Poetic Inspiration with the Red Room Team

Being part of the Red Room Company team has proven to be an invaluable experience for me. On my first day, I remember marvelling at all the possibilities of what I could accomplish here. Everyone is so kind and welcoming and they do not hesitate to answer any questions that you may have. They are always willing to help you learn and I feel like I have learnt so much. Not only that, I think I have become more independent when working. They trust you to take initiative which has instilled a lot of confidence in me. The team is so hard-working and to see what they do makes me feel glad that I’m able to contribute positively to such a useful organisation.

My role as Project Assistant allows me to help out with numerous projects, including the Poetry Object. Through this work, I have gained skills in editing and publishing, which is my favourite part. Working at the Red Room Company allows me to build skills that will serve me well in future work, which is most valuable. I also think Poetry Object is a valuable project to be working on because it allows students to try their hand at writing poetry. I wish I had the chance to participate in something like this while I was at school. It gives students the opportunity to open their minds to a whole new world they may not have encountered before, exploring different ways of using language, thus practicing their literary skills while at the same time improving them.

I have also had the opportunity of writing reviews. As someone who has never written a review before, I was a little nervous about it, but the support, encouragement and feedback I received helped me believe in myself, but also helped me improve my writing. Reading poetry and generally being surrounded by it has even inspired me to write my own poetry, which I have only recently started to do, and I think that has a lot to do with working at the Red Room Company. I’m not as scared of poetry as I once was, but have found a new appreciation for it because of learning the different forms poetry can take.

If you want to learn, discover and grow, then The Red Room Company is the place to be.    

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Sheree Kriticos is a volunteer project assistant who just finished her Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in English at Western Sydney University. She loves to read and write her own stories. Her dream is to one day have her own book out in the world. When she's not doing assignments or studying for an exam, you can almost always find her curled up on the lounge with a book in her hands. Sheree is currently an intern at the Red Room Company, and is finding herself inspired by the poems she reads.