Hey there! If you’re new around here… my name is Britt Matthews, and I host a free community writing night in downtown Panama City at our Beachy Beach Real Estate office.
We meet about once a month for a little over an hour. What started as a group of 3 or 4 has grown into the high teens and I hope we keep growing. I’m also looking at adding a virtual option for folks who can’t make it in person.
The goal of the evening is simple: fast-moving writing prompts that work for any style and encourage honest self-expression and creative recovery in a safe space.
What do I mean by creative recovery?
I believe that when we tend to our inner artist or creative, we are also tending to our inner child and the wounded parts of ourselves. Creating isn’t just an expression… It’s healing.
So why do I host community writing night?
Let’s get into it.
Here are a few reasons why I believe so deeply in the power of community writing night:
Writing transformed my life.
Writing has transformed my life…..especially the kind that comes from the spirit, not something written for a grade or performance review.
Journaling has been one of the most faithful tools in my mental health toolbox. It’s seen me through anxiety, trauma, divorce, loss of businesses, cross-country moves, and medical scares.
My pen has always helped me make sense of life.
Writing transforms others.
Several years ago, I taught a one-off writing workshop at a women’s spiritual retreat, loosely inspired by concepts in Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. I didn’t really know what I was doing but my heart was in the right place.
There was one woman in particular who connected deeply with a prompt. When she shared, I felt my whole body tingle. I watched her go from bracing to relief. I watched her spirit exhale.
At that moment, the whole room shifted. We weren’t strangers anymore,we were witnesses.
I’ve seen little “God winks” like that ever since… sometimes it’s the look on someone’s face when a prompt hits home, or the way their shoulders soften when someone else says something they’ve been holding in but didn’t have the courage to say out loud.
Writing together creates real connection.
During COVID, I was part of an online writing group that met weekly. We didn’t just share writing, we shared our lives. We witnessed each other. We encouraged each other.
That group became the catalyst for me finishing my first poetry book.
Years later, even though most of us have gone our separate ways, I know I could reach out to that facilitator today and she would still champion whatever I’m working on.
It’s a safe space for self-expression.
Writing night is for everyone…..no matter your background, skill level, or style. There are no grades. No rules.
The prompts move quickly on purpose, so you don’t have time to overthink or censor yourself mid-sentence.
It’s less about craft… and more about trusting your voice and believing it deserves to be heard.
This is the kind of community I want to be part of.
I want to be in the middle of eureka moments, messy tears, and the occasional howling laugh when a prompt takes us somewhere unexpected.
I want to be around the makers, the dreamers, and the doers.
For years, I watched groups from the outside and felt like I wasn’t accomplished or “academic” enough to belong. And I realized…if I felt that way, there were probably others who did too.
So this space exists to gently push back on that idea… that you have to be “good enough” to show up.
If I’m honest, some of my favorite moments are watching the people who were a little skeptical at first soften and open right in front of me.
One of my personal mantras is:
“I create beautiful things that make people feel heard and seen.”
And at the end of each writing night…if even one person feels that way… then it was a win.
If this sounds like something you’ve been curious about… I’d love to have you join us.
Whether it’s for personal healing, to explore your creativity, or even a free date night with your significant other…
You can find the next FREE COMMUNITY WRITING NIGHT under the Events tab on my website or on my @brittmatthewswriter Facebook page under Events.
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