About

Devotion to Writing
Your Journey to Creative Fulfillment and Abundance.
What is Devotion to Writing? I’ve been teaching DTW for ten years. The ideas come from my own experiences as a writer and artist working for 30+ years. I want to share the approach to a devoted practice has keep me writing, and which has transformed my life into a fulfilling creative journey.

Devotion to Writing eliminates the fears and doubts which paralyze and silence us before we even begin. Breaking the silence of the page over and over, we establish a daily habit of writing. Along the way, we develop a new relationship with ourselves as creators, and to the world.
Devotion is defined as a coming to Love. In this sense, Devotion to Writing is a coming to love writing. But it goes deeper, we come to love the creative process, and our relationship to the mystery of creating. We begin to honor and love ourselves as creators, and ultimately, we realize we are the creators of our lives. As such, we are full: of richness, depth, energy and love.
Mattew Kelly wrote, “we become what we celebrate.” So let us celebrate and commune daily with the creative force at work in us, and around us.
It is my life’s work to create and help others find their creative expression in writing. As a young writer, I always was grateful for the teachers who supported and encouraged me, who told me “I could”. Too many people only hear they can’t write (create), they aren’t good enough. Devotion to Writing helps you remember you can because you are creation.
“Hearing Justen talk about Devotion to Writing two years ago CHANGED MY LIFE! It launched my daily writing practice which is MORE than a writing practice…it’s how I show up and welcome the flow that allows me to feel and know deeply enough to be able to express myself creatively. If you’ve ever want to find a way to Honor that call to creative expression, and that desire, this is it.” –C. Stuart


Justen Ahren has appeared on NPR’s, “The Point” and serves on NPR’s WCAI Poetry Board. His poetry and photography have appeared in numerous literary and photography journals, and exhibited at MassMoCA. He has twice been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. His work has been adapted to the stage and set to music by Grammy Award winning composers Glen Roven and Ileana Vasquez. In 2013, he Founded Noepe Center for Literary Arts, which he directed until 2018. Since 2014, Justen’s been teaching Devotion to Writing. The Martha’s Vineyard Emeritus Poet Laureate, Justen received an MFA from Emerson College’s school of Writing and Publishing. He has two collections of poems A Strange Catechism, and A Machine for Remembering. You can learn more about Justen and read his poetry at Justenahren.com, or on instagram @justenahren.