Hi, I’m Greta Solomon / Greta Solomon

Hi, I’m Greta Solomon

I am a British journalist turned writing coach and the author of Heart, Sass & Soul: Journal Your Way to Inspiration and Happiness (Mango, 2019) and Just Write It! (McGraw-Hill, 2013). I train, coach and mentor professional and aspiring writers through my books, online courses and in-person events. My latest book, Heart, Sass & Soul, is available to pre-order now.

I found my purpose 14 years ago

In 2006, after a four-year ‘creative pilgrimage’, I started working as a personal English tutor. I soon found that my creative methods helped students to quickly go from C grades to A grades. Through this work, I also discovered a talent for helping people overcome the blocks, fears and shame that stops them from fully expressing themselves. After a few years, I moved into business writing training, creating and delivering writing workshops for multi-billion-pound companies and international business organisations.

Today, my work is focused on writing for creative self-expression. Through talks, workshops, retreats and online programmes, I teach real-world writing techniques and inspire others to live rich, creative lives.

I have a background in psychology, performance arts and journalism

I represented Great Britain in the 2003 Model of the Universe contest. I am trained in speaking, professional acting, improvisation and performance poetry. I have performed at The Nordic Black Theatre, guided writing workshop groups around Addis Ababa, been the host of a global careers conference and have chaired publishing industry panel discussions. I have spoken about writing, creativity and self-expression in a variety of international auditoriums and workshop rooms. I also held the post of visiting lecturer in business writing at City University, London.

As a journalist, I have held staff roles at Woman and Executive Woman and her freelance articles have been published in The Numinous, Forbes.com and Huffington Post, as well as a variety of national newspapers and magazines. I am also a published poet and songwriter.

I have a BSc in Psychology (University of Warwick, 1999). I am a certified life coach, a trained lifelong learning teacher and hold a specialist certificate in lyric writing from Berklee College of Music. I live in South West London with my husband and our daughter.

Now, it's over over to you

Do you yearn to write – really write? The things you don’t dare to say. The feelings you’ve long pushed away. And the stuff of life you haven’t yet tackled.

Writers usually find a way to write. The problem is you may be working in communications, journalism, law or another profession where you get to write, but only on the job. 

Or you may have carved out time and space to write (in between parenting, or socialising, or Instagramming, or making headway in your career), only to feel blocked and stifled. There’s a book, article, novel, poem or blog post there but it’s stuck. There’s a layer of gunk stopping it from being expressed. And all the green juices and yoga stretches in world can’t clear this. Not addressing this can lead to self-blame and doubt, pulling you further away from your writing dreams.

I help you hold that deep, and long-held desire to write, while you tackle the things that are getting in the way.

So, we tackle mindset blocks, while also doing creative writing exercises. You experience the joy of writing freely and easily, while also uncovering the specific incidents of shame that hold you back. I teach you practical writing techniques that both professional and non-professional writers can use – all while helping you develop a holistic approach to your creative life. 

My approach is to fully wake you up, in mind, body and spirit. It’s about writing, but it’s also about life. 

So, how do I know how do this?

Well, in 2006, I started tutoring students in English and writing. They came to me because they wanted better grades in English. But when I asked them what they thought about the topics they had to write about, they stumbled. They weren’t sure what they thought or felt, and they couldn’t write freely.

At the time I was studying a specialist certificate in lyric writing at Berklee College of Music. I began teaching them lyric writing techniques and found that these exploded their creativity and self-expression. They could write freely and joyfully and this led to them achieving top grades.

I had a different perspective.

I had been Head Girl at High School in London. I was also an award-winning violinist, champion athlete and left college with three A grades at A-level. I was an over-achiever who largely hid my creative and artistic side in order to survive, and I adopted a different persona. I began actively dismantling this after graduating from university in 1999 with a degree in Psychology. I did this through journaling and writing and beginning the long process of finding who I truly was. 

This came to a head in 2002, during my second job as a magazine journalist. On paper, it was the DREAM JOB, but I just felt blocked and stifled. I felt un-creative and as though I was on a conveyor belt. I had done what society told me to do – get A grades, go to a top university and get a good job. But inside I felt that my true self was lost. 

I went freelance as a journalist and spent four years exploring my creativity to see where it led. Ignoring a lot of raised eyebrows, I studied professional acting at The Poor School and later won a coveted place at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Hollywood (which I didn’t take up!) I became a beauty queen – representing Great Britain in the Model of the Universe Competition. I travelled extensively, doing promotional work and selling tequila shots in night clubs for extra cash. I also modelled for black hair and beauty brands and appeared in short films and reality TV shows. I became a published poet and top-line songwriter, securing music publishing deals covering the UK, Belgium and Holland. 

By the time I started teaching writing in 2006, I was able to see the WHOLE PICTURE. I was open-minded. I knew there was no ONE PATH. I knew that each person needs to strip off the layers of conditioning to find what lights them up. My students weren’t machines who needed grades to fit into the cogs of life. They were whole people, who needed a whole-brained, whole-hearted approach.

Since then, I have trained, coached and mentored hundreds of writers.

I have collected a whole toolkit of creativity and self-expression techniques over the years, and I layer in techniques from journalism and a whole host of creative disciplines. But it’s my work on shame that most often resonates with my clients. When you bring shame to light it can’t survive – so it’s crucial to tackle it head-on.

I am skilled at creating safe, inclusive, comfortable spaces to explore yourself as a writer – both online and in-person

I have run writing workshops and programmes for both kitchen-table bloggers and multi-million-pound companies. I have spoken at universities and conferences and in living rooms. I have nurtured groups and individuals online and off-line. 

It takes a leap of faith. But I’m here to help you break through blocks and make your mark on the world. Start with your journal – and start now.

Original post here.