- Everyone is someone who can write.
- Everyone is born with creative genius.
- Everyone can use words to make art.
- Everyone has a strong, unique voice.
- Everyone has a compelling story – real or imagined – that deserves to be told.
- Everyone can use writing to understand themselves and others, and make sense of the world.
- Everyone has strengths as an individual and as a writer that deserve encouragement, empathy and compassion.
- Writing as an art form belongs to all people, regardless of economic or educational level.
- The teaching of craft can be done without damage to the writer's original voice or artistic self-esteem.
- Writing and sharing what we write encourages a sense of community that promotes openness, respect and creativity.
--Pat Schneider, Founder and Director Emeritus, Amherst Writers and Artists
