From the Magic Pencil: Voices of Writing Through

What is co-creation? This week, Sue is joined by Writing Through’s former Assistant Director, Jess Blackledge, who discusses her move back to the UK during the pandemic, her unexpected culture shock, and the unique challenges posed by the co-creative process. Jess also speaks about her experience as the Creative Producer of a new pilot program at the Theatre Royal Plymouth and the role that co-creation has played in her work there....

What factors impact creative writing? In part two of our interview with Jess Blackledge, Writing Through’s former Assistant Director, Sue and Jess discuss the ways in which culture and age inform creative processes. Jess tells us about the differences she has observed facilitating in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Singapore. She also shares her experience working with both kids and adults and how people’s fixation on originality can get th...

In this episode, Deputy Director Kristin Schuster speaks to Cheatra, a brilliant student from the prodigious Liger Leadership Academy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He discusses his school, how he incorporates the Writing Through Workshop rules into his life, being creative during the pandemic, and his journal rituals, among other things. We cover so much in this episode! Cheatra’s energy and enthusiasm are infectious, and they can’t hel...

In this episode, Sue sits down with Roun Ry, a good friend and former student of Anjali House and Writing Through. Roun is now a celebrated professional photographer living in Phnom Penh City. He and Sue discuss his artistic process, how he tells stories through both images and words, the importance of self-expression, and how he gives back to his community.

If you would like to see Roun’s work, you can follow him on Instagram ...

In this episode, Kristin Schuster, our deputy director, is back chatting with the lovely Kim Ann Khlang from PEPY, one of our partners in Siem Reap, Cambodia. They discuss the impact on the PEPY scholarship students when they learn to write creatively in a second language, have the freedom to make mistakes, and question their own limitations. Kim Ann discusses her own relationship with writing and shares a poem written by a PEPY st...

In this episode, Sue interviews the fascinating Lizzy Plapinger, known professionally as LPX. They discuss what it means about to be an artist, how we can all live a more creative life, her unique relationship with color and AI and how she rediscovered her first love, visual art, during the pandemic. LPX is now bravely moving out of her comfort zone and living and leading with curiosity. Check out this episode to hear all about it!

In this episode, Sue interviews the incredible Dara Hout, the Chief Executive of Phare Circus, a live show of drama, dance and impressive acrobatics, known as the ‘Pride of Cambodia’. Listen to how he  defines creativity, why we should all embrace the feeling of fear and perseverance in the arts and how every decision we make is creative. You’ll also learn more about the history of the arts and circus school supported by this impor...

In this episode, Sue interviews Writing Through’s former Deputy Director, Jess Blackledge, who now lives in Edinburgh and works as a Learning Officer for the world-famous Fringe Festival. They discuss her wide-ranging career, which has the common thread of  inspiring young people to cultivate their creativity. She also talks about how her life-long love affair with the theater has led her to believe in the vital importance of an ar...

In this episode, Sue interviews one of the members of Writing Through’s fantastic Board of Directors, Votey Cheav. They get into a wide array of topics during their conversation. Votey really has had a fascinating life; she shares her experience as a Cambodian American and a child of refugees, her personal relationship with poetry, creativity and her great love of learning. She explains how she applies her creativity in so many way...

In this week’s episode, Sue is joined by her friend, Dr Lisa Wong, a pediatrician, musician, teacher and musical education advocate. She explains the fascinating links between how and why playing music makes someone a better physician and how the skills that children learn playing instruments can later be applied to the study and practice of medicine. They also discuss the power of giving people of all ages permission to be curious...

In this week’s episode, Sue interviews  Lucia Orellana, an Ecuadorian social and clinical psychologist-turned-poet and one of Writing Through’s long-term volunteers. They discuss how living in different cultures, places, and languages can change you, the differences between writing poetry in English and Spanish, and the challenges one may face when translating between both languages. Lucia explains how she rediscovered her first jo...