Community Discovery Writing Gatherings
This is an invitation to immediately break through a fog of disconnection and neglect of the creative self through spontaneous creative expression in community.
Fellow introverts:
This space was crafted with you in mind. No opening introductions, no formal feedback, and no need to share anything that you’ve written (a big exhale).
And, if you want to practice sharing your creativity, taking up space, and taking small steps out of your comfort zone, the Community Discovery Writing Gatherings provide that opportunity, should you choose to take it. This is an opportunity to move through resistance and creative fear with gentleness.
FINAL GATHERING OF THE YEAR
Sunday, December 15th 11:00am EST
The Community Discovery Writing Gathering is for you if:
⦾ You want to take yourself less seriously and with a whole lot more compassion for your wobbles: more creative power, less shrinking; more light-hearted fun, less self-criticism; more liberating self-expression, less self-doubt…
⦾ You are in need of an inspiration tank fill-up, and fast
⦾ You are looking to explore or deepen in writing as a form of self-care
⦾ You recognize the power of having a creative refuge and ritual, and need some support to make it real
⦾ You make it to the blank document or page and then freeze up without a direction forward
⦾ You love the solitude of writing, but sometimes it feels more like loneliness
⦾ You are ready to generate fresh ideas, draw novel connections, and increase the amount of writing you create
Wondering who else is joining?
We generally have 6-20 people and a mix of…
Repeat participants
New faces*
People who are joining again for the first time in months
Friends that were invited in**
People who have never written for themselves before
People who journal when they can
People who are freelance writers
People in all different time zones
“Maggy has created a space that is not only creative but filled with gentle curiosity and endless opportunities for new perspectives. I felt seen, heard, held, and encouraged all within an hour and a half. I left Maggy’s workshop with a renewed lust for writing and sharing!”
“The experience of creative embodiment was a wonderful way to reconnect to my creative self, and to explore in a way that felt purposeful and meaningful. Maggy is a fantastic facilitator; she brings an empathy and lightness to the sessions that I deeply appreciated.”
“Maggy does such a wonderful job in creating an open, welcoming, and creative space through the Community Writing Gatherings. I was a bit anxious before the first gathering—it has been a process getting to a place of being able to identify as a writer/someone creative—and almost immediately I felt at ease and comfortable in the zoom room. Joining the gatherings has had a positive effect on my writing; engaging in a completely nonjudgmental, highly creative hour to really just play with words and imagination and associations has been super helpful and freeing. Everyone who participated was equally lovely as well and it was deeply life-affirming/healing to be in such a humane, compassionate space (particularly at this historical moment, particularly in the US). Maggy is very intentional in creating such a space and has a way with words that feels very grounding. I’ve really appreciated my experiences so far with the gatherings and look forward to engaging with this writing community in the future. ”
Here’s how the Community Discovery Writing Gatherings work:
⦾ We will all be given the same word, sentence prompt, or topic and will write into it—ideally by hand—for a set amount of time, 6-12 minutes each round.
⦾ When the timer ends, we will enter breakout rooms with one to two other people to read our writing aloud. Pure sharing followed by a thank you. You always have the option to pass on reading.
⦾ Back to the main group again! We begin the process over with a fresh prompt. Next time you enter a breakout room, it will be with a new tiny group and you once again have the choice to read or pass on sharing and hold presence as a creative witness.
⦾ If you’d like to stay on, our hour of generating discovery writing is followed by time to connect with each other in the spirit of intentional, joyful, and nourishing community.
Notes on what this is:
This is a space to use writing as a medium for meeting yourself in new ways, gaining perspectives, letting your creativity loose, and meaningfully connect in community.
This is a space to practice connecting with others beyond the limits of our fragile, self-preserving egos that want to keep face and maintain crisp categories. Something wonderful has happened since starting these: people find it easier to show up with less preface and persona because they are not with people they know ‘in real life’, they are with people who are likewise showing up with all of the feelings, eagerness, doubt, and anticipation that comes with showing up for yourself in new ways. We use writing as the path back to connection again and again: to yourself, to others, to the immediate environment of this one-time-ever moment, and to the loaded experience of being alive at this period in history.
