day.
I do something towards mycreative practice every day when
(12:02):
I am at home.
But having this one day andthis dedicated time and space,
it really is transformative.
It's also made me more open totrying new ideas, for example,
this podcast, because I have thetime and the space and I can
create this.
You know little area that Idedicate to this.
(12:25):
So it's it's made me just alittle bit more of a risk taker
in that way too.
Then there are also theconnections with organizations.
So, you know, this writingstudio is run through Creative
Brimbank.
They also have grants for localartists and I've benefited from
that, and they all havedifferent types of opportunities
(12:47):
.
Um, I've been able to connectwith, you know, sunshine library
or the brimbank libraries, andI'm listed on the brimbank
Writers Festival and I'm sort ofa regular feature there a
little bit, and I've also hadthe opportunity to meet and
speak to the Sunshine HistoricalSociety, and so this is the
(13:12):
other opportunities that you getwhen you are doing a residency.
You can create those networks.
The other thing that it's givenme is the opportunity to have
somewhere to meet people forinterviews.
So it's a nice quiet space forinterviews, because sometimes,
having people come over, I don'twant to clean the house or
(13:35):
meeting somewhere, and it's veryloud and difficult to conduct
an interview.
So that's something else thatI've benefited from.
Then, of course, there is thisstrange thing that happens with
creative practice, which is themore that you get residencies or
you get grants or you get theseopportunities, the more that
(13:56):
you can apply and the bettercandidate you are, and so having
something like this on the CVis a building block towards
other opportunities.
And, as my daughter grows andgoes into the world and is not
dependent on me for schoolpickups and drop-offs, I'm
already collecting informationabout other residences I would
(14:19):
like to apply for and get thebenefit from, and so just
remember, if at the moment, yourlife does not give you certain
opportunities, just wait.
Just wait and things willchange.
Things will shift and somethingwill happen and you will have
(14:40):
that opportunity at some point.
So I wanted to share somepractical tips on how to apply
so you know.
Collect information arts hub,the Writing Centre in your state
, writing New South Wales,writing Victoria.
If you're international,connect with writing
(15:01):
organizations.
Get onto their mailing list.
Look at the opportunities thatthey share.
Find organizations, so you know.
In Australia, we've gotcreative Victoria, we've got
Australia Council, and thenthere might be local councils in
your area that might be doingthings that you might not know
about or have fundingopportunities that you might not
(15:22):
know about.
Collect the information.
Get on their mailing list sothat they send you emails when
they are opening things, whenthey are having expressions of
interest.
Even if you can't do it right,then and there, that's okay.
You put that in your backpocket, you collect that
information and one day you willbe able to take advantage of
(15:43):
that.
So when you're preparing yourapplication, think about your
vision.
In a lot of these it's abouthow is this going to support
your creative practice, how isit going to extend your creative
practice and then, through that, how will that in a sense,
promote them and promote thatorganization in that way too?
(16:04):
Look at the questions that theyare asking.
Think about how can you addressthat.
Sometimes, you know, you getideas that you might not have
had because of the way that thequestions are asked.
So I had that sort of moment ofinspiration with my last
(16:25):
application.
So make the most of yourresidency network.
Talk to the people that you getthe opportunity to meet.
You never know where you willget that spark of inspiration,
where you will get your nextgreat idea.
I love talking to differentpeople and having those moments
(16:46):
and walking away with a littlelesson or an epiphany or just
seeing the world in a slightlydifferent way.
Think about goals.
What do you want to achieve?
So I now have another two yearsof this residency.
So I've really sort of thoughtbig picture, what do I want to
achieve?
And one of the things is Ireally wanted to experiment more
(17:08):
with visuals, with creatingmore sort of media, different
types of media.
So this podcast is one of thethings that I'm trying.
I'm also going to be thinkingabout and doing live streaming
maybe, and you know, recordingtalking about my writing process
(17:30):
or talking about writing ingeneral.
