Writing Our Way to Wellness

In this powerful final Part 2 of a two-part series, spoken word poet, photographer, activist, and Girls Write Now mentee Sharjah M. Bodji sits down with artivist, community organizer, spoken word poet, and author of Hues of Magic , Katherine Vargas, for a compelling conversation on the intersection of art, activism, and identity. Together, they explore the transformative power of spoken word poetr...

In this powerful Part 1 of a two-part series, spoken word poet, photographer, activist, and Girls Write Now mentee Sharjah M. Bodji sits down with artivist, community organizer, spoken word poet, and author of Hues of Magic , Katherine Vargas, for a compelling conversation on the intersection of art, activism, and identity. Together, they explore the transformative power of spoken word poetry in a...

When we're anxious, our bodies and minds go into overdrive. Sometimes, we can even experience physical pain. This week, Meredith Arthur, Chief of Staff for Pinterest’s Product Incubation Studio and author of Get Out Of My Head: Inspiration for Overthinkers in an Anxious World , tells the story of her own journey with anxiety and shares strategies from her Substack, Beautiful Voyager , and her Stre...

We’ve been spending a lot of time here at GWN reflecting on our past conversations with our wonderful guests both on our Writing Our Way to Wellness and Speaking in First Draft podcasts. This week, we’re revisiting my (Kathryn Destin) conversation with Chrissy King in our Season 1 Bonus episode of Speaking in First Draft. As you’re listening, think about ways you can practice wellness with your bo...

Join us as we revisit powerful clips from past conversations with inspiring guests: Arnell Calderon, mentee alumn, Nehanda Thom, our former Wellness Advisor; and author Sahaj Kaur Kohli. Together, they share personal stories and wisdom about how our roots shape our identities and well-being. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus e...

In this special episode, we get to listen to two Girls Write Now mentees that have gotten the opportunity to publish their work within and outside of the Girls Write Now community. Maya Collins and Summer Boxer walk us through their experiences as young published authors, we get to hear how Girls Write Now supports their journey as poets and writers, and we learn how they write their way to wellne...

In this episode, community coordinator Sally Familia spends time with practicing therapist, founder of Brown Girl Therapy, and author of But What Will People Say?: Navigating Mental Health, Identity, Love, and Family Between Cultures, Sahaj Kaur Kohli. Listen in as they talk about what healing alongside community looks like, the intricacies of storytelling, and the layered experience of becoming a...

When you don't have health insurance for therapy, there's always comedy... right? Welcome back to Writing Our Way to Wellness! In this first episode of Season 2, we are honored to have author, comedian, director, and host of the podcast Glamorous Trash , Chelsea Devantez, and our very own Director of Engagement and Partnerships, Erica Silberman. Enjoy this humorous conversation about stand-up, jou...

And with that, our first season of Writing Our Way to Wellness comes to a close. While we’re sad to say goodbye for now, we are so thankful for everyone who joined us in this compassionate, soulful space. In your career, you are not, and never will be, powerless. -Jeanine Marie Russaw In the season 1 finale, we're talking about the source of a lot of the stress in our lives: work. As writers, it c...

Special Projects Coordinator Kathryn Destin moderates a conversation between Girls Write Now Mentor Ashley Sowers and friend Dr. Ijeoma Unachukwu about the taboo of practicing mental wellness in the Black community and the inequities the healthcare system enforces in its practices. They also explore the presence of misogynoir in professional spaces that view Black women as disposable and undeservi...

In advance of our January 9th event with Inkluded, we’re talking about wellness in the workplace. To do your best work, you need a safe and supportive environment where your authentic self is championed by your co-workers and superiors. For many Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and other people of color, this is not a given. Michael Mejias, founder of the Writers House Intern Program and Inkluded , is w...

In Part II of a special two-part episode, mentee Chloe Lee guides Community Coordinator, Sally Familia, continue discussing teenagehood, healing, and writing as a tool for wellness. They explore the differences and similarities growing up in the Gen Z generation, and how that has informed their healing and writing practices. Chloe and Sally connect through their exploration of the inner self and t...

In this Part I of a special two-part episode, mentee Chloe Lee guides Community Coordinator, Sally Familia, through a beautiful conversation about teenagehood, healing, and writing as a tool for wellness. They explore the differences and similarities growing up in the Gen Z generation, and how that has informed their healing and writing practices. Chloe and Sally connect through their exploration...

One of the best ways to care for our mental wellbeing is to care for our physical bodies. Community Manager Margery Hannah and mentee alum Chanelle Ferguson dive into the ways that their upbringing in their particular communities has influenced their relationship to physical health, and how care for the body is intimately tied to care for the soul. This episode covers tea as a favored Caribbean re...

Girls Write Now community members Michelle Chen, Luca Sabine, and Sheyla Javier talk about what it’s like to grow up with social media as Gen Zers. In an era of performativity, doomscrolling, and engagement farming, this episode explores the underbelly of the social tool at all of our fingertips. Thank you for supporting this Girls Write Now podcast! To receive more podcasts like these, consider s...

Girls Write Now Community Coordinator, Sally Familia, and Mentee Alum, Arnell Calderon, honor Latinx Heritage Month by discussing what ancestral and familial healing means and looks like to them. With an emphasis on memory, connection, and compassion, Sally and Arnell explore history & literature. Thank you for supporting this Girls Write Now podcast! To receive more podcasts like these, consider...

Girls Write Now Community Coordinator, Sally Familia, and Danielle Whyte, Director of Ambassador Outreach at The Yellow Tulip Project, engage in an openhearted conversation about the emotional and spiritual challenges that arise in the wake of America's suicide epidemic. They discuss the power and value of the individual and the significance of presence and tenderness. Together, they dream up a wo...

Girls Write Now’s Creative Marketing Director, Chelle Carter Wilson, and Wellness Advisor and mentee alum, Nehanda Thom, tell personal stories of loss and the many manifestations of grief, from cutting off your hair to writing letters to those who have left us. Chelle and Neh embrace the vulnerability that comes with experiencing the spectrum of grief from the death of family members to the fallin...

Have you ever read a book that changed your life? Have you used a song to make it through a tough time? It's clear that our favorite art has the power to heal us, but what about the act of writing itself? Join Girls Write Now’s community of writers, therapists, artists, students, and healers as they explore wellness in the art of writing. Writing Our Way to Wellness gives silenced voices a brave s...