Have you had a chance to read the first issue of the fab new Lapidus Magazine? It’s full of stories, pictures and articles by and for Lapidus members.

We are looking for the next issue to feature YOUR writing for wellbeing challenges: issues you’ve had with running groups or issues with confidentiality or offending other people with your autobiographical writing.  Please send us your dilemmas and we will ask the community for answers so we can all learn something. In addition, we would love to have your articles or ideas for features, reviews, letters and helpful advice or tips about writing for wellbeing.

Barbara Bloomfield, ex-Chair of Lapidus International, considers the changing landscape of creative practices.

The musician and artist, Laurie Anderson, suggests that all creatives should describe themselves as ‘multimedia artists’ because no-one knows what the hell it means.  She wrote: “It’s so vague. No one can say, ‘Hey, how come you’re a jazz person, and you’re making a pop opera?

“Genres are for bins. ‘What bin should we put you in, so we that we can sell what you do?’ Ignore the bins.”

Professor Tony Wall reports on a lockdown study of 100 therapeutic writers carried out by Lapidus International.

A new national study by the University of Chester and Lapidus examines how creative writing for therapeutic purposes provision changed under the first lockdown of 2020. The study focused on the top 1% most health deprived areas in England (clustered into 16 areas) and combines web analyses, virtual focus groups and interviews, to find out how provision changed, how these changes impacted people, who had been excluded, and what is needed at the local level.

Tony Page has used his experience as a chartered psychologist to craft an interesting psycho-history of his family secrets. Secret Box: Searching for Dad in a Century of Self, is published this month by Telling Stories. He spoke to Barbara Bloomfield about dads, families and the craft of memoir.

The following report was submitted by Barbara Bloomfield, Director of Groups for the Lapidus International AGM 2017:

Today we start our matchmaking column for lonely Lapidusians. Please, please make their day and contact these members who find their part of the UK is a “cold spot.” Perhaps you could meet them for a coffee or even think about starting a new Lapidus group or hold an event? Or just send them a welcome and hello?

I'm pinching myself as I sit in Professor Tony Attwood's glass consulting room, looking out over a tropical garden of palms and guava trees down towards a creek surrounded by lush greenery. As he talks, a two foot long, scaly green and yellow lizard hops onto a rock outside his window, tail thrashing. It's all I can do not to squeak.