Join me in harnessing the healing powers of creative expression to help trauma survivors heal and become agents of change in their own communities.
Twenty years ago, I shared a single poem that sparked a global movement against victim-blaming, inspiring thousands of survivors across six continents to reclaim their stories.
In recent years, I have been leading survivors of sexual violence in writing together, fostering a community of belonging. Some of the writings from those workshops has been brought together in two groundbreaking anthologies. We’ve Been Put Through Fire & Come Out Divine challenges false narratives about sexual violence. We’ve Got Some Things to Say brings together the voices of 50 survivors, exposing the realities of sexual violence and predatory events and dismantling victim-blaming.
As I continue to explore and share my own journey, I invite you to join me. Together we can reclaim our voices, creating meaning, and build communities of belonging.
Mary Simmerling
Write Where We Belong is a multifaceted Canadian literary and arts organization focused on using writing as a tool for social justice and healing trauma through the power of art. With a core dedication to advancing social justice, ending violence, and healing trauma through harnessing the healing powers of the creative self, Write Where We Belong hosts workshops, literary and arts events, and provides editing and production services for creative works.
By creating spaces for writers and artists of all levels to explore, discover, and share their stories, we hope to cultivate new conversations that will be the impetus for change. Things can be different. We can do better, together.
I am a poet, scholar, and activist dedicated to advancing social justice, ending violence, and healing trauma. I lead writing workshops with survivors of sexual violence and trauma, as well as with caregivers including those who provide care and services to survivors of sexual violence and trauma. I am committed to listening to, nurturing, and freeing silenced voices and amplifying voices of rebellion, reclamation, and resistance.
My interests include applied ethics, social justice, psychology, trauma recovery, and harnessing the healing powers of the creative self through creative writing and art. I have a diverse yet complementary background in fine art, philosophy, social justice, psychology, and applied ethics. I hold a PhD in philosophy from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where I specialized in applied ethics and social justice. I also hold an MA in psychology from Adler University, where I studied Adlerian theory, focusing on the effects of trauma and the roles of creativity and community in trauma recovery and healing.
I currently serve as the Senior Research Advisor & National Leadership Council member at RAINN (Rape Abuse & Incest National Network). I am an Associate Member of the League of Canadian Poets and an Affiliate and Board member of Amherst Writers & Artists.
I believe that poetry and art can be powerful tools for healing, transformation, and social change. My poem “What I Was Wearing” challenges harmful questions and responses to disclosures of sexual assault that inappropriately blame victims rather than perpetrators, thereby retraumatizing victims and perpetuating false narratives about sexual violence. “What I was wearing” is the inspiration for thousands of global grassroots art exhibits “What Were You Wearing?,” that invite survivors to contribute their own stories and representations of the clothing they were wearing when they were assaulted. Like the poem, the exhibitions seek to upend victim-blaming myths and raise awareness of the far-reaching and long-lasting impacts of sexual violence and the healing powers of empowering survivors to reclaim our own stories. In 2019, a group of high school student in the UK got together and created an original music composition based on my poem, which won the BBC's 2020 Young Composer's Award. You can listen to Edward Akins's award-winning composition "What Were You Wearing" here.
In 2024, I edited a first of its kind anthology of writing from workshops I led with survivors of sexual violence. We’ve Been Put Through Fire & Come Out Divine: Stories of Hope & Survival (Amherst Writers & Artists Press) not only gives voice to survivors, but seeks to upend false narratives about sexual violence. For example, the thinly veiled accusation that lies behind the question so many survivors are often asked: "What were you wearing?" This innovative work represents a new pathway for survivors and those who interact with us to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of sexual violence on us as individuals and communities.
Discover the power of your creative genius to reclaim your story, advocate for social justice, and heal trauma through art.
