Inside Stories is Create’s creative writing and illustration project for 18-21 year old prison inmates at HM Young Offenders Institute, Rochester. Over a two-week period, Create’s professional writer and visual artist worked with young fathers, or those with younger siblings and/or family members to create, record and illustrate storybooks for children. Charles* (aged 19), took part in the project this August. He has two daughters, Janine* (aged 6 years) and Leila* (aged 1 week). Here, he talks about the impact of the project.
“I decided to do Inside Stories because of my daughters and how much they mean to me. I wanted to tell them how much I love them. When I was told I could do the project, I was really happy because I got this chance to write a story for my little ones.
I’ve never done writing before. I have done some art, but never anything very good. There’s a picture in my cell that I’ve done, of two elephants and a tree.
My poem is called “When Harry Meets Tommy” and is about two characters who are both lonely. They meet and have crazy adventures. It’s inspired by my oldest daughter – she likes teddy bears and princess crowns and Bratz dolls.
Create’s writer and artist pushed me to draw better and to write proper poems, and I did it! I tried my best to do the best I could do.
The best things about the project was the artwork, getting glue everywhere and really hands-on; Cutting out pieces and turning them into flowers, grass, butterflies! The atmosphere was wicked. It made me so happy putting everything together for my kids. I did it all for them.
Inside Stories has taught me that you don’t need to be an artist to write a book. You can use objects (toys, furniture) to inspire you. It has taught me confidence, to speak out loud in front of people, and about teamwork. I got to know the people I worked with, and they told me about their kids and how much they mean to them, same as me.
