Join the Imaginative Storm
Weekly Writing Circle
Open to all. No experience needed.
Each Saturday, we show you an image. You write for 10 minutes. You share if you want to. That's it.
-
“Whatever the prompt, if I sit with it, let it wash over me, one little spark is all I need.”
— Jon Sun-Love, Taos
-
“I’m so motivated now! Off to write.”
— Katrina Leffler, Los Angeles
-
“I had a super aha-experience about why I have creative blockage and don’t think I am allowed to be an artist."
— AnnaLene Johnsen, Norway
-
“Thank you for another enlightening Saturday!”
— Nancy Cook Kelly, Colorado
Let go of the pressure to write well. Just bring pen and paper, and we’ll guide the rest.
You’ll find a supportive community ready to welcome you.
Saturdays, 12 – 1 pm Eastern
Some of the images we’ve used in our free online writing group sessions
The Saturday Circle operates on a pay-what-you-want basis. Suggested donation is $20 per session. If that doesn’t fit your budget, please come anyway. Click here to contribute - but you do not need to pay in advance!
How It Works
Transform your writing in four simple steps
Step 1: Spark Your Imagination
We show a compelling image for 2 minutes. You write down a random list of words and short phrases it evokes.
Step 2: Create a Community Word List
We gather one word from each participant, then a volunteer reads the list aloud. The collage of words is unpredictable, playful, unpredictable, and intriguing. Your imagination starts connecting the dots.
Step 3: Write for 10 Minutes
Using as many — or as few — of the words on both lists as you like, you write freely. Fast or slow, long or short, messy or smooth, prose or poetry. There’s no wrong way to generate material.
Step 4: Share (If You Want To)
Read your work aloud to a small, supportive breakout group. Build your confidence. Discover your voice. See others light up when you speak the words you wrote.
And then … the Exquisite Storm
After we’ve read our work aloud, we create a spontaneous “found poem” made up of one phrase from each person’s writing. Find them on our YouTube channel.
Why It Works
You stop trying to “write well.” That frees your real voice to come through and retrains your inner critic.
You develop a consistent writing habit that boosts emotional wellness and mental clarity.
You train your brain to be curious, not critical. Which makes writing—and life—more interesting and more enjoyable.
You gain new insights, perspectives, and energy. They ripple into all your creative work.
You join a welcoming, supportive writing community, where you're encouraged, not judged.
Participants tell us they’re happier with what they write in these 10-minute sessions than what they manage in hours on their own. That’s because Imaginative Storm writing isn’t just about the prompt—it’s a practice.
You’re stretching and strengthening your imagination. You’re learning how to write what you don’t know—and that’s where the sparky, original writing comes from.
What makes the Imaginative Storm method special?
FAQs
Got questions?
Feel free to contact us with any questions, or just to chat.
-
Imaginative Intelligence is a non-rational mental domain that goes beyond imagination, beyond creativity. When you deepen your connection to your imaginative intelligence, you deepn your connection to who you are and what you hold precious. Join our mailing list to be alerted when Allegra’s TEDx talk goes live.
-
Yes! Many people have come to our Saturday Zoom and said, “I’m not a writer.” They’ve stayed, some for five years now. Some now call themselves writers, and are working toward publication. Others stay simply because they feel the benefit of this simple creative practice in their lives.
-
The Imaginative Storm method is an easy, enjoyable way to access your imagination. Imagination powers great writing. It also powers a rich, fulfilling life.
-
You may have heard writing teachers say, “Write what you know.” That’s fine, but it only gets you so far—and it doesn’t get you out of your rational, judging mind. When you write what you DON’T know, you encourage your imagination to play and explore—and surprise you. That’s where powerful, original writing begins.
Our Circle Platform
Share your writing. No criticism, just appreciation.
You’ll find every weekly prompt we’ve offered since April 2021 on the Imaginative Storm Circle platform. Share what you write. Read what others wrote. Explore our vast archive of prompts to give yourself new ideas and inspiration.
Everything posted was written in just 10 minutes. It’s a rare opportunity to see imaginative intelligence in action—ideas and language that surprise, delight, and dare. Join us and build a habit of creative courage.
Imaginative Storm co-founder Allegra Huston takes the TEDx stage
And if you’d like to learn more about the behind-the-scenes process of doing a TEDx talk, click below.
Listen as Imaginative Storm co-founders Allegra Huston and James Navé reveal the months of preparation behind a TEDx talk