Permission granted
Find creative freedom in my new writing workshop series running Jan 19-23
Hello my friend,
Creative paralysis has many causes, and they all manifest in a version of the statement: I can’t. Those two little words are like ants, deceptively powerful and capable of carrying enormous weight.
When we say I can’t write, or can’t write that, we think we mean “I’m not able”; that we lack skill, imagination, or discipline. This makes it seem like our problem is a logical, practical one with logical, practical remedies. We just need to study the craft of writing, or input the right prompts, or knuckle under and try harder.
Skill, imagination, and discipline are all factors in our creative output, and there are plenty of things we can do to expand or strengthen them. But in my years of coaching writers through their creative blocks, I have learned that none of those practical efforts will liberate a writer who is stymied by emotional blocks. (And, believe me, that includes every one of us.)
Prompts fail to rouse inspiration. Our motivation to stick to a schedule peters out. And new craft tips and techniques don’t sink in—because they’re bouncing off the hard shell of unexamined limiting beliefs and old emotional scars.
To get at those, we need to look at how I can’t can mean “I’m not allowed”.
I can’t write about my family or my ex (because they’ll be hurt / angry / vengeful).
I can’t write about my secret obsessions or dark side (because people will think I’m crazy, I’ll lose my job and all my friends, and wind up living under a bridge).
I can’t write anything too weird or uncommercial (because it’s a waste of time).
And above all, I can’t take shortcuts that make writing easier (because real writers suffer for their art, and that would be cheating).
But what if a fairy word-mother came along and gave you permission to do all of the above and more? How much more satisfaction would writing bring if you felt truly free to write your truth, no matter how weird or dark or personal? How might your connection and commitment to writing change if you actually enjoyed it and found it easier?
This is the focus of my new live, five-evening workshop series called Permission Granted. Each night from January 19-23, we’ll work through one specific permission you need but haven’t yet given yourself:
Permission to write easy (there are no prizes for unnecessary suffering)
Permission to write what fascinates you (not what you think is sensible, cool, or commercial)
Permission to write the truth (including the really tough stuff)
Permission to write weird (because your strangeness is your signature)
Permission to take your writing seriously (your writing matters because it matters to you)
This isn’t a typical writing class. It’s part coaching, part practice, part permission slip. We’ll meet live for about 45 minutes each evening and you’ll walk away with worksheets to explore in your own time, and tools you can use every time you sit down to write. (They might even liberate you in other areas of your life!)
This is for you if:
You’re a professional writer wanting to go deeper or pivot into more personal material
You’re new to writing and struggling to get started
You have something to say but keep getting in your own way
You could use a little boost from a warm, encouraging cheerleader
The details:
5 evenings: January 19-23, 2026
5:30pm Pacific / 6:30pm Mountain / 8:30pm Eastern
Live on Zoom with recordings available
Includes worksheets and writing exercises for each session
Potential for live hot-seat coaching
All for the budget-friendly holiday-hangover price of just $47
This is a small group, and it will sell out. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to take your writing seriously and finally make a leap forward in 2026, this is it!
Any questions? Just reply to this email.
Hope to see you there.
Maggie xo