Tag Archives: creative writing for carers

When a Picture Speaks: Ealing Carers Art and Poetry, September 2026

By Matthew McKenzie – Ealing Carers Poetry Group facilitator

At our September Ealing Carers Poetry Group, we tried something different: bringing drawing and poetry together. I invited carers to sketch something simple, notice the words and feelings it brought to mind, and then write as though the picture could speak.

There was no expectation to be an artist or an experienced poet. A few lines on paper were enough. What mattered was giving carers room to express something important to them.

Draw a moment, write its voice

The drawings included a cup of tea, a bed, a slice of watermelon, a circle, a birthday card, two hands holding one another and a smiling sun. Each became a starting point for a different poem.

A cup of tea brought out the closeness between a carer and her son, and the hope found in sitting together. A drawing of a bed led to a poem about watching someone you care for and wishing you could do more. The green, black and red of a watermelon became a way to describe the daily cycle of caring and the return of brighter moments.

Other poems explored bonds that continue through difficult times, memories held in an old birthday card, the reassurance of holding hands, and the need for carers to find moments of joy and self compassion.

Some drawings were emailed to me; others were held up to the webcam. Even when a picture was difficult to see on screen, the person who made it could tell us what it meant. Hearing each poem in the carer’s own voice added something the image alone could not convey.

The objects we keep close

For a second exercise, I asked carers to choose an everyday object and begin with the idea, “You might think this is just…” A cardigan became a source of comfort. A pen represented both creativity and the practical work of caring. A book of poems, a blanket and an iPad used to play music opened up thoughts about memory, connection and changing emotions.

I was struck by how generously everyone listened. Carers noticed details in one another’s work and offered encouragement. One person found it difficult to write during the exercise, and that was welcome too. Being part of the group does not depend on producing a poem every time.

Watch the carers’ poems and artwork

I have brought the drawings and poems together in a short video so that more people can see what the group created:

Thank you to everyone who drew, wrote, read aloud, listened and supported someone else. The session reminded me that a simple picture can hold a great deal of experience, and that carers deserve space for their own creativity as well as their caring role.

Join us

The Ealing Carers Poetry Group is a welcoming online space for unpaid carers, including mental health carers. You can write, share, or simply come along and listen. Carers from Ealing and beyond are welcome to enquire.

To ask about the next online session, email info@ealingcarerspartnership.org or call 0203 475 9891.

I will also be leading a free in person poetry workshop on Thursday 8 October 2026, 11 am–1 pm, at Ealing Central Library. Places are limited, so please contact Ealing Carers Partnership to register.

“Caring Feels Like a Poem”: Inside Ealing Carers’ Monthly Online Poetry Workshop

“Caring feels like towels.”
“Smells like sweat.”
“Sounds like silence.”
These are not lines from a published anthology, but heartfelt expressions from unpaid carers who meet every month in a quiet online space to write, reflect, and reconnect—through poetry.

Welcome to the Ealing Carers Poetry Workshop, an online community gathering for carers, hosted on the last Friday of each month at 6 PM. It’s free, friendly, and, for many, deeply healing.

Why Poetry? Why Now?

For unpaid carers, life is often consumed by routines, responsibilities, and quiet sacrifices. There’s little time to stop and process the emotional weight of the role, let alone articulate it. That’s where poetry comes in.

Poetry doesn’t demand polished grammar or clever rhymes. It simply asks:
What do you feel?
And from that question, remarkable truths begin to emerge.

In a recent session, one carer described how “caring tastes like sweet and sour”—a vivid metaphor for the moments of tenderness mixed with exhaustion, patience, and the daily challenge of giving so much of oneself.

Another shared, “Caring feels like a balloon… slowly inflating until it might burst.”
The group nodded. They understood. No further explanation needed.

More Than Words

Each workshop is a gentle hour of guided prompts, group sharing (if you feel like it), and poetic reflection. Some come to listen. Some come to write. All leave feeling a little more grounded, and a little less alone.

Here’s what you can expect:

  • Creative prompts to help spark inspiration
  • No pressure to share if you’re not ready
  • A safe, confidential space led with empathy
  • A supportive community that “gets” the highs and lows of caring
  • Gentle encouragement to save and revisit your poetry as a personal record

One participant put it perfectly:

“You don’t have to be a poet. You just need to be willing to put words to what you feel.”

Healing Through Expression

We often talk about self-care for carers, poetry is one powerful, practical form. It’s a creative release that helps untangle emotions that don’t have easy answers. It can reflect joy, grief, humour, fatigue, hope. It can be messy. It can be raw. But above all, it’s yours.

As the facilitator beautifully says,

“Poetry holds up a mirror. What you see in it is up to you.”

For many carers, this monthly workshop has become a lifeline. A moment of peace. A reminder that their experiences matter.

If you are an unpaid carer, then Join Us – You Are Welcome

Whether you’re new to writing or simply curious, we invite you to take an hour for yourself.

🗓️ When: Last Friday of every month
🕕 Time: 6:00 PM (UK time)
🌐 Where: Online – attend from the comfort of your own home
🎟️ Reserve your free place here:
👉 Ealing Carers Poetry Workshop – Eventbrite

Grab a notebook. Pour a cup of tea. Come write with us.