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The 28 Best Writing Websites of 2020

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Written by  Scribendi

Updated in Feburary 2020 to reflect the best writing websites currently online.

Every writer needs a toolbox.

A writer's toolbox is filled with gadgets and gizmos that help a writer craft a story when he or she cannot do it alone. There are literal writers' toolboxes filled with assorted caffeinated beverages, napkins with plot outlines scribbled on them, and USB devices with novels backed up on them, and then there are metaphorical writers' toolboxes packed with character tics, favorite quotes, and—you guessed it—writing websites!

Writing websites are excellent resources to stash away in your toolbox (or browser bookmarks) to whip out in times of absolute distress (e.g., an existential crisis), piled-up excuses (i.e., writer's block), or uncertainty about the stages of writing (e.g.,  the publishing process ).

Scribendi's got a writer's toolbox fully stocked for you right here! Even better, these writing websites are categorized so you can find just what you're looking for at just the right moment. With everything from creative writing advice to publishing guidelines (and everything in between!), this list of the best websites for writers will be perfect for you to stow away in your bookmarks for when you need a helping hand.

Creative Writing Advice

These writing blogs give concrete advice for implementing literary techniques in your writing to help your work reach its full potential.

1. NaNoWriMo

The National Novel Writing Month blog provides inspirational posts year round for when you're stuck with writer's block, and offers guidelines on everything from the publishing process to finding feedback.

2. Write It Sideways

The articles for writers that can be found on Write It Sideways outline real-life advice (like writing grants, author branding, and gift buying) as well as writing tips and tricks, like spotting dialogue mistakes and learning how to build tension in your writing.

3. Helping Writers Become Authors

K.M. Weiland, the writer behind Helping Writers Become Authors, is an award-winning author who shares creative writing advice on story structure, character arcs, common writing mistakes, and much more!

4. Warrior Writers

Warrior Writers is run by the best-selling author Kristen Lamb, who guides writers using comprehensive and detailed posts that have a humorous and easy-to-read tone.

5. The Write Practice

Looking for articles and advice on creative writing? Consider checking out The Write Practice, which offers writing free (as well as paid) courses, and even holds writing contests for aspiring authors. 

Writer's Lifestyle

The following resources are great for writers who have some extra time, or need to take a quick, productive break.

6. Write to Done

Write to Done clearly outlines useful topics for writers, like treating imposter syndrome, recovering from destructive criticism, and finding a pen name.

7. Brain Pickings

Maria Popova's writings on culture, books, and other eclectic subjects are always extremely interesting reading material for any writer with some spare time.

8. Daily Writing Tips

With a blend of fun and fun damental writing topics, this writing website provides the tips you need to succeed.

9. Well-Storied.

Run by Kristen Kieffer, this writing website offers more than just blog articles; it links authors with writing communities on social media, provides tutorials on Scrivener (a word-processing software designed for authors), and offers free courses on a variety of subjects.

10. Writers in the Storm

This blog, written by a group of authors who specialize in different genres, is meant to inspire writers and help them to hone their craft. If you are struggling with the storms that rage internally (e.g., self-doubt) and externally (e.g., the publishing industry), this site will be a haven for you.

Marketing/Blogging

These blogs help writers market their books and create blogging personas to engage an audience more effectively.

11. The Write Life

This writing website offers solid ideas for blogging, including working from home, pitching ideas, guest posting, and much more.

12. Goins, Writer

National best-selling author Jeff Goins shares real-life experiences and reflections on building an audience, shortcuts to success, and engaging a community in the age of Internet fame.

13. The Book Designer

As stated in its tagline, The Book Designer gives "practical advice to help build better books," which includes writing creative disclaimers, choosing the right platforms, and using social media efficiently.

14. Angela Booth

Angela Booth, a copywriter, ghostwriter, author, marketer, and writing coach, writes ample posts to help authors improve book sales and ensure that a book will be a financial success.

15. Create If Writing

Need marketing advice on promoting your writing without coming off as too pushy? Create If Writing "is all about authentic platform building" for writers seeking to sell their work. Kirsten Oliphant, the site creator, offers relatable advice in her blog articles and podcasts.

Find some of the best writing blogs below for help with the publishing process, from behind-the-scenes intel to publishing tips and tricks.

