“Putting words onto paper—when it is done as an honest act of search or connection, rather than as an act of manipulation, performance, self-aggrandizement or self-protection—is a holy act.”

― Pat Schneider, How the Light Gets In: Writing as a Spiritual Practice

“A writer is someone who writes.” 

It’s a simple quote from Pat Schneider, founder of the Amherst Writers & Artists organization, that strikes both hope and fear into the heart of every writer. Too often our culture associates being a successful writer with being a published author. Too often our expectations and beliefs about what constitutes being a writer gets in the way of the very thing that makes us writers: the act of writing. The truth is that every word we write contributes to a larger body of work, regardless of whether it goes beyond our private pages or not. Our writing doesn’t need to be perfect to matter. We write to explore, to imagine, to deepen into our craft. Writing is a spiritual practice, not meant to feed our ego but rather to nourish our connection with the Divine, with the spirit of community, laying the foundation for deeper expression and understanding.

This fall, join Rev. Jessica Steward, MFA for “Creative: Writing,” an eight-week creative writing circle that is part of our new “Creative Studio Series.” On Sundays, starting October 26, 2025, participants will be offered a writing prompt and invited to write in response to the prompt. Writers are encouraged to play with writing fiction, poetry, nonfiction and will be given word or time limits for each exercise. This is quite different from our proprioceptive writing circles in that participants are encouraged to write creatively, to push the bounds of imagination and stretch their growing edges as a writer.

During each live circle, writers will be asked to read their response to the week’s writing prompt. As a facilitator, I will ask a few simple, open-ended questions as an invitation to revise or continue your piece. Then, as a group, we will complete a fifteen-minute flash writing prompt to continue the creative act of self-expression. Our goal during this circle is to activate our mutual creativity and benefit from the myriad gifts of writing together in community. 

At the end of our time together, you will then be invited to submit a two-piece portfolio that I will review and give feedback on for further revisions.

Schedule & Logistics

Due to my fall schedule, we will meet weekly for three weeks, taking a two week live-meeting break—during which time you will still receive prompts and be encouraged to share your writing online. Then we will meet again for a final three weeks. At the conclusion of our time together, you will select two, edited pieces, write an introduction to these pieces—why you chose them, and what you hope to receive from me in terms of feedback—and then submit that portfolio to me for my review.

  • First prompt: October 26, 2025
    • Eight (8) weekly prompts
  • Live Circles: Thursdays, 7pm ET to 9pm ET (4pm PT/6pm PT)
    • October 30, 2025
    • November 6, 2025
    • November 13, 2025
    • Break for Brendan’s Birthday
    • Break for Thanksgiving (US)
    • December 4, 2025
    • December 11, 2025
    • December 18, 2025

What’s Included…

  • A Private Virtual Circle in House of Belonging
  • Eight (8) Weekly Prompts
  • Six (6) Live Circles (These will not be recorded.)
  • One Final Portfolio Review (Includes Introduction and two (2) selected pieces)

Join the Circle

In the spirit of this “collective care fellowship”, all paid programs offer 3 tiers of pricing: Collective Care Beneficiary, Collective Care Maintainer, and Collective Care Contributor. We may play all of these roles throughout our lives and wherever you find yourself in this moment is welcome.

Note, my circles always sell out quickly. Registration closes by October 25, 2025.

About Your Facilitator

Reverend Jessica Steward is the founder and abbess of A Mighty Kindness, a sanctuary for seekers, skeptics, and scamps. In April 2025, Rev. Steward received her Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Chatham University. She is currently working on a memoir, in addition to composing and delivering monthly reflections in her Sermons on the Couch. A selection of her writing can be found on her Substack site, Luminous Flux.