VANI NAIK: Writing Retreats and Creativity
While teaching a class at Queen Margaret University in Scotland, I stumbled upon a writing retreat just down the hall from my classroom. Retreats provide academics with distraction-free environments to focus solely on their writing projects. I asked Dr. Vani Naik, Researcher Developer at Edinburgh Napier University, for a quick interview on my iPhone. You'll love her take on creativity and change.
Are you a professor, researcher or writer? Do you battle with distraction and writer's block? If so, a writing retreat might be just what you need to finish your project. Retreats provide academics with distraction-free environments to focus solely on their writing projects, helping them make significant progress in a short time.
While teaching a class at Queen Margaret University in Scotland, I stumbled upon a writing retreat just down the hall from my classroom. I asked Dr. Vani Naik, Researcher Developer at Edinburgh Napier University, for a quick interview on my iPhone. I'm fascinated with the creative process and thought it could make for an interesting podcast episode. Let me know what you think.
"When you're writing, you're writing, and when you're not writing, you're not writing" - Vani Naik
Key Takeaways
• Writing retreats separate participants from daily demands and distractions
• Structured 90-minute writing sessions create focused blocks of productive time
• Creative elements like guided walks, yoga, and puzzles enhance productivity
• Building community and acknowledging participants personally creates a supportive environment
• Sustainable practices academics can incorporate into their regular routines
• Separating writing time from non-writing activities is crucial for productivity
• Creative approaches to academic writing challenge traditional views of academic seriousness
• Participants consistently are surprised at how much they accomplish in short periods
• Setting clear boundaries around writing time (out-of-office replies, phones away) enhances focus
Bio:
Dr Vani Naik is Researcher Developer at Edinburgh Napier University, where she supports researchers with their professional development. She’s particularly interested in supporting career development, as she recognises how much enjoying your work impacts on wellbeing. She’s carved out an enjoyable working life so that the “Sunday Scaries” don’t apply, and works to foster this in others. Apart from curating creative writing retreats, she is also keen to support professional development for researcher developers. She is part of an international committee creating one-to-one mentoring pairs, and a UK scheme for peer mentoring circles.
What Vani loves about her work is that she can create practical impact from her theoretical PhD thesis work on academic career pathways to the professoriate for women engineers. She has also started her own business with a view to sharing creative practices, providing consulting services to individuals and higher education institutions. Her main interest throughout all her roles is transforming academic barriers into bridges, ensuring that researchers thrive in any chosen career pathway.
You can reach out to Vani here: v.naik@napier.ac.uk
Hi Friend - If you’re enjoying Stories of Change and Creativity, make sure to follow, rate, and leave a 5-star review—it helps more people discover the show.
00:00 - Introduction to Writing Retreat Concept
01:52 - Importance of Distraction-Free Environment
03:12 - Incorporating Creativity and Wellness
05:17 - Building Community and Inclusion
08:00 - Fostering Academic Creativity
13:40 - Just Say Yes to New Experiences
Are you a professor or a writer and have you ever struggled with finding the time to get your writing done? Well, I can certainly relate. Welcome to Stories of Change and Creativity. I'm Judy Oskam. While teaching a class for Texas State at Queen Margaret University in Scotland, I stumbled upon a writing retreat designed for academics and the coordinator, Vani Naik, was open to a short interview on my iPhone. Vani and I talked about writing creativity and the challenges we all face when staring at the blank page or computer screen, and she should know. Dr Vani Naik is an expert on academic careers. Her PhD work focused on women professors in engineering. In one of her roles, she serves as a researcher developer at Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland. Our conversation focuses on the purpose of the writing retreat and offers some tips for dealing with distraction. I hope you enjoy our conversation.
Vani Naik:
And what we're doing here is a three-day writing retreat for academics and postgraduate researchers doing PhDs, and we bring them away to this separate space and there's an option to stay residentially so staying overnight in the halls of residence and we provide all the um, the food that you need your breakfast, lunch and dinner. So essentially they can just focus on their writing projects, whatever that may be. So it could be the writing an article for phd researchers could be working on their thesis um, so it's whatever writing projects that they want to kind of focus on. So we bring that here as a separate space from their day-to-day lives.
Judy Oskam :
And why is that important to really separate?
Vani Naik:
I think many people try to get writing done in between lots of daily demands, but, as you might know as a professor yourself that it's very, very difficult to get that done when there's lots of daily demands. But, as you might know as a professor yourself that it's very, very difficult to get that done when there's lots of email creep or people say, oh, can I just ask you a question? There's lots of distractions. So the idea here is really to provide as much as possible a distraction-free space, plus the separation, I think, of a different physical environment hopefully stimulates that creative energy that they might need to get started on some projects or things they've left behind. Um, the feedback that we've get um is always that they really value being in that completely different space, that it really does spark something different for them well, and the way you've got it designed.
Judy Oskam :
You just came back from a walk, yeah, so you went out for a walk in nature.
