Skip to main content
Story

Boost your creativity with a short course

  • Written byCarys Thomas
  • Published date 03 October 2023
Image: Rayna Arya

When was the last time you did something creative? Taking a short course can be a great way to boost your creativity and get inspired.

This summer Rayna Arya took a range of creative writing and fine art short courses at Central Saint Martins. We caught up with Rayna to find out how the courses inspired her to explore new ways of working.

The tutors encouraged me to explore new styles and ideas and to be myself rather than impersonating anyone else.

— Rayna Arya, Short Course Student

Aspiring artist and writer Rayna Arya recently took a series of short courses to develop her skills:

Rayna is passionate about art and creative writing and is currently working on her second poetry book. “My hobbies include writing, painting and looking after animals,” she tells us.

Rayna suffered a traumatic brain injury and has written about her experience and recovery. “My second poetry book is a sequel to my first book, 'Hope Exists', published in 2019,” she explains. “It talks about the rough decade I faced during my accident recovery and will feature a mix of my writings and art.”

Hoping to develop her skills as a writer and artist, Rayna read about UAL Short Courses online and was keen to book a place.

“I really enjoyed the courses that I took” she says, “I particularly enjoyed the Evening Painting Short Course with Guy Noble. The courses were well organised and the teachers were interesting and knowledgeable.”

“UAL assessed my special needs prior to the commencement of the courses and provided me with adequate support during the time I spent in and out of the classrooms (field trips),” she tells us.

Image: Rayna Arya

Exploring new ideas

Rayna found that the courses inspired her to try new approaches to find her own unique voice. “The courses helped me develop my skills as a writer and an artist,” she says. “The tutors encouraged me to explore new styles and ideas and to be myself rather than impersonating anyone else.”

“The tutors also provided me with artists and writers from whom I could draw inspiration. They let us know about art exhibitions in London and I was fortunate to visit the Royal Academy of Arts. I was inspired and fascinated by the platform offered by the Royal Academy of Arts whereby upcoming artists get a chance to display their work. I hope to display my art there in the near future.”

Are you interested fine art or creative writing? Learn how to capture an audience with a creative writing short course or browse our range of fine art short courses.

Check out our upcoming short courses to find out what's coming up.