Within this intimate writing circle, we will examine mothering and motherhood through poetry and prose. And while, yes, it’s called a writing circle, it’s so much more than that. Writing is merely the doorway into our inner worlds. We use poetry, excerpts, discussion and writing prompts to explore themes of motherhood and find those universal experiences that release us from the burden of feeling alone.  Together, we are working towards grieving our old identity and stepping into our new one; unraveling from the perfect mother ideal; examining and transforming guilt; and more. No writing experience necessary. There is no expectation about what you create and share within our circle. No judgement. The magic is in the coming together, as ourselves and allowing others to witness that.

 

“The truth is that motherhood is a hero’s journey. For most of us it’s not a journey outward, to the most fantastic and farthest-flung places, but inward, downward, to the deepest parts of your strength, to the innermost buried core of everything you are made of but didn’t know was there. There’s a reason Motherhood as a story is so infrequently told. It’s because, for so many people, our safest, sweetest, earliest memories are of nestling in our mother’s lap, in her rocking warmth, hearing her sing as we get milk-drunk and sleepy and burrow, heavy-eyed, into the crook of her soft arm. And if you knew that your mother’s journey was, intrinsically, a hero’s journey—if that was in any way an established narrative in our culture—you’d have to accept that this memory of womb-like safety, this foundation upon which so much of our identity is built, was often just an illusion. You’d have to realize that while you were blissed out on your mother’s lap, one of those epic battles, the kind that envelops heroes as they fight their way out of a ring of fire, was raging just above your head. No one wants to believe that in the moments you felt the most peaceful, the woman cradling you so softly was shielding you from a sword that she herself was holding. Every mother you know is in this fight with herself. The sword that hangs over you is a sword of exhaustion, of frustration, of patience run dry, of her bladder practically exploding like a water balloon as she enters her third hour of sitting in a chair trying to get you to sleep. It’s the sword of missing a meal because there wasn’t time to eat while she was packing a diaper bag with the endless amount of stuff you needed to go to the park; the sword of sneaking one bite of string cheese while sitting on the edge of a damp sandbox; the sword of indignation at how little she feels like a human when she so often has to look and behave like an animal. And mostly—and this is the spikiest truth—it is the sword of rage: the rage and shock of how completely she must annihilate herself to keep her child alive.”

— Klein, Jessi, I'll Show Myself Out

 
 
 

Mothering was never meant to be experienced alone. False promises of the village — revered in word and platitudes, but abandoned in action. What would it feel like to be seen, acknowledged, validated? To know that you aren’t a bad mother, you’re just operating in a society that doesn’t truly support mothers? What would it feel like to know you still matter outside of your mothering? These are the questions, amongst others, that we set out to explore in this eight-week writing circle. We come together to share in our experiences and witness one another. We come together, as mothers, so that you don’t have to feel so alone in your mothering. To shed and/or transform mom guilt. To name our anger and disappointment, without shame and without judgement. To stop striving to be a ‘good mother’ and just be. At the end of our time together you’ll be walking away with a better understanding of what it is to mother in our society; feeling more confident in asking for the support you need; feeling less alone in your experiences; feeling validated in your struggles; being able to name and share in the full spectrum of your feelings; and having a coping tool to regulate your nervous system.

 
 

Starting in September, over the course of eight weeks we will come together weekly for a 90-minute live Zoom call. Each week we will dive into a theme around motherhood. There will be a poetry reading, or an excerpt reading, followed by discussion. We aren’t trying to decipher what the author means. We are examining what the reading means in relation to our own mothering experience. Then a prompt will be given and we move into writing. There is an option to then share your writing and process your own feelings and insights. The group will remain small, no more than twelve of us. This is your chance to reframe your relationship to your mothering, find some levity in your motherhood journey and walk away with a coping tool.

The process.

What to expect…

The Gathering

In our first gathering, we will be working towards becoming more familiar with one another so that we create a safe and comfortable container.

The guilt

Guilt is one of those universal aspects of motherhood. But what if we stopped and asked what our guilt was trying to tell us?

The birth

We will be unpacking your pregnancy and birthing experience. Essentially, your journey into motherhood.

The anger

In our culture, to be angry and be a woman, especially a mother, means something is wrong with you. In this session, we are going to give voice to our anger.

The changing life

We will cover changes to your life, your relationships and yourself since becoming a mother.

The changing self

Motherhood can be an opportunity to rewrite your script. Together, we will explore your new identity.

The myth

We will start to contextualize the motherhood experience at this point. This is the start of unraveling from the perfect mother myth.

The new village

We will be solidifying the two months of insights and learnings. We will also be looking forward to the future generations of mothers and reimagining ‘the village’.

"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

“Joining this circle was a pivotal moment in my motherhood journey. Letting go of the pressure to be a 'perfect mother' and embracing my imperfect self felt like shedding a heavy burden. This circle provided the safe space I needed to explore my doubts, fears and triumphs without judgment. It's where I found my voice and the courage to rewrite my story on my own terms.”

— Tricia, mother of two under three

Questions?

  • Our first gathering is Sept 9, 2024 from 11am - 12:30pm PST. (Click here to convert to your time zone.) We will meet at the same time and day of week for eight-consecutive weeks . The last session will be on Oct 28, 2024.

  • Each circle will last for 90 minutes. While a writing packet will be provided with additional readings and writing prompts, those are always optional. You don’t have to commit to any more than the 90 minutes each week for our live calls.

  • There will be no more than 12 individuals in the circle. Keeping these circles small and intimate allows safety and comfortability in sharing. It also allows space for those that wish to share to do so.

  • Each 90-minute session breaks down to $65. This can be paid in 4-installments of $130. If you wish to pay-in-full, each 90-minute session breaks down to $60.

  • First you’ll send an interest form (scroll above). From there, I’ll schedule a short 15-minute video call to learn more about you and for you to decide if this is a good fit. From there, I’ll send the checkout page to officially save your spot!

  • If you have to miss a live call, the writing packet for the week will include all readings and in-class prompts. Feel free to do them at your own pace that week. No calls will be recorded to keep what is shared confidential and make the container feel safe for those on the live call.

  • Absolutely not. Experienced and unexperienced are all welcome. This isn’t a writing class — poetry and writing are merely the tools to access our inner world and give voice to feelings.

  • This circle was created for mothers at any stage of their mothering. Whether you had a baby last month or your kids are already grown and have left the nest.

  • Yes! Absolutely. This circle is for anyone who identifies as a mother and has taken on that social role. Whether you birthed your child, adopted or otherwise.

  • I’m happy to answer any questions that you may have. Feel free to email hello@joinspool.com or visit the contact page.