Vani Naik:
yeah. So I mean I would say that that's something that I have brought in, because when I first took over it was purely just writing sessions there was. It was literally turn it right and me and one thing that I really wanted to inject is that creativity, and partly because sessions are quite long than 90 minute sessions and I think doing four of those a day is quite intense, and I decided that the third session I want it to be optional, so I even put that you can have a nap, because if they're staying in their residences they can go and have a nap. And I put walk and I'm happy to lead a walk and I've actually been delighted at how many people have come for the walk. I've also put in again, new for this year is some yoga stretching, uh, just lunch. So we had just today we did yoga for fingers, hands and wrists and we also now also do a 50 second breathing bubble before each writing session just to get them into the zone.
Vani Naik:
And you might have seen I also brought a jigsaw in as well. So I just put that out there to people to just have a little play, do something a little bit different. So trying to sort of inject little elements of creativity just for fun, but I think I'm sure there's someone who's doing a research study that somewhere. But I like to think that it helps get them. Um, you know, it will help them eventually in their projects, but if not, it just gives them an idea that when they're writing in their own environment, maybe they can also go for a walk. We know there's loads so much research that shows how beneficial it is. So, um, yeah, just trying to give them options of things they can do, not just here while they're with us, but also things they can do in their own lives so you're actually teaching them models and formats and structures that that might might help them be more productive.
Vani Naik:
Yeah, yeah, I'd like to show them that, you know, one of the things that I think is really important is when you're writing, you're writing, and when you're not writing, you're not writing, because so many people try to write and do other things, and I think it's a clear focus, which is so important, and I think that's one of the real benefits. They always say how amazed they are how much they can get done in a short space of time, and that's easier to do when you're purely focused on that.
Judy Oskam :
Why, do you think I mean, we're so distracted in our day to day? Is that why this has been a successful conference for so long?
Vani Naik:
for academics generally, but having the space and time to do that and I think people also just, you know, someone said to me that there's a grant proposal they want to write and it's, you know, 10,000 words and they just haven't had the headspace to get into it and having the time to do that deep thinking and that deep work without being distracted, I think is really helpful.
Judy Oskam :
Well, I know when I've worked on projects in the past and I've done documentary and editing and you need blocks and blocks of time.
Vani Naik:
Yeah.
Judy Oskam :
And it's impossible sometimes to rearrange your schedule for that.
Vani Naik:
Yes, we try to organize these well in advance so people can kind of almost breathe a sigh of relief even in. We're in June now, so let's say even I think I announced it like February, March, so that they know the days are coming, so they can sort of be calm knowing that time is coming, Because once you block it in a diary it's there, you know. I think creating a space afterwards can be tricky, but once it's in, it's in.
Judy Oskam :
Yeah, yeah. What are some tips that you've that you've learned from doing the conference on things that really work for people, because you put out the puzzles this year, so you're kind of iterating as you go.
Vani Naik:
Yeah, absolutely, I like to innovate, I like to. One of the things that has been really helpful is giving them the permission at the very beginning and saying please put your out-of-office reply on your emails, like setting that tone, also just being very explicit. Explicit, like, please put your phones away if you can. Obviously some people have reasons where they need to have their phones nearby, but please physically put them away. You know, you don't need to even look at them again. Just having that community of people buying into that really, really helps.
Vani Naik:
Um, and one thing I've been so delightfully um, surprised that people were willing to give the yoga a go. I wasn't sure it was an experiment this year, but no shoes came off and I chose yoga sessions that were standing, only ones that you didn't have to do and you know sort of pretzel like shapes. That would be good for me. I could not do that, yeah, so, but I made it kind of ones that would be. The first one was office yoga, next one was for hands and wrists, and people have gone into it and I think that's really good.
Vani Naik:
But for me, a really key part of whether people are willing to do that is how included they feel.
Vani Naik:
So I really make sure on the first day we spend time on introductions. I put everyone's name up so that because they all don't know each other Some of them of them, you know they come from all over, yeah, and use their names and I get to know them a little bit and I think those small things mean that they are willing to buy in because they're not nobody, they're somebody to me. Um, I don't know them really well, but I think they know. Like, if they don't come, I just say are you okay? Just checking you're fine, um, and I think that might be a little bit absent, I think, from everyday academic life. You know, people are quite independent, as rightly so, um, but just to for them to know that you know I care about them and making sure that they're okay and that that seems to hopefully, and you know, foster the environment where people are willing to try things well, I think everyone needs to be seen, right, everybody wants to be seen absolutely and especially when their work is so personal.
Judy Oskam :
Yes, it's writing and it's their. It's their livelihood and their life. Yeah, so I think you have some elements there, but have you tried meditation at all? Have you included some of that?
Vani Naik:
oh we, I won't call it meditation, but it'd be a breathing, like a really slow inhale and exhale because, um, you know, meditation can have religious roots. I want to make sure I just keep that kind of secular, but that has gone down well. But yeah, that's something that you know. I can always invite people at the end if they would like to do that a bit more. That could be next year's innovation.
Judy Oskam :
Well, what is your background to get you into this? Oh wow, how okay you get into this uh, it's a great question.