16. Jane Friedman

Jane Friedman has more than 20 years of experience in the book publishing industry. She provides informative articles on both the writing process and the publishing process.

17. The Creative Penn

Run by  New York Times  and  USA Today  best-selling author Joanna Penn, this site offers articles and other resources related to book writing, publishing, and marketing.

18. Writers Helping Writers ®

This one-stop shop for writing resources includes links to informative sites on publishing, marketing, and professional services for writers. You can also find information on protecting your writing from scammers and online plagiarists.

19. Publetariat

Publetariat gives practical information on networking, author websites, and the publishing process. It also shares links to big news stories in the world of publishing.

20. The Independent Publishing Magazine

The Independent Publishing Magazine hosts articles about many different parts of the publishing process, such as growing a following, avoiding authorship problems, and finding the right editor.

21. The Complete Self-Publishing Guide for Authors

Thinking about the self-publishing route? If so, this writing resource is invaluable! Kirkus's free Self-Publishing Guide for Authors, available as a PDF or in print, covers everything you need to know about a book's design, format, distribution, and more.

Writing Inspiration/Prompts

These sites are excellent for writers who are stuck in a rut and need some inspiration or concrete prompts to get them writing again.

22. Writing Prompts

Writing prompts are posted here daily, offering inspiration for writers in all genres. Some of the prompts focus on breaking through writer's block, while others focus on building characters or refining your dialogue-writing skills. If you're feeling as though you're in a writing rut, the site also posts inspirational quotes from famous authors.

23. Positive Writer

Positive Writer was created for writers with doubt—like the website's author, Bryan Hutchinson—to provide inspirational posts that help writers keep on writing.

24. Blots and Plots

The Blots and Plots blog instructs writers to stay in the habit of writing, targeting specific problems and demonstrating how it's possible to write a novel even with a full-time job.

25. Writer's Digest

This well-known and comprehensive site offers all manner of advice and resources for authors. Of particular interest are the site's many creative writing prompts. New prompts are published weekly, and writers post their results in the comments section.

26. Poets & Writers

Poets & Writers is a non-profit organization that fosters creative writers. On this site, you can learn about professional development, connect with other authors in your area, and find weekly writing prompts on poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction.

With Reedsy's list of over 250 writing prompts to get you started on your next creative project, this is one of the best websites for writers to find inspiration. It also offers a search filter to help you find prompts from your writing genre (e.g., romance, fantasy, mystery). If you'd like to contribute to the site and help other aspiring authors, there is an option to submit your own writing prompts, too.

28. Live Write Thrive

Run by C. S. Lakin, an accomplished novelist, copyeditor, and writing coach, Live Write Thrive provides a wealth of information from proficient guest bloggers with the intent to instruct, motivate, and encourage aspiring and veteran writers alike.

We hope these tools are just what you need to continue crafting masterful writing. With a list of writing websites designed to help writers with everything from brainstorming to proofreading to publishing, you'll be unstoppable!

Don't forget about Scribendi’s very own  blog , which provides writers with all the guidance and tools they need to perfect their writing. Our articles cover every stage of the writing process, from planning and drafting any type of academic document to revising and finalizing it. Whether you’re looking for grammar tips, writing resources, or advice on any facet of the written word, Scribendi’s blog is the place for writers to perfect their craft.

Happy reading!

Image source: Lauren Mancke/Unsplash.com

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Barbara Pastorino — Rapid Story Development

This was the most amazing workshop. It challenged me from day 1, and, in my opinion, was equivalent to a master’s level course. The quality of this class– instructor, technology, content, participants–was excellent.

Angelica Terso – Flash Fiction: Writing the Short-Short Story

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Eileen McLellan — Creative Nonfiction and the Personal Essay

I’ve taken other online writing courses, and this was far and away the best, in large part that was due to the sense of community that developed among the students and between us and the teacher. 

Arnold Doyle – Telling Truth

Ollie was very encouraging and supportive; they not only knew their stuff, but shared feedback in a non-critical manner. This course provided an intimate and challenging opportunity for me to learn about various poetry forms/styles, as well as the experience of writing and sharing unedited, first-draft poems based on prompts provided by the instructor. It forced me to work outside my comfort zone, and that was a benefit in and of itself, outside of the class material.

