1. Everyone is someone who can write.
2. Everyone is born with creative genius.
3. Everyone can use words to make art.
4. Everyone has a strong, unique voice.
5. Everyone  has a compelling story – real or imagined – that deserves to be told.
6. Everyone can use writing to understand themselves and others, and make sense of the world.
7. Everyone has strengths as an individual and as a writer that deserve encouragement, empathy and compassion.
8. Writing as an art form belongs to all people, regardless of economic or educational level.
9. The teaching of craft can be done without damage to the writer's original voice or artistic self-esteem.
10. 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