Somewhere To Set It Down
A creative practice for mothers and caregivers
Why the Arts Work
Motherhood brings feelings most of us were never given language for. Resentment, grief, envy, a guilt we can't always trace back to its source. And the arts have always been able to hold what words alone can't reach. A line, a stitch, a color choice, a poem —each one its own way of saying the thing underneath the thing.
That's what this space is built on. What making it lets you carry and what it lets you finally set down.
Art Circles
Small circles where mothers gather to witness and be witnessed — space held for whatever wants to be said, without having to explain it first.
Who It's For
For mothers at any stage — new, years in, or anywhere between. Whether you birthed, adopted, or took on the role another way, if you hold it, you belong here. No writing experience required.
How the Circles Are Structured
Circles run 60 to 90 minutes, with no more than 12 people in a group. Most open with discussion around a single topic — though it may wander — followed by a prompt and individual writing time. We come back together to share and reflect before closing. Some circles are one-off sessions; others run over several weeks to go deeper into a topic.
How to Join
Circles open throughout the year. Space is limited and tends to fill quickly. Join the waitlist to hear first when the next one opens.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I can't make one of the live calls?
If you have to miss a live call, you'll receive the writing packet for that week, including all readings and prompts, to complete at your own pace. No calls are recorded, to keep what's shared confidential and the space safe for everyone on the call. A private 1-hour makeup session is available for $50, for circles running over multiple weeks.
Do I have to be an experienced writer?
Absolutely not. Experienced and unexperienced are equally welcome. This isn't a writing class — poetry and writing are simply tools to access our inner world and give voice to feeling.
What stage of motherhood do I need to be in?
These circles are for mothers at any stage — whether you had a baby last month, or your kids are already grown and out of the house.
Can I join if I'm an adoptive parent, or otherwise?
Yes, absolutely. These circles are for anyone who identifies as a mother and has taken on that role — whether you birthed your child, adopted, or came to it another way.
Confidentiality
No calls are recorded. What's shared in a circle stays in that circle.
Testimonials
"Wow, joining Grace's writing circle was like finally exhaling after holding my breath for years. It's liberating to be in a space where we can shed the facade of perfect motherhood and embrace our messy, authentic selves. Through writing and sharing my story, I've found courage, validation, and a group of fellow moms who get it. It's empowering to rewrite the rules and redefine what it means to be a 'good mother.' Thank you for creating this empowering space!"
— Melissa, mother of two under four
"I look forward to Grace's weekly circle, where I can freely discuss the struggles and the joys of motherhood! The structure and themes of each week provide a focused way to tap into my feelings, and the supportive mothers who are a part of the circle have helped me find lightness and compassion in my own mothering."
— Rachel, mother of one under three
Join the waitlist
Be the first to hear when the next circle opens.
All your rage belongs here.
This is social emotional arts in practice. Circles built to hold the feelings Motherhood doesn't always leave room for, alongside the creating itself. Some circles run weekly others are single drop-in sessions with no commitment beyond the hour. All of them are small, and all of them are held by someone trained to do both at once.
THIS AFTERNOON
It was boring today, the drive here, the morning before it, all of it. I keep writing that word down like it's a confession. Boring. There, I said it twice now. Both things are true, I love them and it's boring and I don't have to pick which one is the real feeling.
Her
She was a different person, not worse, just different, and I never said goodbye to her because everyone was congratulating me on the baby instead. I am writing to her now. Hello. I don't know what else to say to you yet. Maybe just that I remember you.
The Other Mom
I am jealous of her time, whoever she is, the one who always seems to have more of it than me. Writing that down feels like admitting something ugly. Maybe it's not ugly. Maybe everyone in this room is jealous of someone else's time and none of us actually has more of it.
the brush
I am holding this and not using it and that's fine I think. My hand remembers the weight of it more than I expected. There is a color I keep wanting to reach for and I don't know why, maybe just because it's close. Six years and my hand still remembers, that's the strange part.
on today
The guilt showed up again the second I sat down, right on schedule, like it always does. Fine. It can sit there. I am going to write anyway with it sitting there next to me like an uninvited guest at the table who won't stop looking at me while I work.
the photo
I'm not in any pictures from that year. I was the one holding the phone, always behind it, and I told myself it didn't matter, and today I went looking for a photo of myself from back then and there's almost nothing, and I don't know what I expected finding that out but it wasn't this.
her scribble
My daughter drew over my drawing yesterday, just scribbled right across it, and I didn't get mad, I actually loved it, two artists on one page, and I'm still thinking about that this morning instead of anything sadder, for once, and I want to just leave it at that.
say my name
Someone called me by my actual first name today, not mom, not her mom, and it took me a second too long to realize they meant me. I used to have a name people knew me by first. I still have it I guess. I'm just trying to remember what it felt like to answer to it without thinking.
the divsion
He asked what I needed help with today like it was one task and not forty small invisible things happening at once in my head, and I couldn't even answer, I just said I don't know, and I'm still annoyed about it, and I'm allowed to still be annoyed about it, writing that down.
Reflections written by real women in the live circles.
I write poems, tie knots, bend wire and have taught fiber arts and hosted poetry and arts circles. I think the hands know things before the mouth does. A line of poetry, a knot pulled tight, a color you didn’t plan to pick. Each one says something you couldn’t have said out loud yet. Spool is where I get to do that alongside other mothers, in small circles where we talk, create and share.
BTW, I’m Grace…
Credentials: Certificate Program in Social Emotional Arts, UCLArts and Healing Initiative • Motherhood Studies Practitioner Certification, Dr. Sophie Brock • Matrescense Facilitation • Selected by the LA County Dept. of Arts & Culture as one of three exemplary sessions in a social emotional arts showcase • Fifteen years working in the arts
Would you like to get in touch?
Questions about circles, ideas for a group, looking to bring this work into your org, or anything else. This message comes straight to me. If you’re looking to join the circle, the waitlist is the quickest way in.