So I sort of want to extendthat video medium and audio
mediums and just see where thatmight go and what opportunities
it might give me.
I do have a bigger idea in termsof a podcast.
I want to do have a bigger ideain terms of a podcast.
(17:55):
I want to do that is ahistorical podcast to showcase
the research for the book that Iam preparing for publication,
and so this podcast is my firststep towards that.
Because in order to do thatbigger project, where it will be
about inviting people,collaborating with others, I
feel like I need the confidenceto know what I'm doing first of
all, and so I'm practicing withthis solo podcast to learn about
(18:20):
the podcasting process.
But also I would like to applyfor grant, for grants, for
funding applications to producethat historical podcast and
having a podcast that I'vealready started that perhaps you
know I have some exposure withthat, I have some listeners and
(18:40):
some data that I can providewill help in that application,
and so in one sense, thisproject is two-pronged.
For me, it's about learningsomething new, trying something
new, but also a stepping stonetowards my next goal, and this
is what this writing studio andthis writing residency has done
(19:04):
for me.
It's made me think big pictureand it's made me sort of commit
to the big picture, because Idon't know about you.
You know, I get a lot of ideasand then it's like, oh, is that
something I can really do?
And I am now reaching a pointin my life where I'm just gonna
try it, I'm gonna take that risk, I'm gonna put myself out there
(19:26):
and I'm gonna have fun and I'lljust see what happens.
And so that's what I havereally found through this
experience.
So one of the best moments thathas happened during this
residency was just a randommoment where I was feeling a
little bit fatigued from writing, needed a break.
(19:49):
I thought, oh, I haven't reallyexplored the grounds much, so I
went for a wander outside, andout the back there are some
buildings and one of thebuildings that had this sign
historical society, and the doorwas open.
So I just wandered in throughthe door, did a bit of a poke
around, called out hello andthere was a volunteer there.
(20:12):
He was with the SunshineHistorical Society.
Interestingly, he was notsupposed to be working on this
day, so it really wasserendipity, and I went in and
had a bit of a yarn with him andhe told me about the Sunshine
Historical Society, about thehistory of the Hunt Club, which
actually was a hunt club, andshowed me this amazing painting
(20:34):
of you know this gentry in thesered coats on their horses
hunting.
And he talked about how thiswas originally a hotel and that
there might be a ghost herehotel and that there might be a
(20:57):
ghost here.
I love ghost stories, by theway.
And then he gave me something.
He gave me these historical andthen he gave me something.
He gave me these historicalinformation cards.
So there was like a whole set.
So on the front it's got aphoto of a building or a person,
and then on the back it's got alittle write-up and it's got
the logo from the Brimback CityCouncil.
(21:19):
And this sparked one of my greatideas and so I'm working on a
novel that is a historicalfiction novel and, as I've
already said, I have done a lotof research for it and I always
wanted to sort of showcase thisresearch.
I was going to, and I will be,publishing a book of the essays,
(21:43):
that is, the backgroundresearch, so that whoever reads
the novel and is like me, wantsto know what's true and what's
fiction, can read that and findout about it and learn about the
primary sources that I used toconstruct the book and I thought
, oh, I can make littlehistorical information cards
(22:07):
showcasing this research andbringing it to life more and
doing advocacy for somethingthat I'm really passionate about
.
So this book delves intogenocide in Bosnia during the
Balkan war of 1992 to 1995, andso that is something that is my
(22:27):
heritage and something I reallywanted to learn about, and now
that I have learned about it,it's something that I really
want to share and I want to doeducation and advocacy on, and
it also inspired me to then do aKickstarter as a launch.
So I'm preparing that.
So it's another new thing I'mlearning, because Kickstarter is
(22:50):
a platform where creatives getpeople to pre-buy their creative
assets.
So a book, a podcast, a game,so it's all different types of
projects.