Nancy LaChance – Telling Truth

Ollie was a wonderful teacher. I think it was through their feedback that I gained the best understanding of how working in this kind of format can truly revolutionize your writing.

Techwashed – Aravinda Garimella

If you are a writer interested in the pervasive effects of tech on society, this course is a must-take. Shankar creates an inspiring space for creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and celebration of each other’s work. I found the generative prompts in this class inspiring. The students in this class were truly amazing people and the course has opened up a whole world of possibilities for my creative writing. Shankar is also extremely generous with resources, so you are learning for long after the class is over

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Since 1995, writers from over two hundred countries have visited Writers.com and thousands have completed our online writing classes. We are accessible 24-7 from any Internet connection in the world, uniting far-flung students with renowned instructors - all published, working writers with teaching experience- who offer feedback and encouragement.

Writing can be a lonely road but it doesn't have to be. Whether you're just beginning to write or polishing your next piece for publication, we can help. Let us provide inspiration, direction, community and deadlines to start you writing and keep you working.

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Each class provides written lectures, projects and assignments, and discussion forums where you'll share your work with the instructor and the other students.

Best of all, a teacher offers insights on every project you submit. These critiques help identify the patterns that can plague even the most talented and experienced writers. So whether you're dusting off a grade-school passion or breaking onto the bestseller list, we can boost you up the ladder a few rungs.

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Writers.com commits to providing the best online writing classes for creative writers available anywhere. (If you're interested in learning other kinds of writing, such as business or technical writing, you can start with Hidden Front Door or a similar site.)

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Writers.com remains a rock in a sea of audit-only and feedback-light classes. We've had decades to fine-tune our approach, recruit top instructors and build a supportive network of writers. When you send us an email, you'll always hear back from a real person, not an auto-responder. And while you're in class, we're available to help seven days a week if you run into a problem or have a question.

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Scribophile is one of the largest and most award-winning online writing communities.

Make your writing shine with feedback from other writers

You’ve spent a lot of time writing your story. But how can you make it perfect before you start thinking about publishing?

Scribophile is a writing group focused on getting you feedback on your manuscript. — in fact, we’re one of the largest online writing groups out there. Our points-based peer critique system guarantees you’ll get feedback from writers from all walks of life. You can then use that feedback to polish your writing before you take the next step in your publishing journey.

How Scribophile works

1 earn points by giving feedback.

Earn karma points by critiquing writing. Giving feedback to group members is fast, easy, fun, and helps improve your own writing, too!

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Spend karma points to post your own writing for critique from our writing community — anything from flash fiction to novels. Our writer’s group will give you detailed feedback on how to improve it, regardless of your specific genre, and all in a supportive environment.

3 Make friends and meet beta readers

As you participate in our writing group, you’ll meet and form relationships with many different kinds writers. They’ll become your inspiration, your encouragement, and even your beta readers, ready to help with your current manuscript, and your next ones too!

Scribophile was the first place I stopped when I went from being an I-wanna-be-a-writer to I-am-an-author. Now I have four international bestselling novels with major publishers, and when authors come to me I always send them to Scribophile. Genevieve Graham Tides of Honour and others published with Simon & Schuster

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Our writing workshops are taught by bestselling authors, expert teachers, and industry insiders. We have workshops for writers of any skill level, where we cover everything from beginning topics to advanced techniques.

Our writing workshops are designed to be both comprehensive and transformational — they’re your fast track to leveling up your writing.

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Hugo- and Nebula-award-winning author David D. Levine shows you the methods and techniques master writers use to draw readers in by engaging all of their senses.

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Acclaimed author Carly Stevens teaches you how to write propulsive and impactful action scenes.

Our writing group welcomes writers of any skill level

Our writing group welcomes writers of all skill levels — from beginners to published authors, and every writer in between.

Each critique you receive on your manuscript is a fresh perspective for you to incorporate. Our bustling writing forums feature writers discussing the craft twenty-four hours a day — share inspiration, ignite your creativity, get support, and connect with others no matter your genre. Plus, our extensive Writing Academy is full of insightful articles on the art — and business — of writing.

