This semester I have been working with two primary schools, promoting simple techniques that increase the flow of words. Initially we completed a simple exercise which serves to demonstrate that often it is best not to think or actively search for words. Often it is best to free the mind and trust that the words will come. All you need to do is close your eyes and relax. Try to empty your mind by looking at what you see when your eyes are closed.

"I saw a blackish greyish colour with different colours speckling all over the place. The colour is like a deep void of nothing with colours exploding around" wrote one Grade 6 student. Later we did a guided imagery and students discovered how much sensory material appeared on their pages, seemingly drawn from the very deep void that Gary had witnessed.

Experiment now. Close your eyes! Relax! Look at what you can see with your eyes closed and then write for twenty minutes without stopping.