The Return to IRL: Why In-Real-Life Connection is On The Up

I’m noticing a quiet revolution. After a decade or more of adopting digital life, with our wellness tracked by apps, and our creativity outsourced to algorithms, people are rebelling.

We’ve started craving the slow, the analogue, and the local.

You might have started to see signs of this cultural movement covered in news stories: groups of strangers meeting up in cosy rooms just to listen to vinyl records. No skipping tracks, no scrolling through phones, no playlists. Just people, sitting together, sharing a physical space and a communal experience.

This isn't just nostalgia; it is the renaissance of IRL (In Real Life). It is a collective sigh of relief from a society that has reached peak digital saturation. And it is exactly why face-to-face creative writing is the ultimate antidote to modern life…

Digital Burnout and the Human Answer

For years, we’ve (mostly) been enthusiastically adopting digital tech to enhance our lives. I know I have, and this blog is in no way intended as criticism. I say this as someone who ignores the screen time limits on their phone and can doom scroll with the best of them.

We gorge on social feeds that are algorithmic echo chambers flooded with AI slop, designed to keep us engaged, no matter what. Even wellness is commodified through digital monitoring and sharing ‘hacks’ for everything - usually resulting in an influencer selling us supplements or subscriptions.  Meanwhile, screen time is inevitably increasing, as we rely on our devices so much that we can feel bereft without them. 

But in allowing it to fill our lives, the digital world has accidentally reminded us of what we’re missing: real life connection.

That’s why when I set up Writing Workshops I was determined to deliver workshops face-to-face.  Whilst it would be easier - and certainly more profitable - to deliver learning online, I was keen to provide participants with a genuine experience, to join our little writing community and experience real-life connection. 

When we step into a room to write together, we aren't just practicing a craft. We are staging a gentle rebellion!  Against: online courses taught via pre-recorded YouTube videos; subscription-based culture always promising more than it delivers; and ‘communication’ meaning a stage on a sales funnel.  Call me old-fashioned - and I’m well aware I might regret my choices - but I think there’s something meaningful in a group of strangers with a common interest meeting to support and learn from each other.

Writing by hand, pen to paper, forces us to slow down to the speed of our own thoughts. There is no "backspace" button to edit ourselves as we go, no notification to break our focus, and no screen glare. It is a sensory, tactile return to simpler times.

You might not be totally burnt out, but I bet you’ll walk away from one of our workshops feeling reinvigorated, grounded and reconnected.

Coming soon: Our Winter Workshop goes a step further and examines the stories, traditions and symbolism of midwinter, as the year reaches its darkest point. Through creative writing exercises inspired by the winter solstice, British Christmas traditions, folklore, and the natural world, it explores ideas of darkness and light, memory and belonging, and the turning of the year.

Rediscovering Our "Third Places"

Historically, human beings thrived in our "Third Places"—spaces that were neither home nor work, where community naturally gathered. Churches, libraries, pubs, and local halls used to serve this purpose. Today, as those spaces have dwindled, and online social spaces have increased, a quiet epidemic of loneliness has taken place. 

Some online social spaces fulfil a need, sometimes you ‘find your tribe’ and these interactions can be beneficial, but your mind and body are still missing out on the benefits of physical and sensory stimulation, and often the intergenerational benefits of shared physical spaces. And don’t we need that in a time when generations are often pitched against each other in combative 'hot takes' online?

Imagine writing in the Quaker Meeting House in Beverley, a space designed for stillness, egalitarian connection, and community. Or sitting next to the fire in the historic library of Saltmarshe Hall, surrounded by books, heritage, and quiet grandeur.

I have carefully chosen our venues as an antidote to our hyper-digitalised world. They are conducive to creativity, nurturing to our nervous system and generally have good vibes! 

If you feel you need a break from modern life, I urge you to join us at one of our gentle, guided workshops that helps you explore your creativity and discover the benefits of writing for your daily life.

Process Over Product: The True Meaning of Wellbeing

In the modern world, even our hobbies and interests have become hyper-commercialised. We can’t take a walk without feeling pressure to get the right shot for the ‘gram, or share our interests without performing for ‘#bookstagram’.  Modern life has become performative. We are even told to "monetise our passions" or turn our creative outlets into side-hustles; polished products for social media display.

Creative writing for wellbeing turns this completely on its head. It embraces process over product.

In our in-person writing workshops, there is no pressure to write a polished piece, no worry about grammar, punctuation or spelling. Instead, the focus is entirely on creative expression, which we explore through:

• life writing

• free writing

• reflective writing

• poetry

• and nature writing.

  
  

It is about using the page as an outlet, and what often emerges is a better understanding of ourselves and our own stories.  Unlike more formal writers' workshops, there is no pressure to share your writing, but if you do, you will find the creative writing community a gentle, open and supportive space.

Writing for Everyone

Major research initiatives, such as the Goldsmiths Creative Writing Project, highlight a push to strip creative writing of its academic exclusivity, moving it into local communities to serve as a powerful tool for everyday mental wellness and human expression. I couldn’t agree more with the drive behind this. The Writing Workshops philosophy is that creative writing is for everyone, and anyone can benefit from putting their thoughts down on paper.

Step Back into the Room

The vinyl revival has proved that we don’t just want convenience; we want presence. We want to hold the record, drop the needle, and watch it spin.  Or hold the pen to paper, reflect, and see what happens.

Gathering in a welcoming, tranquil space to write with a small group of like minded people is the writing equivalent of that vinyl meetup. It is an invitation to log off for a while and find a connection to yourself and others, without the digital noise. Plus, I think you’ll find it’s good fun too!