It all started with a simple online form back in February of 2021. I received an email from Lyn Barrett after signing up for a workshop for writers with dissociative identities. She was replying to me that the workshop would be starting on March 16. Little did I know this would be the beginning of an incredible journey that would transform my life in ways I never imagined. The beauty of Lyn's Traditional Workshop lay in its thoughtful, structured approach. Every other week, three writers would share their work in a safe space that truly understood us. What made it special? Everyone who subscribed had dissociative identities!
Our writing has spanned everything from raw journal entries to creative poetry, prose, parts of our personal memoirs, fiction, art pieces or a combination of art and writing. We would be given time to share our writing triumphs and trials in break out rooms, choose whether we wanted feedback for our writing, understanding that for those of us with parts/alters, criticism – even constructive – can sometimes feel like criticism.
What Lyn created here is something unique – it's not a support group, but it's undeniably supportive. It's therapeutic, yet not therapy. We've found this delicate balance where healing happens naturally through connection and creativity. While abuse happens in the context of a relationship damaging our ability to trust and form relationships, healing comes through building new, healthy connections in the context of a healthy relationship. Many of us have found recovery and healing happens faster here than in traditional therapy alone.
One of my favorite aspects is how inclusive our workshops are. From littles to teens, to those in between and adult parts; everyone has a place. We even have special "littles" time where younger parts can share stuffed animals, pets, toys, and artwork. There's something magical about seeing someone's little child or teen part feeling safe enough to show off their favorite colorful socks or latest coloring masterpiece.
My involvement with Dissociative Writers has grown deeper over time. When Lyn published her powerful book "Crazy: Reclaiming Life from the Shadow of Traumatic Memory," on Amazon, I had the honor of helping organize and emcee her book launch party and later helping lead the online book discussion. It was exhilarating to work with a team supporting Lyn's achievement! This experience led to more opportunities – I became a facilitator for the every other Tuesday workshop (now known as Draft and Discuss) when Lyn expanded to evening sessions, and I started the Writing in Place Workshop, which is now being led by another talented DW member. The community continues to grow and evolve. We've added focused writing workshops on Mondays, a Writing in Place Evening Workshop on Wednesday evenings, Lyn's specialized Memoir workshops during certain months, and exciting new initiatives like our special events workshops which include Self-Exploration Book Club, a music workshop, and Littles Creative Playtime.
Recently, I was thrilled to take on a new role as administrator, helping with new subscribers, calendar management, emails, and welcoming newcomers – all part of my commitment to maintaining DW's vision.
What started as Lyn's small writing workshop in 2019 has flourished into a non-profit organization with a board of directors, secretary, and treasurer. Every month, we gather for creativity council meetings, brainstorming new ideas and working together to make this space even better. We have dedicated teams for special events, anthology compilation, and various other projects.
The growth I've experienced in my recovery and witnessed in others and the way Dissociative Writers has expanded has been incredible. Not only have we published three anthologies of creative writing and art (with a fourth coming in 2025 that will be published on Amazon!), but many individual members have become published authors in their own right – their books can be found on the DW website.
I'm proud to count myself among them, having recently published my journal "Surrendered: Embracing God's Will and Receiving His Blessings" on Amazon, and I'm currently working on my book "Women of Purpose: Shared Identity, Unique Calling" (coming in 2025!).
But what makes this community truly special is how we understand each other. We know what it means to have parts who might feel vulnerable about trust, and relationships and living with the effects of trauma and abuse. We've all experienced the fear of sharing our deepest truths and things that have been kept silent. Yet here, among fellow survivors who are some of the most compassionate people I've ever met, we've found a safe harbor to express ourselves, break free from shame, and reclaim our power through words and art.
If you're someone with DID who loves to write – or wants to start – I encourage you to join us. Visit dissociativewriters.com and become part of this incredible community. Here, you'll find your voice, your people, and perhaps, like me, a whole new chapter in your healing journey.
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