Anne Higgins
Great personal tragedy had left Anne in a delicate frame of mind and she withdrew from life outside her own front door. However, taking the brave step to enrol on a creative writing course has given her a whole new life and made her a vital part of her local community.
After being attacked in her workplace, dealing with cancer and then losing her son in a motorcycle accident, Anne Higgins was in emotional turmoil and so low in confidence that she was reluctant to leave her house. Desperate to bring her back to life, her sister encouraged her to look at a prospectus where Anne saw a creative writing course that caught her attention, as she thought it might help her to improve the church magazine that she produced.
Anne said, “Ann Bates (the tutor) brought me out of myself. She inspired me to put stuff on paper that had been in my heart. I found that I was looking forward to going to the classes. I had no trouble leaving the flat. I was starting to actually create and not just relive my pain. My shell was cracked and I was slowly crawling out of it.”
When her course ended, Anne arranged for her class to meet weekly at her church in order to continue writing. She became an essential part of the community and has gone on to join other groups, including the church craft group, and meet new people.
The church magazine has also benefited and is now full of creative stories from Anne and other parishioners.