I've been following a lot ofwriting and publishing projects
(23:10):
and so I thought, well, this issomething that would be
appealing for this platform andthat would give me the
opportunity to sort of find anew audience, to do a soft
launch, and all of this, thiswhole idea and this whole thing
came from just one day where Iwent for a little wander and I
(23:32):
happened to walk through an opendoor and have a great
conversation that set me off onthis inspirational journey and
this is what I included in myfunding application for this
residency.
I think it probably helped andyou know, you never know what's
(23:56):
going to happen and what you'regoing to find out and learn
about.
So if you ever dreamed of someuninterrupted writing time, as
we all have, think about awriting residency, think about
you know where could you do itand the opportunities you could
take.
I am providing a handout.
So if you go to my website,amrapajalic.
(24:22):
com/ podcast, I will have theshow notes, the transcript and a
handout of some residencies,both in Australia and beyond and
residencies that are forwriting residencies and beyond,
and just start the process ofcollecting information.
(24:42):
So I would love to hear fromanyone who has had an experience
with a writing residency.
An experience with a writingresidency.
You can contact me via mysocial media.
You can contact me via mywebsite.
Leave a comment on amrapajalic.
com amrapajalic/ podcast, wherethe show notes are, or you can
(25:05):
connect with me on social media.
So I'm on Facebook andInstagram as Amrapayalich author
and you know, continue theconversation.
Let's learn from each other.
So in my next episode I will betalking about my self-publishing
journey and why and how Iembarked on that and some
(25:25):
lessons I've learned.
So if that's something thatyou're interested in, please
subscribe so that you can hearthat and take part in that
episode when it comes out.
And again, I'll be sharingresources with that episode if
that's something you'reinterested in.
Thank you for tuning in toAmra's Armchair Anecdotes.
(25:46):
If you enjoyed today's episode,don't forget to subscribe and
follow for more inside storiesand inspiration From my armchair
to yours.
Remember every story beginswith a single word.
Welcome to Amra's Armchair Anecdotes.
I'm Amra Pajalic, writer,teacher and storyteller.
Pull up a chair and let's diveinto stories about writing, life
and lessons learned, sharingwisdom from my armchair to yours
.
I'm Amra Pajalic.
(00:23):
Welcome to the first episode ofmy podcast, Amra's Armchair
Anecdotes, and today I'm goingto be talking about the benefits
of a residency.
So in my instance, I'll betalking about a writing
residency, but it's alsosomething that applies to any
creative anywhere.
It's also something thatapplies to any creative anywhere
(00:44):
.
So I'm going to be talkingabout my experiences, things
that have happened and thebenefits of it, how to find and
apply for residencies, and Iwill be providing a handout that
can help you with the process.
So welcome and thank you forjoining me.
(01:07):
So I'm going to be really honesthere.
I never understood the point ofa writing residency.
I am like, well, you can writeanywhere, can't you?
And I can, I do, I writeanywhere, and I just kind of
thought people who you know getresidencies are a little bit
pretentious and guess what weare.
(01:30):
So I and also I was sort ofcaught up with domesticity and
being mum to a very young child,and so it was something that I
couldn't consider for a longtime and then the opportunity
came up for me to apply and Ihave now been successful in
(01:51):
getting a writing studio at theHunt Club.
So it's a community art center,and Creative Brimbank, which is
my local council, manages thewriting studios here, and I have
to say it has beenlife-changing for me.
This is my third year as awriting residence and it has
(02:15):
been an amazing experience.
So Creative Victoria managesthese writing studios.
They're low cost and basicallywe do pay for the studio but we
get a room, we get free wi-fi,we don't have to pay for any
bills or any electricity.
And then also, because this isa community center, we get the
(02:38):
benefit of the communityfacilities, which is the kitchen
downstairs, which is reallywonderful, and I get the
opportunity to, you know, talkto different people where we all
meet up for lunch and exchangeideas and network.
