Collaborative scholarly creative writing two poems : two poems 'Thoughts flow from mind to hands’ and ‘Coconut damper: a working recipe'

In August 2013, an intensive research-writing workshop, embedding Indigenous perspectives and approaches, responded to imperatives to develop creative works as research outputs. Inspired by a visual artwork, two poems were collaboratively developed and performed at the workshop by the participants. This activity, and these outputs, explored how visual works can inspire creative text, and how the melding of individual voices offers a dynamism that may not be achieved as a solo writer. Sharing this research technique to facilitate both individual and collaborative research writing resists the competitive nature of research evaluation/ranking. These works were created for publication and performance by ten Aboriginal, two Torres Strait Islander and eight non-Indigenous women. This type of collaboration stands in contrast to Indigenous auto/biographical writing, and engaged Indigenous and non-Indigenous authors in a collaborative research process which has resulted in publication. This presented both challenges and opportunities to develop processes in learning, teaching and research as a collective of creative scholars.