This is a space that welcomes you as you are: you can bring the truth of your energy, depleted, bubbly, shy, grief-filled, numbed, hopeful… as I shared in a past letter titled ‘Your creativity is a force of care’: writing is always ready to meet you again.
This is a space to use writing to shake off creative stagnancy and experience some lightness while practicing presence and playful approaches to thinking, even if you don't regularly practice writing.
Notes on what this is not:
This is not an offering designed for "writers"—the contrary! You don’t need any experience. You might have a scrunched nose when you think about taking the time to write out your own thoughts, with beliefs that nothing you have to say matters or how self-indulgent it is, but if you still feel a pull toward it, I urge you to try it out. When we take the time to go inward, especially in community, it widens our perspective, deepens our capacities, and lifts our spirits in a profound way.
This is not a space where people bring their writing projects—we all start with a blank page and a prompt together. These gatherings are not about generating ‘impressive’ work. This is about trying something new, seeing what happens, orienting toward curiosity, and trying it together.
This is not a space for formal writing feedback—we connect informally and relate to each other as people showing up to a creative experiment, not in terms of expertise.
This is not a space to be hard on yourself. If you have practiced habits of self-judgement, this is a space for you to practice a new way with the support of writing and trying something new in a notably non-judgmental space.
I approach this work as someone who is actively studying and practicing skills around trauma-informed space-holding and inter-relating. Especially because creative expression is so closely related to each of our ‘inner child’, I approach this work with high sensitivity to shame from childhood around creativity, intellect, and belonging, to wounds around learning disabilities, and to personal and collective grief, past and present. I also facilitate as a way to overcome my own fears of being seen and as a sensitive person.
“When I first attended one of Maggy’s Community Writing groups, I was a little nervous. That quickly disappeared. Maggy has cultivated a safe and welcoming space and has attracted people who are also safe and welcoming. And I’m not the only one who feels this way. The last event I attended people were continually commenting on how safe it feels to share there. It has been remarkably freeing to realize how easy it can be to sit down and write and then to share that with others. I’m watching my fears subside and starting to realize that my writing actually makes a difference for people and that perhaps my voice is worth putting out there. Thank you Maggy for creating such an amazing space and the opportunity to connect with others. ”
“So, I just finished the gift of the writing experience. It was truly a gift, and I felt like I connected to the wonderful ladies in both of the rooms I was in. It felt like we were meant to meet.”
“Maggy is delightfully skillful at unlocking my innermost reserves ... Any feeling of constriction I bring into this space is lifted and replaced with a sense of growth and expansion when I leave.”
Yeah, but is it really for me?
Maybe you…
⦾ …have never written for yourself before
⦾ …are an ardent journal-keeper
⦾ …are looking to build your ‘creativity support system’ and participate in enriching community networks
⦾ …know that creativity is an ongoing source of comfort and stability in destabilizing and trying times
⦾ …are extremely nervous to read your writing out loud… but something is pulling at your sleeve to try
⦾ …are in need of a creative spark to jump-start or maintain your writing practice with more consistency
⦾ …are an artist looking to round out and enliven your art practice through integrating writing
⦾ …are yearning to translate floating ideas into tangible writing so that your mind is clear and inspired
⦾ …have a desire to connect to your innate creativity and to keep the connection alive
Welcome.
In entering this gathering space, you agree to the Conditions of Gathering.
“I love the comfort in which I can be vulnerable in the space, and share my work. Maggy has curated a wonderful and inspiring environment that sees zero pressure but one hundred percent encouragement. I love connecting with new people from all over the globe (and some surprisingly close to me, too)!”
“Why do I do the discovery writing gatherings? I just feel better from the experience. I feel connection, fulfillment, exploration... frankly, I feel bliss. Sometimes I feel resistance to writing and showing up, but I know that even if I’m not feeling my best, it feels good to show up. Writing was a huge hurdle for me and I feel like I got over a wall!”
Your mind is welcome to be in whatever state it is in—writing will meet you where you are.
Your propositions can be weak or nowhere to be found—writing will meet you where you are.
Your structure can be lost at sea with no hopes of returning—writing will meet you where you are.
You don’t have to ‘know your voice’ or believe in yourself or trust yourself or really even like yourself at all—writing is still there to meet you.
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