On Writing, Freedom, and Labour

Each year, I find myself returning to A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf. It never fails to feel timely. In this essay, she reflects on the obstacles faced by women artists and gently urges us to write beyond the expected, while seeking dignity in its many forms (the freedom to dream, the necessity of rest and, quite pragmatically, the importance of money).

As a teacher of English, writer of didactic materials, and owner of a whole lot of projects tucked away in drawers, I find this text deeply motivating and this particular extract struck me as a fitting way to begin the year.