Welcome back to the Create Shift podcast. It’s been a little while since I released a new episode, and even longer since I did an interview. I’m so excited to share today’s interview episode with writer Tutku Barbaros.

Tutku is a writer – across forms – of Turkish Cypriot heritage from south-east London. She is an alumna of the Royal Court Writers' Programme as well as Sphinx Theatre's year-long writer's development programme, Sphinx 30. Her play debut Layla and Youssef was longlisted for the Bruntwood prize and the Paines Plough Women's Prize For Playwriting. "All The Women She Knows" is her debut book. Tutku also leads creative writing workshops designed to playfully and joyfully help adults unlock their imagination in relaxed settings.

Follow Tuts on Instagram @Tutku_Barbaros (this is also the place to get all the info on the writing workshops Tuts runs)

Order Tuts’s debut short story collection (I really recommend it) All The Women She Knows

Topics covered in the episode

* Writing as a practice for survival, and creativity for the sake of creativity

* Success, finding your own definition of it & how it’s “not about what success looks like, it’s about what it feels like”

* Writing trauma

* Tuts’ process of writing All the Women She Knows, and how she allowed herself to slow down and enjoy the journey of it - “allowing myself to just sit in the world and go slowly”

* Burnout, Tuts’ experience with this in 2019 and how the pandemic was a time for her to re-assess and re-connect with writing

* How there’s a need for a radical overhaul in the theatre industry

* The importance of artist dates, and of surrounding yourself with inspiration

* Movement and creativity, and the importance of embracing the weird and the uncertainty

* Trigger warnings in creative work

Links & resources

* Dear Damsels So Long As You Write club

* My recent post on the myth of the tortured artist

* My upcoming workshop A seasonal approach to creativity and artistic practice

* Upcoming Rebellious Artists' and Creatives' Café on the theme of inspiration. April 26th (not the 27th as I said in the episode), 12pm BST. Book your free space here. )

* All the info on 1:1 coaching

Thanks for listening.

Until next time.

Stay inspired, stay curious and stay connected.

Ellen x