The Balance of Community and Power: Accessibility in Virtual Space
Some summers are uneventful, while others are busy from the get-go. My summer was uneventful. I was looking for spaces that would kickstart that inspiration, where I could do activities I enjoyed in community with people who also enjoyed them.
I needed reminders—in the face of several recent rejections—that my writing and voice mattered and that the practice could still be fun amid the necessary administrative aspects.
Additionally, as someone with a physical disability, virtual options meant I could easily participate from the comfort of my home. I didn’t need to plan for travel or set aside money for room, board, or food. I could focus my energy on what mattered most: building community and craft.
This past July, I decided to participate in two virtual retreats back-to-back. Both opportunities presented during a time when I was looking to re-enter my writing in a focused way.
The first retreat, Camp Write Start, (sign up for their mailing list) was exactly what it sounds like—a summer camp for writers with various activities, ranging from writing workshops to arts and crafts. Organized by writers and teaching artists, Priscilla Thomas, Talicha J., and Nikki Gray, the structural design, which was a month long, daily retreat, was inspired by the summer camp experiences of our youth and the desire to return to the spirit of that time.
The second retreat, The Alongside Retreat, designed and facilitated by working writer and owner of Alongside Editorial, Gemma Leghorn, was, in many ways, Camp Write Start’s opposite. The five-day, virtual container, was one-on-one and almost entirely self-directed. Leghorn and I checked in daily, with morning and evening emails, however there were no scheduled sessions, beyond a few check-in meetings, and the days were mine to organize how I wished.
The Continued Popularity of Virtual Spaces
Attending these virtual spaces led me to wonder why exactly are virtual spaces becoming so popular. Why have virtual spaces moved from option to necessity?
To find out, I spoke at length with the facilitators of Camp Write Start and the Alongside Retreat, plus two other Camp Write Start participants: Cara Morgan and Sara Beth Brooks, who are both poets and disability advocates.
Together we gathered our top eight reasons why virtual spaces are the new it places. For organization, the list reads in descending order, but all the reasons are interconnected.
8 You can take a workshop from, and in, any geographic location.
Virtual spaces allow writers to connect across time zones. We can take one workshop in Pacific Time, then another in Eastern. We can connect with writers who live in other states, or even abroad. As long as our computer is close by (and we can be awake), there’s no limit to the number or variety of workshops we can take.
Cara says that having the option to attend virtual workshops allows us to lean into community connection and be closer in more accessible ways: “I mean, how cool is it that you live in New Jersey and I live in Maine and that we can connect through the Internet, take advantage of that, and support each other through the disastrous world we live in.”
At the beginning of the pandemic, disability activist Sara Beth Brooks attended Awful Good Writers’ Heavy Hitters Festival where she had access to readings and workshops by more than 100 poets, including Mary Lambert and Rudy Francisco.
Brooks explains how virtual spaces have allowed her to have access to knowledge and teachers she wouldn’t have had otherwise: “I would have never been able to attend all those events in person. I have so many more opportunities virtually than if I were limited to just my area of Sacramento. Virtual opened connections to more than what you can find in your single city.”
Brooks adds that she hopes more people take different time zones into consideration—she can’t attend a workshop that begins at 4pm Eastern time zone, because she’s still at work. Virtual options with event offerings at different times are valuable because there is more than one event a day so people can choose what works for them.
7 There are more opportunities for collaboration.
Virtual spaces have infinite potential to grow. Creation of one workshop (or community event) allows for the creation of another and another. Virtual spaces are places where people can try their hand at doing something they’ve never done before, but have always wanted to try, such as facilitating an extended workshop.
“When we started Camp Write Start, we really wanted to build community and be a resource for community,” says Talicha J. “And we actually built community. Two of our participants are now starting their own collaboration and their own workshop. We provided the space for others to build their own communities.”
Talicha adds: “The reason we were able to facilitate Camp Write start is because we had each other. At first, this felt like a really big thing we were doing, but once we talked through ideas, split things up, we realized it wasn’t really that big.”
6 Less gatekeeping.
When you attend a virtual workshop, it doesn’t matter if you have an MFA or not. It’s great if you have one and great if you don’t. Either way your presence matters. Virtual spaces allow all of us to learn together. You receive access to people with all types of perspectives at all levels of learning. You meet some people who write every day and some who don’t. All are valid.
“I don’t have a degree or a teaching background, and I sometimes see that as a shortcoming,” says Nikki, who talked about how, although she doesn't have a teaching degree, she can facilitate meditation sessions and bring her ideas to life.
Virtual spaces provide opportunities to learn from people of all backgrounds and perspectives and offers multiple voices a chance to share their experience and knowledge. Nikki continues: “Virtual encourages you, shows you that you don’t need all that to be a writer. It’s not about the rules, but about what works for you. If one workshop doesn’t work for you, there are 15-20 others. Find what does.”
Gemma adds: “I created the Alongside Retreat for myself first. The thing about creating an offering for yourself is that you don’t have to live up to the societal pressure of doing it a certain way, the question of, ‘Am I not a real writer, if I’m not doing these things?’ You don’t have to wait for the acceptance—or rejection—you just have to say yes to yourself.”
5 Better affordability.
Writing workshops can be expensive, especially for those with fixed incomes, on or near the poverty line. However, virtual spaces have lessened the burden by offering a good balance of free and paid spaces, with many paid ones offering sliding scale options.
With sliding scale, virtual options can cost, on average, between $5-$50, with longer retreats going for about $200. (Though some more immersive ones still have prices in the thousands.)
Additionally, attendees do not have to pay for room, board, or food. These prices make it easier for those without discretionary income to attend.