So that is a great experience,and so these studios are for
people who work, who study andwho are connected with Brimbank,
(03:05):
and I know that there are othercouncils that have
opportunities like this, so it'ssomething for you to think
about and find out.
Does your local council dosomething like this?
So during my long service, thatwas the first opportunity in my
life that I got to be afull-time author.
Most of my life I have been awriter and I have maintained my
(03:30):
creative practice while I haveworked, and most of the time
I've worked full-time.
So I worked full-time as ateacher for seven years and in
that time I still wrote booksand I wrote articles and I
participated in deliveringworkshops and public events.
And I have to say somethingthat's something I'm really,
(03:50):
really proud of, because, youknow, not many of us have that
opportunity to dedicate to ourcreative practice, especially
when we are starting out and weare building up our creative
practice, and so the fact that Ihad that ability to maintain it
, I did have to build insupports for myself.
(04:11):
So, for example, when I wasworking full time and I was
writing my memoir, I did applyand receive a grant from
Creative Victoria and I did getthe amazing Alice Pung to be my
mentor and to support me, andthat was something that I really
needed at that time.
(04:32):
And so the first time that Igot to be a full-time writer was
when I had my long serviceleave, which I earned after
working seven years full-time,and I got to have three months
of being a full-time writer, andit was amazing.
I wrote a book, I wrotefreelance articles so many of
(04:57):
them and was really pitchinghard and getting them published.
I recorded my memoir as anaudio book and it gave me a
taste of what I would be able todo if I had that privilege.
But also that momentum helpedsupport me when I went back to
work, and I was working fourdays as a teacher, which is what
(05:18):
I'm still doing, and one day asa writer, and so having this
writing studio makes me thinkabout my writing practice as a
job, which is a novel concept,because usually, when you're
creeping it into the edges ofyour life, you just sort of have
(05:39):
to think about it as somethingthat you do, and so it's really
transformed what I think aboutmyself and how seriously I take
myself.
One of the things I also wantedto talk about was I've always
had a literary CV.
However, I also then created acreative CV, so I'm affiliated
(06:02):
with bold authors and I have acourse with them about grant
writing, and there was a grantwriting.
There was a course about how tocreate a CV, a creative CV, to
sort of showcase your writing,and this was the first
opportunity that I was applyingfor using that new CV and I
(06:22):
think that sort of helped alittle bit.
So I would encourage you tosort of think about a creative
CV, about showcasing youropportunities through that
format, and check out thatcourse.
So the way I approach my writingpractice is this is another
work day.
I get up in the morning, I getready as if I'm going to work, I
(06:44):
prepare my lunch, I prepare mysnacks, I drop my daughter off
at school and then I come topick my daughter up from school,
and so that means that evenwhen I come here and I'm
incredibly tired and I feel kindof just really struggling to be
(07:07):
creative because I've got thatlimited time and also I don't
have the distractions of, youknow, being at home with a tv to
watch, with snacks to eat andjust sort of go to the cupboard
and then also, you know, withall the things that you have to
do when you're at home in termsof the errands and the chores, I
literally just sit at my deskand I end up just starting the
(07:30):
day and starting to do things.
I've also learned now to comehere and to have a to-do list
and just be very focused aboutwhat am I trying to achieve in
this day and what can I do athome, in my regular life and
manage my creative practice inthat way?
(07:50):
One of the other things that Iwas really surprised about in
terms of a writing residency ora writing studio is how much
having the opportunity tonetwork and connect with other
people really is inspirational.
So within this Hunt Club, wehave five writing studios, and
(08:14):
each studio has someone who is adifferent type of creative.
So there's an art therapist,there's a visual artist, there's
a muralist and there is ahusband and wife team who do
sculptures, and so it's beenreally wonderful to speak to
other people who have a creativepractice and who have their
(08:38):
creative life, but also acrossthose various disciplines, and
so we're still able to shareideas.
Just had a great chat withLucas, a muralist who is just
doing such amazing work, whojust had his YouTube channel
monetized, and so just sharingideas, sharing tips and
(08:59):
inspiration, but also talking topeople who actually get you and
get this part of life.
Those of you who are creative,you know that sometimes this can
be lonely.
You are, you know, doing thingsthat are really fun, and not
many of us have fun in oureveryday lives and then
sometimes in society, value isonly put on things that produce
(09:24):
money, and so when you'restarting out and you are an
emerging artist and you are notyet earning money, sometimes
people diminish what you'redoing.
So I have now built up mycreative writing practice so
that, basically, that day that Iam not teaching, I am earning
(09:48):
the income that I would haveearned if I was working that day
, and that has been also a greatsource of pride and inspiration
.
But even before that, when Iwas earning peanuts, for me this
was about nourishing my souland this was about, you know,
doing something that matters tome.
(10:10):
So, you know, even with thispodcast, I hope people listen, I
hope people tune in, but that'sokay.
I just want to do fun things, Ijust want to try new
experiences, I just want tolearn new things, and that's
what I also really cherish aboutmy creative practice and have
(10:33):
really found just so joyousabout having this space and
having the network that I havecreated and met.
So I wanted to talk about thebenefits of a writing residency,
and I remember in high schoolthere was a performance of
Virginia Woolf's essay extendedessay A Room of One's Own where
(10:57):
she was talking about howimportant it is for women to
have a room of their own tocreate, and one of the quotes
that I always sort of resonatedbut I really understand now is a
woman must have money and aroom of her own if she is to
write fiction, and that's whatthis writing residency has done
(11:21):
for me.
It's given me money, in onesense because I'm investing
myself in myself by having thiswriting studio, but also then
being able to dedicate this oneday to just being creative and
writing and pitching articlesand writing my fiction to create
(11:42):
the money of my own, and soit's really changed my
perspective and made me muchmore focused in that way.
So, obviously, having thatdedicated time and space to
write, I still obviously writeat home.
I write every day.
I do something towards mycreative practice every day when
I am at home.
I write every day.
I do something towards mycreative practice every day when
(12:02):
I am at home.
But having this one day andthis dedicated time and space,
it really is transformative.
It's also made me more open totrying new ideas, for example,
this podcast, because I have thetime and the space and I can
create this.
You know little area that Idedicate to this.
(12:25):
So it's it's made me just alittle bit more of a risk taker
in that way too.
Then there are also theconnections with organizations.
So, you know, this writingstudio is run through Creative
Brimbank.
They also have grants for localartists and I've benefited from
that, and they all havedifferent types of opportunities
(12:47):
.
Um, I've been able to connectwith, you know, sunshine library
or the brimbank libraries, andI'm listed on the brimbank
Writers Festival and I'm sort ofa regular feature there a
little bit, and I've also hadthe opportunity to meet and
speak to the Sunshine HistoricalSociety, and so this is the
(13:12):
other opportunities that you getwhen you are doing a residency.
You can create those networks.
The other thing that it's givenme is the opportunity to have
somewhere to meet people forinterviews.
So it's a nice quiet space forinterviews, because sometimes,
having people come over, I don'twant to clean the house or
(13:35):
meeting somewhere, and it's veryloud and difficult to conduct
an interview.
So that's something else thatI've benefited from.
Then, of course, there is thisstrange thing that happens with
creative practice, which is themore that you get residencies or
you get grants or you get theseopportunities, the more that
(13:56):
you can apply and the bettercandidate you are, and so having
something like this on the CVis a building block towards
other opportunities.
And, as my daughter grows andgoes into the world and is not
dependent on me for schoolpickups and drop-offs, I'm
already collecting informationabout other residences I would
(14:19):
like to apply for and get thebenefit from, and so just
remember, if at the moment, yourlife does not give you certain
opportunities, just wait.
Just wait and things willchange.
Things will shift and somethingwill happen and you will have
(14:40):
that opportunity at some point.
So I wanted to share somepractical tips on how to apply
so you know.
Collect information arts hub,the Writing Centre in your state
, writing New South Wales,writing Victoria.
If you're international,connect with writing
(15:01):
organizations.
Get onto their mailing list.
Look at the opportunities thatthey share.
Find organizations, so you know.
In Australia, we've gotcreative Victoria, we've got
Australia Council, and thenthere might be local councils in
your area that might be doingthings that you might not know
about or have fundingopportunities that you might not
(15:22):
know about.
Collect the information.
Get on their mailing list sothat they send you emails when
they are opening things, whenthey are having expressions of
interest.
Even if you can't do it right,then and there, that's okay.
You put that in your backpocket, you collect that
information and one day you willbe able to take advantage of
(15:43):
that.
So when you're preparing yourapplication, think about your
vision.
In a lot of these it's abouthow is this going to support
your creative practice, how isit going to extend your creative
practice and then, through that, how will that in a sense,
promote them and promote thatorganization in that way too?
(16:04):
Look at the questions that theyare asking.
Think about how can you addressthat.
Sometimes, you know, you getideas that you might not have
had because of the way that thequestions are asked.
So I had that sort of moment ofinspiration with my last
(16:25):
application.
So make the most of yourresidency network.
Talk to the people that you getthe opportunity to meet.
You never know where you willget that spark of inspiration,
where you will get your nextgreat idea.
I love talking to differentpeople and having those moments
(16:46):
and walking away with a littlelesson or an epiphany or just
seeing the world in a slightlydifferent way.
Think about goals.
What do you want to achieve?
So I now have another two yearsof this residency.
So I've really sort of thoughtbig picture, what do I want to
achieve?
And one of the things is Ireally wanted to experiment more
(17:08):
with visuals, with creatingmore sort of media, different
types of media.
So this podcast is one of thethings that I'm trying.
I'm also going to be thinkingabout and doing live streaming
maybe, and you know, recordingtalking about my writing process
(17:30):
or talking about writing ingeneral.
So I sort of want to extendthat video medium and audio
mediums and just see where thatmight go and what opportunities
it might give me.
I do have a bigger idea in termsof a podcast.
I want to do have a bigger ideain terms of a podcast.
(17:55):
I want to do that is ahistorical podcast to showcase
the research for the book that Iam preparing for publication,
and so this podcast is my firststep towards that.
Because in order to do thatbigger project, where it will be
about inviting people,collaborating with others, I
feel like I need the confidenceto know what I'm doing first of
all, and so I'm practicing withthis solo podcast to learn about
(18:20):
the podcasting process.
But also I would like to applyfor grant, for grants, for
funding applications to producethat historical podcast and
having a podcast that I'vealready started that perhaps you
know I have some exposure withthat, I have some listeners and
(18:40):
some data that I can providewill help in that application,
and so in one sense, thisproject is two-pronged.
For me, it's about learningsomething new, trying something
new, but also a stepping stonetowards my next goal, and this
is what this writing studio andthis writing residency has done
(19:04):
for me.
It's made me think big pictureand it's made me sort of commit
to the big picture, because Idon't know about you.
You know, I get a lot of ideasand then it's like, oh, is that
something I can really do?
And I am now reaching a pointin my life where I'm just gonna
try it, I'm gonna take that risk, I'm gonna put myself out there
(19:26):
and I'm gonna have fun and I'lljust see what happens.
And so that's what I havereally found through this
experience.
So one of the best moments thathas happened during this
residency was just a randommoment where I was feeling a
little bit fatigued from writing, needed a break.
(19:49):
I thought, oh, I haven't reallyexplored the grounds much, so I
went for a wander outside, andout the back there are some
buildings and one of thebuildings that had this sign
historical society, and the doorwas open.
So I just wandered in throughthe door, did a bit of a poke
around, called out hello andthere was a volunteer there.
