Vision & Values

Writing together, we change the world.

Writers Collective of Canada is a charitable organization that inspires exploratory writing in community to empower every voice, celebrate every story, and change the world.

Our unique writing workshop method ignites strong, authentic voices, targeting traditionally underserved populations and underheard individuals nationwide. We accomplish our work through trained volunteer facilitators and program partners.

Inspired by Pat Schneider, our workshops unlock innate creative genius, brave expression, and celebrate magnificent authentic voice.

Our Vision

Through writing together, we empower every voice, celebrate every story, and change the world.

Our Mission

WCC celebrates authentic voice—the innate creative genius in every person—through exploratory writing in community. To do this, we:

  • Provide exploratory writing workshops in community, cultivating connection through story.
  • We celebrate voice inclusive of race, ethnicity, class, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability, and mental health, with a strong focus on underserved populations and traditionally underheard voices.
  • Inspire deep creative expression that amplifies connection between people, strengthens resilience and a positive sense of identity, and enhances societal well-being.
  • Create brave spaces and promote dignity, courage, and respect for all voices in the room.
  • Pioneer, promote, share, and extend our transformational workshop method.
  • Teach, mentor, and empower other facilitators and community partners to use our method to serve the needs of local populations.
  • Work with community service agencies to provide a powerful, non-clinical mode of support for their members.

What We Believe

Everyone is a writer.

Every person has innate creative genius—an authentic voice. It exists regardless of prior writing experience or formal education. Every life is abundant to inspire powerful writing and art. Illuminating those stories creates positive personal transformation.

Every voice deserves to be heard.

We extend opportunity, dignity, and respect to everyone who wishes to write. Our workshops celebrate voice inclusive of race, ethnicity, class, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability, and mental health.

We are all connected through story.

Stories have the power to remove barriers of difference and to broaden perspectives. By writing together and listening to others, we connect with the common humanity that bonds us all.

Brave spaces inspire brave voices.

By creating brave spaces, we empower individuals to grow as writers. We facilitate non-judgmental, exploratory, and dignified community where deep listening is as important as risk-taking in writing.

Writing together, we change the world.

Social change happens one empowered voice at a time. Every day, in our workshops, people claim their stories, often for the first time. By unlocking strength and resilience, our writers positively shape their lives, ignite human connection, and influence the lives of others.

About Our Visual Identity

Our logo, The Leaf, is elemental, like the human voice. The design symbolizes our core beliefs and values:

Connection: The veins of the leaf are a life-supporting network essential.

Growth and evolution: The leaf represents the cycle of life from bud to new leaf, maturity, and return to the earth to nourish new growth. It is vital and finite, as is the human experience explored in our workshops.

Resilience: A leaf survives many seasons and weathers many storms. It rides the wind and knows not where it may fall. That is true of life, and it is true as we creatively explore and write together.

Possibility: The maple leaf points upward, though its leaf is also open in many directions. It is expansive: any path is possible.

Writing and story: The shading in the leaf is comprised of a gently textured alphabet and the scripted “WCC” font honours the power of writing.