Writer Zen Garden

Writer Zen Garden

Who Is the Writer Zen Garden?
The Writer Zen Garden is comprised of writers and wordsmiths, published or not, who love to write by any means at their disposal. We try to keep the drama on the page and value process over product. We praise each other to success. This is founded in the deep belief that artists and writers are created in an atmosphere of support, not censure, and that the road to success isn't via the editor's pen but the artist's brush.

What Is the Writer Zen Garden?

The Writer Zen Garden is both an in-person and online community of like-minded individuals. Through in-person Meetups, weekend workshops, and an online forum, we foster community and build strength by doing the work - writing, playing, and meditating on what it means to be a writer. Through our blog, we explore "putting our work out there." There are opportunities to learn to write, play with website design and HTML, teach, and build community.

When Do You Meet?

We meet in person for various events. For more about our meetups, visit our Upcoming Meetups page, here. When you sign up for the group, you'll receive our email announcements about events, workshops, and other gatherings. If you're interested in the forum, you can check it out here.

Where Do You Meet?

Our primary in-person venue is Pumping Station: One in the lounge.

Why the Writer Zen Garden?

Why does the world need another writing group? Many groups exist where writers can have their work critiqued, but there are fewer places for people to go to receive guidance in a supportive environment where the emphasis is, as author Julia Cameron puts it, “getting on the page.”

What started as a forum and a blog has evolved into a solid, tight-knit community of like-minded individuals who meet online to talk about writing, the creative process, photography, gardening, and a host of other interests. We have a small but growing online forum and membership is free. Our members come from all over the world and from all walks of life. The focus is on “doing” and not just “talking about it.”

A Zen Garden is a place of serenity, of "now-ness." When you walk into a Zen Garden, you can feel the palpable sense of peace that the gardeners have created. It is also a place very aware of "real life" and the movement of energy. It is, at its center, both real and grounded. When you look at a rock garden, the rocks represent events. The patterns drawn in the sand by the rake represent the flow of life-energy, or Chi. The patterns flow around the rocks, not fighting them, but incorporating them into the overall pattern. If you're in the Chicago area, you can check out a real Zen Garden by visiting the Chicago Botanic Garden. For more about them, visit their Zen Garden page and poke around.

We hope you'll join us.

Write On!