“I can’t work because of my chronic health conditions, so I try to only spend money on the essentials,” says Cara. “There are a lot of virtual spaces that offer scholarships or tell you to DM them if you need financial support.”
For her workshops, Sara Beth Brooks offers a sliding scale of $10-$20 with the caveat that no one is turned away for lack of funds. While she strongly believes that facilitators should be compensated for their labor, she’s also aware that the community she is trying to reach may not always be able to afford attendance.
She explains: “There’s a box on my form, that if you check it, you’re coming to the workshop. You’re getting the link, no questions asked. I won’t tell anyone about it. You’ll get the exact same experience.”
4 Protection from COVID-19
For many writers that I know who have chronic illnesses or are immunocompromised, COVID-19 was the catalyst for virtual offerings. That said, COVID-19 is still around, with surges happening this summer, and with masks banned in places like Nassau County, and the University of California, many immunocompromised and disabled writers are choosing virtual spaces for safety reasons; we do not want to risk exposure to the infection.
“I shouldn’t have to put myself in harm’s way for my art,” says Sara Beth. “That’s why virtual is necessary; I don’t have to put myself in harm’s way for my art.”
Additionally, the rise of COVID-19 has made us more aware of ableism. The push to return to in-person options is leaving a lot of people out. Priscilla notes “People who can’t attend these in-person events safely are given a non-choice. They can either come and risk harm or be safe and stay away.”
We have seen a great many disparities in the impact of COVID in marginalized communities, so we know that these populations are more at risk when exposed to illnesses like COVID.
“I think we would have seen a lot more harm and death, if virtual wasn’t an option. These events allowed us not to be alone with what was happening,” said Nikki. “What started as a way to continue working turned into a safe haven where we could bear each other’s burdens and pain.”
Gemma says she has always been an advocate for online options, but the pandemic encouraged her to deepen that advocacy. Specifically, she started to see the need for accessibility beyond her own experiences with chronic migraines: “I started to engage outside myself, read articles, research, which probably should have always been happening. I wanted to create a virtual space because the people who need it are still here.”
3 Less necessity for “professional” rules and behaviors.
While in virtual spaces, there is less requirement for those with chronic illnesses and disabilities to hide. We can show up as we are, and not feel judged for it, or worry about our mobility aids.
Additionally, many virtual settings do not require participants to always have cameras on, or for them to be dressed up, which means they can come and go as they please, which, in turn, makes taking care of themselves that much easier.
“If I got a muscle spasm at an in-person event, I would have to leave,” says Cara. “But at home, I can turn my camera off for a few minutes and take care of myself. It’s not the end of the world.”
Sara Beth adds: “Sometimes, for disabled people, even getting dressed can be an issue. In virtual settings, there’s no need to have my hair done. I can show up in PJs. I wouldn’t go to an in-person event in my PJs, but you can do that on the Internet.”
Not to mention, in virtual settings it’s not always a requirement to actively participate or share. Virtual settings leave space for using the chat feature or just listening in.
“I don’t like going to a workshop that has a lot of rules, like camera has to be on, or that you have to share,” says Priscilla. “If I’m not in a sharing space that day, I’m not going to do it. I like being in spaces with a lot of flexibility.”
2 Workshops can span more time, which can lead to more connection and intimacy.
Workshops can span hours or months and include everything: work, play, friendship, grieving, which is harder to find as we get older and have more responsibilities.
“It wasn’t like people were going to come to Camp Write Start and work, work, work,” said Priscilla. “It wasn’t like people were going to come and just drill their writing. No. We had play embedded in and campfires where we celebrated each other. I wanted to create a place where people could take time to build connection and return to each other.”
Virtual spaces are also places where people can receive compassionate support, perhaps for the first time. Events are tailored more for individual needs, with time for one-on-one and small group conversations.
“When I first started the Alongside Retreat, I really wanted to hold the person’s individual vision for their creative life,” said Gemma. “I think one-on-one is where the magic happens. I love when people come to me and can’t always articulate what they want to say because by the end we’ve found a way.”
Similar to in-person spaces, virtual spaces also allow for the creation of resources, mentors, and friendships.
“There’s no word to describe the type of value these spaces have given, the ability to connect,” reflects Talicha. “I mean, some of the people I’ve met in virtual workshops are my best friends now. To be part of creating that is more than I could have imagined.”
1 Better accessibility for the chronically ill and disabled.
In short, virtual spaces mean better access for the chronically ill and disabled. We can show up more authentically, build friendships, save, and share resources, and take care of ourselves.
Virtual spaces are natural for us, and the rest of the world will have to adapt sooner rather than later. With more people becoming disabled due to Long COVID, plus other health risks like air quality, heatwaves, and severe storms, it’s likely we’ll be inside more often.
“This is our new normal,” says Cara. “We are adapting. That's what humans do. We are already physically distant and going to be more so. With more people becoming disabled, virtual spaces are the only places we can gather safely.”
Get Connected
Through virtual retreats, I, and many others like me, have been able to create a sustainable writing network and practice, and live a fully realized writer's life. If that sounds like something you’re looking for too, here are a few ways to get connected with the folks interviewed in this article:
Sign-Up for updates about Camp Write Start
Learn more about Alongside Editorial
Connect with Sara Beth for writing and editing workshops
Check out Cara’s chapbook and Substack
Of course, you can also connect with us here at The Poetry Lab, where we have fully virtual offerings of monthly generative writing workshops, 4-week courses, the Feedback Circle, a podcast, and a completely free online Resource Center.
This article was published on September 9, 2024. Written by:
