Mental Health Writers' Group

Come spark your creativity in a welcoming, peer-led space where you don’t have to mask or explain—just be yourself among peers who get it.

Facilitated by the talented and creative Nanci Lee, a Chinese-Syrian poet, this bi-weekly group explores storytelling and writing. You can drop in when you like for short, playful activities that get your imagination flowing, or join regularly to work on something bigger over time. Longer projects might take the form of a poem, short story, personal story, collective storytelling piece, or even a storytelling game design.

No matter your pace, you’ll be learning skills, trying new things, and having fun along the way. Sharing is always optional, and the group offers a respectful, inclusive environment where creativity can thrive. While mental health is the common ground connecting us, you don’t have to write about it—this is a space to explore any ideas and stories that inspire you.

Objectives for Participants:

• Spark creativity through writing, storytelling, and play
• See writing and storytelling as wide open with possibilities
• Create and share your work in a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment

Who can join: Residents of Nova Scotia and across Canada.

Group Structure:

Where possible, topics and themes for each 'playshop' will be sent in advance. The shape of each 'playshop' will be the same:

• A check-in related to the theme
• An introduction to the theme and some writing that exemplified the theme
• A free writing prompt - to play with the theme
• More shared writing to stimulate additional insights related to the theme
• Time to edit and shape the earlier piece, sometimes with a prompt
• Invitation (but no obligation) to share writing (from 'playshop' or other writing.

Participants will receive appreciative feedback focused on where the energy is and what works. They may also ask the group a specific question for feedback.

Healthy Minds Cooperative is a peer-led, member-driven charity committed to supporting mental well-being in our communities. At Healthy Minds, we support individuals to reach their mental wellness goals, through provision of education, resources, and peer-led programming.

And, we cultivate mental wellbeing at the community level, by supporting citizen-centered wellness initiatives, supporting skills development, and constructively engaging with provincial decision makers.

I am a Chinese-Syrian poet and facilitator from Port Colborne living and playing in Mi'kma'ki, the ancestral unceded homeland of the Mi'kmaq. I recently left a role at Tatamagouche Centre, a spiritual and justice oriented retreat centre, to make more time for rest, poetry and caregiving alongside part-time meaningful work. I care a lot about wellness, collective care, economic justice, art and spiritual practices. All have been central to my own life and healing.

My approach to facilitation is very much one of co-creation and play, exploration, mutual trust-building. I will certainly play the role of holding the container (organization, facilitation, building trust and safety, bringing exercises, poems and poets for us to play with). But I also look forward to your gifts, contributions and suggestions about what you would like.

~ Nanci Lee (she/her)