Why I love running writing circles
Especially for people who don’t identify as writers
Hey friends,
Do you ever struggle to get into journalling? Or like the idea of it, but can’t ever seem to make the time or space?
I know that feeling all too well.
For years, I struggled with it. It wasn’t until I signed up to work with one of my favourite poets for a stint of twice-weekly 3-hour writing circles that I realised everything I was missing out on by trying to do it alone.
I’ve joined many writing circles since - and have held many of my own. I love them so much, I even signed up for a circle facilitator training program, where we’re learning how to hold different types of circle spaces.
Writing circles will always be my favourite, though.
So, in honour of our first-ever Lemonade Factory Writing Circle tomorrow, I thought I’d share a little bit more about circles and why this model feels so aligned with me and the creative community I’m building.
The deets
When: Friday 27th June at 7pm Perth / 9pm Sydney / 12pm UK / 1pm Paris / 7am New York
How: Upgrade your subscription (from $15/month or less with an annual plan)
What to bring: Curiosity and an open mind. A pen & paper (or your laptop).
What to expect: Timed writing prompts, creative connections, and optional invitations to share.
Who are these writing circles for?
Anyone is welcome in my writing circles - especially those who don’t identify as writers.
If you’ve never been in any of my spaces before, I get that a writing circle might sound kind of daunting - like you need an MA or, at the very least, your own newsletter to join - but I promise this isn’t that kind of space at all.
In this instance, writing is just a tool to help us journey deeper into the threads of our mind, uncover our own stories, and tap into our own power and potential.
The magic is what happens when we combine our innate creativity with the community in the circle space.
What are circle spaces?
Circle spaces are come-as-you-are spaces where everyone is welcome, where everyone’s words are invited, and where every voice is valid.
They’re spaces that defy traditional leadership roles - there are no hierarchical structures of leadership. Sure, they have spaceholders and facilitators, but inside the circle, everyone is seen as equal - we all get to learn from each other.
To me, circle spaces are the key to the locked door, and the words are what exists beyond it. Sometimes they lead to lovely forgotten treasure troves of memories. Other times, to deeper stories, truths, or realisations we can't always reach alone.
For example, yesterday, I joined a new moon/solstice circle, where the facilitator asked three pretty potent questions:
What are you releasing or rewriting right now?
What is the new you’re calling in?
What support are you craving right now?
Scribbling down those answers, surrounded by others who were doing the same, led me to join some dots I hadn't even seen before.
I’d arrived feeling a little lost, overwhelmed, and uncertain, and I left feeling rejuvenated, inspired, and full of hope.
It turned out I'd had the answers inside me, all along, but I hadn't been able to get there by myself. Maybe I hadn’t been asking myself the right questions, or been in the right position to go deeper.
That is the kind of energy and potential I want to bring to these spaces, too.
Why writing circles?
As a facilitator, mentor, and spaceholder, I've dabbled in many different modalities and have many tools and tricks up my sleeve, from narrative therapy to IFS, but creativity is my favourite.
Creativity is something we all have. We’re born with it. As kids, it’s tended to, nurtured, and celebrated.
As adults, it’s cast aside - a hobby. Something for a rainy day. Something we can do when we’re retired. We talk about the fear of the blank page or the paralysis of perfectionism.
Our society has taught us that if we’re going to create - and dedicate our precious time and energy to it - then we’ve got to do it well.
I don’t buy that.
What about all the things our creativity can teach us - even if the results aren’t “great”? And who is judging, anyway?
What about the space we can create for ourselves when we jot down all the stuff spiralling in our minds and let ourselves unravel it on the page?
What about the answers that come bubbling up from somewhere deep inside us when someone asks us just the right question in just the right situation?
What about the value that can come from showing up for our creativity and the parts of us we’ve pushed to the side, waiting for the "right time”?
My favourite thing about The Lemonade Factory so far has been how people have carved out that time, space, and energy to show up for their art, their creativity, and their stories.
Tomorrow’s circle feels like the natural next step in this creative journey.
What is a writing circle?
Instead of showing up for our own work or projects, we’ll all write to the same prompts: the alchemy comes in realising how different everyone’s responses are. How many infinite answers there are to one question.
After writing, we’ll open the circle up for shares.
This doesn’t necessarily mean sharing what you wrote - although you’re welcome to do that. It might mean sharing what came up for you as you were writing. It might mean sharing how it felt to read back over your answer. It might mean sharing some random story that the question sparked, and that you want to share with the group. Everything is welcome.
And then we’ll go again.
The circle will last an hour or so, but I’ll keep the space open for a little bit after.
If your interest is piqued but you can’t make it tomorrow, then fear not - I’ll be running another one for the community next month, along with two co-creating calls and coffee chats (more deets in last week’s post).
Alternatively, maybe you can set a timer and dive into those questions I shared above. You might end up someplace entirely unexpected.
Any questions, reach out. I’m here, as always.
All my love,
Cassie x
PS - If you enjoy my work or my words, you can:
Join me for a 1:1 creative mentoring call where we can talk about all of this and more. I’m running a special offer on calls until June 30th.
Support me by signing up for a free or paid subscription or buying me a coffee.
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