Developing your Creative practice: Désirée Reynolds

The Developing your Creative Practice fund has supported Désirée in developing her writing by attending relevant courses, festivals and conferences, allowing her to explore her passion. She tells us more about how DYCP has helped her.

Désirée Reynolds is a writer, based in Yorkshire. She is an author whose book was published by Peepal Tree Press, and her short stories and flash fiction have been published in a number of anthologies. At the time when Désirée applied, she was teaching creative writing to young people with learning difficulties, those at risk of exclusion, young offenders, and those that have fallen through the system.

As a working parent, Désirée had less opportunity to write in recent years. Developing your Creative Practice allowed her to spend time attending relevant courses, festivals and conferences. It also meant that she can travel to research subjects she intends to focus on in her future work.

A grandchild of the African diaspora, Désirée is concerned with female identities, and ideas of belonging, home/not home, rootlessness and invisibility. Désirée wanted to take the time to consolidate her practice and develop her networks.

“I’m writing about women of colour and women and the ways in which we negotiate the worlds we have lived in and continue to live in. In one project I’m exploring female racial relationships and how that impacts on lives and how because of history, situation and geography are completely framed by race. In the other I’m writing about the relationship with one’s self and a female Black British identity. I still find that so much of our lives is untold and the silence around our stories makes me want to fill those voids with thought and emotion and the very ordinariness of living.”

Désirée wants to take the time to consolidate her practice and develop her networks. As well as helping her to ensure that her work is consistent and focused,

being able to participate in a range of opportunities will broaden her perspective, give her new ideas, and increase the possibilities of creative partnerships.

“When you have an idea, you can spend an inordinate amount of time imagining it, but when it comes to practically applying your amazing idea you realise that it might be unworkable, and that is all a part of the writing process. Rejection as well as inclusion. It all takes time. it’s been a revelation to me this last six months how much I feel unworthy and the funding made me recognize my ‘unworthiness’ and confront it. And that is an ongoing thing. I’ve actually had time to process, that is what receiving the grant has done for me. I continue to grow. Thank you.”

Top Tip

“What I’ve learnt through the process is that, even as an already published writer, imposter syndrome is alive and flourishing. That writing takes more than courage or commitment but also love and desire. And if anything is worth doing, it’s worth doing if you want it done. That no amount of clever sound bites or inspirational words or nicely coloured sayings or memes will get you there.”