Vani Naik:
So I'm a teacher by background originally, but then I did a PhD and through PhD, the bits that I was doing was always trying to foster community. I set up a writing group even when I was a PhD student and I really enjoyed those things that were distractions, quote, unquote and then I realized that this was an actual job. So I had the pleasure of getting this job at Edinburgh and AP University as research developer and that basically allows me to try out all these things. And, honestly, I had a terrible time during my PhD which I'm very open about and for me it was during that time to really think about all the ways that I could try to build community things that I needed, and having the position now to make those things happen for other people.
Vani Naik:
You know, hopefully most people are having a much better time, but even whether you're having a good time or less good time, these kind of activities are there to help you. You know they're there for everyone. So, um, you know, most of the time I'm doing it for myself because I'm like, hey, a jigsaw will be fun, you know, just to do another. You know it's when the break. The teachers are right.
Judy Oskam :
We we keep making it fun so that we enjoy this bell and students come along. They're good. So, yeah, I think that's part of it too, and I love that that you really are pulling from your own background.
Vani Naik:
Oh, oh definitely, yeah, I, I, I know that community was really important for me, for people to see me and and to recognize how I worked, and I know I feel very fortunate that in my role I have the freedom to to be, to innovate and bring new things in and say, oh, let's try this. Oh, actually, I think we should. You know, I didn't ask for anyone permission, anyone's permission. I okay, I'm bringing it. It's a jigsaw, but you know, some micromanagers might say, no, that's um, not serious, too fun, it's not serious enough. So I just brought it. I didn't force anyone, I just put a count of the pieces, make sure they were all there, and and then people seem to be doing them like okay, yeah, okay, yeah. So I only brought one and someone seems to be finishing it as we speak. So well, you have to shake it up again.
Judy Oskam :
Yeah, maybe I love that. I've heard you use the word permission a couple times and I think that's something that you know. Giving people permission to get out of the box or to do things differently yeah, I think that's so important and if you start with that mindset, it sounds like that's the whole premise of the conference, right Is yeah, be yourself, let's find a way to move forward.
Vani Naik:
So yeah, I think the trouble I have is that I don't think it's different, I think it's normal.
Judy Oskam :
No, but yeah.
Vani Naik:
Not stream, think it's different, I think it's normal, but I think, oh, but yeah, not, I will not stream exactly that's what they discover, but people are very willing to give things a go and um, yeah, I am really delighted that they also seem to be making progress with their writing. It's not a. Sometimes I think there's a reductive, um, way of thinking in academia. It says you can either be a serious writer or you can do a jigsaw, you know, know, whereas you can do both, and in fact they, they foster each other. So I'm all about the and you can be a serious academic and you can do all these other things as well.
Judy Oskam :
Well, and I think you're the way you have it structured, where the goal is to recognize distraction yeah and then how to move beyond distraction. I think that's what he's using it and how using it yeah, or whatever what you want.
Vani Naik:
I love that and just I mean this is a bit random but in terms of one of the participants even offered to do a guitar recital tonight after dinner and I love that, so I'm so excited about that. So, yeah, it's great that he, you know, he offered and I was like I'm really proud that I've made an environment where I feel that they want to do it.
Judy Oskam :
Oh, that's fantastic, and I think too, writing it really is a creative endeavor, even if it's academic writing, yeah, so I think you tend to think it's different than writing a novel or creative writing, yes, but really writing is so much creativity and so much up to the individual. And how, how do you, how do you face that writer's block?
Vani Naik:
yep, right, yeah, so we do some example again. This year we've done some free writing prompts at the start just to kind of get people, you know, moving, because you know that initial first day can be a bit tricky. Um, but yeah, no, I would totally agree with that creative element. You know, phd is an original contribution to knowledge. I mean, the word creative isn't there, but it is creativity and I completely agree with you that sometimes in academia there's a bit of frowning upon of creativity. But actually I totally agree that needs to be more creativity within not just academia but all walks of life. You know, that's what we need. As we're moving into the world changing constantly, we need to adapt and I think being creative is definitely one of the key skills.
Judy Oskam :
Yeah, I love that. Any parting words you would like to that we haven't covered that you want to touch?
Vani Naik:
So I would say just say yes to things. I mean, we met like five minutes ago, I don't I yeah. So I would say just say yes to things. You never know what might happen, so yeah.
Judy Oskam :
Well, I love your spirit and your energy is infectious and I'm sure some of my faculty would love to come over here to Scotland.
Vani Naik:
I'm a fan Retreat. Yes.
Judy Oskam :
Because I'm thinking this would be something that other organizations and departments not just academia but other organizations could model People have retreats all the time but to actually include some of those other elements that help build culture.
Vani Naik:
I think Absolutely, because I think, the more you know, there's lots of change in the world with technology, but I really believe it's that connection, human to human, that ultimately is what brings us together. So to foster that in a working environment I think is really key and totally agree it could be any organization. I have a friend who's an ecologist and he's like you know they have to write reports and they find it tricky to write reports. You know, exactly the same thing could work as well.
Vani Naik:
I love that Just say yes, just say yes, just say yes. I love that, thank you. Thank you so much, Judy, I delight.
Judy Oskam :
I'll add some information about the writing retreat in the show notes. You can also reach out to Vani on LinkedIn. Well, remember if you've got a story to share or know someone who does reach out to me at judyoskam. com Thanks for listening.