Hard Times

In partnership with local libraries and social service organizations, Hard Times Writing Workshops provide a community and a creative outlet for individuals who have recently experienced or are currently experiencing a variety of difficult circumstances including, but not limited to, housing and financial insecurity, addiction, homelessness, mental and physical health challenges, grief, trauma, and other hard situations.

Here, participants learn how to put these difficult experiences into words. Led by seasoned instructors who guide participants through prompts and writing exercises, Hard Times workshops create a safe space for people in difficult circumstances to tell their stories and hone their craft.

"The love and compassion for others in the room is amazing, usually extending to the instructor...I also love that it has helped me find community in other writers. This is a safe and supportive space to open up about the hardships of mental illness, perpetration, violation, disability, grief and loss, poverty, and any other "hard time" that may be presenting itself in the moment"—Hard Times Writer, 2024

To learn more about Hard Times workshops, click on the links below:

• Lighthouse Executive Director Mike Henry on why Hard Times was launched. 
• Hard Times participant Patricialyn Veal on transferring trauma to the page. 
• Hard Times volunteer S.E. Fleenor on the community that arises from shared experiences.
• Urban Life Wash Park's look into the program and its participants.