Just Write! Porto

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation.”
—Audre Lorde

Slow down, tune in, and come back to your body.

Join us to reconnect with yourself through the senses: scent, touch, taste, sound, and breath. We will explore Audre Lorde’s concept of sensuality as a source of strength, creativity, and deep connection to the self. Through guided journaling practices and self-care rituals, we will create space to rest, reflect, and awaken the sensual self, tapping into an inner reservoir of joy and power.

Together, we will work to shift the perception of pleasure from indulgence to a form of self-care.

What you can expect:
● Three hours of connection & introspection
● Four journaling exercises to help you access your sensual self
● Self-care rituals led by Adja Lalu, founder of Lalu Skincare
● A spread of light snacks provided by local creators
● Healing sounds by @anastasiasound
● A curated gift bag of natural products to remind you of your journey

Cost: 45€
*Prepayment Required - Please message the organizer for payment details.

Hosted by:
Lucianna Chixaro is a Brazilian-born, Florida-raised writer and the author of the poetry collection, Cells. She is the co-founder of the Porto Writers’ Workshop and Entrelinhas Retreat and has taught a course on the poetics of diaspora communities in the US. Her work explores the intersections of institutional power, trauma, and the natural world. Through her workshops
and community-building work, she creates spaces where writers can slow down, connect, and find joy in their creative practice. For more information, head to www.luchixaro.com.

Adja Sy is the founder of Lalu Skincare, a holistic beauty brand born from her own journey of rebuilding and self-discovery. With over a decade in the skincare industry across Shanghai, Paris, and Porto, her work bridges product innovation, culture, and emotional wellbeing. Through Lalu and her somatic rituals and sensory workshops, she invites women to return to themselves, to find grounding in care, softness in strength, and beauty in the simple act of feeling. More at www.laluskincare.com.

(*NOTE: This workshop is for women and woman-identifying individuals only.)

Start your week right! Join us for some dedicated writing time at the beginning of each week to get you into the flow and hopefully keep your writing on track for the rest of the week. Writers of all types and genres are welcome! Be sure to bring a pen/paper, laptop, tablet, or anything else you need to write with.

The meeting's format will be 90 minutes of writing (10:30–12:00), followed by 30 minutes of chatting (12:00–12:30) about what we are writing and how it's going. You are welcome to stay longer if you want to continue writing afterward. Your Host will be JUDY, so say hi when you arrive.
Our venue is the macrobiotic restaurant Suribachi at Rua do Bonfim 134, 4300-096 Porto. We will be upstairs on the 1st floor (go through the shop to the restaurant beyond and the stairs are to your left). This is a short walk from the Campo 24 Agosto metro station. There is very little parking in the vicinity so better to use the metro.

Please support the business in return for the use of their premises by buying refreshments or staying for lunch.

Don't forget to join our Facebook Page, Instagram, Discord Group, and visit our Just Write Porto Website!

GROUP GUIDELINE (Reminder):
This is a supportive writers' group, and our focus is on writing. We ask that you respect others during the dedicated writing time by keeping conversations and other noise to a minimum. Also, during the sharing portion, please either share what you wrote or have been working on (always voluntary.)

We are here to provide writing inspiration, skills, and resources; therefore, please stay on topic and be respectful of our writing time and conversation.

NOTE: We also have a similar event called Write Night, so be sure to check that out as well.

Please don’t show up before 6pm!WE MEET UPSTAIRS. THE SPACE DOES NOT OPEN UNTIL 6pm FOR US.

Join us for some dedicated writing time at the legendary Capela Incomum, a 15th Century chapel turned wine bar. They have a wide selection of drinks and food! We have limited spots, so reserve your place. We have reserved the upstairs room.

As usual, the first hour and a half (6:00pm–7:30pm) will be dedicated to writing. Afterwards (7:30pm–8:00pm), group members will have time to ask writing-related questions and share milestones or success stories from their writing journey.

Please write in any genre you prefer. There are no language requirements, so feel free to write and share in whichever language is best for you! Writers need to bring something to write with: pen and paper, laptop, tree bark--whatever!

This bar serves great food at affordable prices so feel free to come with your appetite and creativity! Please order as you come in at the bar to make it easier for the staff.

NOTE: The bar could get noisy from downstairs, so feel free to bring some music headphones or earbuds so you can relax to your favorite tunes.

BE SURE TO JOIN OUR DISCORD GROUP: Just Write Porto

DON'T FORGET to visit our new website at https://justwriteporto.org/.

GROUP GUIDELINE (Reminder)
This is a supportive writers' group, and our focus is on writing. We ask that you respect others during the dedicated writing time by keeping conversations and other noise to a minimum. Also, during the sharing portion of the evening, please either share what you wrote or have been working on (always voluntary.)

We are here to support writing inspiration, skills, and resources, therefore please stay on topic and respectful of our writing time and conversation.

How to Participate:

💬 Join our WhatsApp chat: https://chat.whatsapp.com/EBV6qBFQomSCaNZ5iyOSH3.
We only share drafts with group members. You must join to attend.

💫 Pay our Sliding Scale Contribution: €5 - 10
To help sustain our ongoing relationship with the new venue, this event requires prepayment. Payment details are shared once you join the WhatsApp group.

**If you are experiencing financial hardship, but would still like to participate, please send a private message. We operate on a pay-what-you-can model.**

About our Workshop:
Stuck on a writing project? Join us on Sundays to get your creativity flowing with a guided writing exercise and dedicated time to get feedback on your work.

Our session flow:

✨ Introductions (5 - 10 minutes)
✍🏽 Guided Writing Exercise (15 - 20 minutes)
📚 Structured Feedback Time (60 - 90 minutes)

📆 The submission deadline for this session is November 30.

📍Location: We meet at cozy Coop99 right next to Praça da Galiza.

Please reserve your spot. Each session is limited to 8 writers.

*Note: If you’d like to check out the session without submitting a piece, you are welcome to. Please let the organizer know. Giving feedback is always welcome!

About Your Facilitator:
Lucianna Chixaro Ramos is a Brazilian-born writer and the author of Cells (Burrow Press, 2023), a poetry collection that explores the intersections of language, law, and institutional power. Her focus is now on nonfiction, with her most recent essay, "Fortunes," appearing in Electric Literature. Lucianna holds an MFA from Stetson University’s MFA of the Americas, where she taught a course on the poetics of immigrant communities in the U.S. She is passionate about creating supportive spaces for writers and co-founded the Porto Writers' Workshop in 2023 as well as the Entrelinhas Retreat. For more information, visit luchixaro.com.