(20:12):
He was with the SunshineHistorical Society.
Interestingly, he was notsupposed to be working on this
day, so it really wasserendipity, and I went in and
had a bit of a yarn with him andhe told me about the Sunshine
Historical Society, about thehistory of the Hunt Club, which
actually was a hunt club, andshowed me this amazing painting
(20:34):
of you know this gentry in thesered coats on their horses
hunting.
And he talked about how thiswas originally a hotel and that
there might be a ghost herehotel and that there might be a
(20:57):
ghost here.
I love ghost stories, by theway.
And then he gave me something.
He gave me these historical andthen he gave me something.
He gave me these historicalinformation cards.
So there was like a whole set.
So on the front it's got aphoto of a building or a person,
and then on the back it's got alittle write-up and it's got
the logo from the Brimback CityCouncil.
(21:19):
And this sparked one of my greatideas and so I'm working on a
novel that is a historicalfiction novel and, as I've
already said, I have done a lotof research for it and I always
wanted to sort of showcase thisresearch.
I was going to, and I will be,publishing a book of the essays,
(21:43):
that is, the backgroundresearch, so that whoever reads
the novel and is like me, wantsto know what's true and what's
fiction, can read that and findout about it and learn about the
primary sources that I used toconstruct the book and I thought
, oh, I can make littlehistorical information cards
(22:07):
showcasing this research andbringing it to life more and
doing advocacy for somethingthat I'm really passionate about
.
So this book delves intogenocide in Bosnia during the
Balkan war of 1992 to 1995, andso that is something that is my
(22:27):
heritage and something I reallywanted to learn about, and now
that I have learned about it,it's something that I really
want to share and I want to doeducation and advocacy on, and
it also inspired me to then do aKickstarter as a launch.
So I'm preparing that.
So it's another new thing I'mlearning, because Kickstarter is
(22:50):
a platform where creatives getpeople to pre-buy their creative
assets.
So a book, a podcast, a game,so it's all different types of
projects.
I've been following a lot ofwriting and publishing projects
(23:10):
and so I thought, well, this issomething that would be
appealing for this platform andthat would give me the
opportunity to sort of find anew audience, to do a soft
launch, and all of this, thiswhole idea and this whole thing
came from just one day where Iwent for a little wander and I
(23:32):
happened to walk through an opendoor and have a great
conversation that set me off onthis inspirational journey and
this is what I included in myfunding application for this
residency.
I think it probably helped andyou know, you never know what's
(23:56):
going to happen and what you'regoing to find out and learn
about.
So if you ever dreamed of someuninterrupted writing time, as
we all have, think about awriting residency, think about
you know where could you do itand the opportunities you could
take.
I am providing a handout.
So if you go to my website,amrapajalic.
(24:22):
com/ podcast, I will have theshow notes, the transcript and a
handout of some residencies,both in Australia and beyond and
residencies that are forwriting residencies and beyond,
and just start the process ofcollecting information.
(24:42):
So I would love to hear fromanyone who has had an experience
with a writing residency.
An experience with a writingresidency.
You can contact me via mysocial media.
You can contact me via mywebsite.
Leave a comment on amrapajalic.
com amrapajalic/ podcast, wherethe show notes are, or you can
(25:05):
connect with me on social media.
So I'm on Facebook andInstagram as Amrapayalich author
and you know, continue theconversation.
Let's learn from each other.
So in my next episode I will betalking about my self-publishing
journey and why and how Iembarked on that and some
(25:25):
lessons I've learned.
So if that's something thatyou're interested in, please
subscribe so that you can hearthat and take part in that
episode when it comes out.
And again, I'll be sharingresources with that episode if
that's something you'reinterested in.
Thank you for tuning in toAmra's Armchair Anecdotes.
(25:46):
If you enjoyed today's episode,don't forget to subscribe and
follow for more inside storiesand inspiration From my armchair
to yours.
Remember every story beginswith a single word.
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