Let me tell you about my workshop by Jane Walters

For this month’s blog, on behalf of my group Green Pastures Christian Writers, I thought I’d tell you about a recent workshop I ran, not too far from where I live. Some of you may know that I lead residential writing retreats, and a friend suggested a couple of years ago that I put on something called Writing for Recovery. It was all the encouragement I needed, and this year’s workshop was the third of its kind that I’ve led.

I realise I’m probably preaching to the converted here, but writing really does help our mental health and general well-being. The tagline for my event is ‘getting it out of your head and onto the page’ and, of course, that’s literally what it does. When you google the topic, you’ll discover there’s some science behind the connection of our pen to the page. It does something good in our brains, as well as getting those all-consuming thoughts untangled. Any of us who have kept a journal, or done Julia Cameron’s inspired ‘Morning Pages’ will attest to the benefits of writing stuff down. It doesn’t have to be refined, carefully crafted prose. We can just slosh those words down onto the page, and our work is done.

Each workshop contains the same material, but is different each time according to who comes along. Previous days have attracted all women, but this time we had two men join us – who, admittedly, had to put up with frequent references to perimenopausal fogginess and hormones generally! I’m always impressed at the willingness of guests to be honest and open and we end up learning as much from each other as from me. When we can’t put our thoughts and feelings into words, it can be so helpful when others around us can manage to articulate it on our behalf.

In all I do, I always want to be God-pointing. Even when we know there’s something ‘magical’ about writing (and reading), it’s God’s involvement in it that’s key. When we’ve ‘poured out our complaint’ (as Psalm 142:2 encourages) we can kind of show him the page. Together, we can go through what’s been bothering us. He sheds his light on it all, and helps us regain a better perspective. Sometimes solutions come, and sometimes they don’t, but even so we feel better. Seeing the guests leave with their burdens a little lighter and the next steps clearer is such a blessing, as well as a huge privilege.

 Jane Walters is Chair of ACW, leader of Green Pastures Christian Writers, and leads Christian writing retreats.

She is currently writing a retreat handbook, to be published in 2026.

Insta: @readywritersretreats