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Writing Community and the “Energy of Togetherness”

Carolee Bennett

Recently, when typing up notes from my journals, I found quotes I captured while watching an Indigo Girls documentary (as one does). It’s full of testimony about how writing and singing allowed them to create — and re-create — themselves.

Emily, one of the Indigo Girls, also talks about the pressures and joys of performing and says this:

I’ve had nights where I was sad, didn’t feel like playing, and by the end of the night I’m just healed, just washed over with that energy of togetherness.

That energy of togetherness. YES.

I’m a loner. Deep, deep, deep in my bones. So the level to which I’ve discovered, nurtured and delighted in writing community has been one of the biggest surprises of my life.

Like… y’all: I’m still writing — inspired! healed! — every damn day because of writing community. Jill Crammond. Sarah Freligh. Woman Words. The Albany open mic scene over the years. The Madwomen in the Attic workshops. Second Best Witches Writing Group. The fairly new but growing Ass in Chair Collective. And others. I’m so grateful.

In art, togetherness really does provide more than camaraderie. It’s energy-giving. It’s momentum-building. It’s cheerleading.

It’s also accountability. For example, after a verrrrrry long break from submitting to journals, I’m back at it. Slowly. Surely. It’s 100% thanks to writing pals who tell me, when I can’t see it myself, that my work is worth making and needs to be out there.

These are the vibes: It’s selfish to hoard your creativity. And of course there’s a YouTube video about that.

Speaking of writing pals, Jill and I put together a DIY writing retreat in the Adirondacks over one weekend in July. As you can see by these photos, it was lovely. 😍

It was also productive! Even though we did plenty of floating on that lake, we also got some first drafts. Perhaps most importantly, we replenished our supplies of confidence and inspiration.

So July was full of togetherness. But it was also full of “me”-ness.

July is my favorite month of the year. Everyone who knows me knows how passionate I am about summer. It’s peak Carolee. Peak sun. Peak heat. Peak JOY.

I offer the following evidence LOL

Progress in the garden ⬇️

Birthday celebrations ⬇️

Annual trip to Cape Cod (with LOTS of reading!) ⬇️

I’ll end here with my notes from July’s creative activities. (Remember, if this kind of thing doesn’t interest you, feel free to skip it.)

JULY 2025 WRITING

JULY 2025 ART-MAKING

JULY 2025 BLOGGING

JULY 2025 INSPIRATION & ADMIN
(I could have placed these under their respective art or writing categories, but I’m trying to be honest about if I’m consuming inspiration more than I’m doing the work.)

JULY 2025 READING

JULY 2025 SUBMISSIONS, PUBLICATIONS & EXHIBITIONS

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