Scribophile played a major part in helping me polish my novel for submission. I learnt a huge amount from critiquing other people’s work, as well as from reading critiques of mine. I now have a wonderful agent and have signed a three-book deal in the UK, a two-book deal in Germany, and a TV option. The book was also shortlisted for The Debut Dagger! Roz Watkins The Devil’s Dice and others published with HarperCollins

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Since founding this friendly, social network for writers in September 2000, it has grown to be one of the largest online writing websites. Each day hundreds of new members join in the fun, and thousands of our current members welcome them with open arms.

get started

We give you tips for quickly getting started with your account on Writing.Com. Think of this as your jump start for getting your work and presence online. The more you learn about this vast, exciting website, the more fun you will ultimately have each time you log in.

What are members saying?

"I was very quiet...

...lacked confidence and did not mix with people well. I still am quiet and still find it difficult to communicate with people. However, since joining this site, my confidence has grown a tremendous amount. I have had work published , I have done a whole term in an English course and won an award for student of the year. All of this in little over a year. I believe this has been made possible through joining WDC and I hope it will continue for many more years." - sanita

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• Cost and quality. Cheap is good, but it’s not always the most important thing. I found that extremely cheap writing gigs often led to misinterpreted briefs and spelling mistakes. Skilled writers don’t charge $0.01/word, so paying a little more for quality is usually the wise choice. My top recommendations deliver results without breaking the bank.
• Number and detail of writer profiles. Creative writing is a pretty broad term, and there are often thousands of profiles to go through. The platforms on this list offer detailed writer profiles, making it easier to spot experienced writers who have previously completed similar projects.
• Timeliness. Writing can take time, especially when creativity is thrown into the mix. I understand, but if I brief someone with a short story prompt, I expect them to respect the deadline. All platforms listed here encourage and reward timeliness.
• Payment security. I didn’t have problems with most writers, but during my tests, I did receive a few articles that looked like they came out of a content spinner. I’ve only included websites that protect buyers with secure payments and convenient money return policies.

Note: Creative writing is an art!

• 1. Fiverr: Most Budget-Friendly Option for Creative Writing Services

• Dozens of categories. For creative writing, I counted over 11,500 sellers producing letters, emails, poems, short stories, worldbuilding prompts – you name it. All other writing categories (such as resumes, cover letters, script writing, technical writing, or white papers) are also covered.
• Fast delivery. Fiverr offers quite a few add-ons with each purchase, one of which is one-day delivery. If you’re on a tight deadline, you’ll appreciate having the option to expedite the writing process for a few extra dollars.
• Free revision. Most Fiverr writing packages come with at least one revision, allowing you to ask for changes after the piece has been delivered. Some sellers offer unlimited revisions even with their cheapest package.
• Secure payments. I’ve never had any issues with payments on Fiverr. Canceling orders is quick and painless, and sellers will always communicate with you to ensure they receive a high rating. If it all goes south, filing a dispute and getting your money back is also straightforward.
• 2. Upwork: Best for Establishing Long-Term Relationships

• Many hiring options. Upwork is known for its traditional approach to hiring, but you can also browse through freelancer profiles yourself with the “Discover” feature. A marketplace with jobs posted by freelancers (much like Fiverr’s gigs) was also recently added to the platform.
• Detailed profiles. Upwork offers thousands of super-detailed profiles that outline everything you’d want to know about a writer, including their education, work experience, and other similar projects they’ve worked on.
• Work tools. Since most work is delivered through hourly contracts, Upwork has developed its own time-tracking tool and easy-to-use work diary.
• Easy dispute system. Problems with fixed-price projects are easily fixed – payment isn’t released without your approval. For hourly contracts, you need to make a habit of reviewing your writer’s work diary weekly.

• 3. Textbroker: Affordable Content Services

• Multiple order options. Aside from open orders, which are available to all qualified writers, Textbroker allows you to pitch directly to one author of your choice. You can also create a team of writers and pitch the job to all of them at the same time.
• Quick delivery. Most articles below 1,000 words have a processing time of 1 day. Although processing time isn’t the same as turnaround time (for instance, a second writer might jump in if the first one cancels an accepted order), small orders are often completed within 48 hours.
• Writer work samples. Most Textbroker profiles include short writing samples that can help you gauge a writer’s skill and help with your decision.
• Easy brief templates. Depending on the type of content you choose, Textbroker will automatically populate certain sections and help with the briefing process. There’s even an option to add relevant keywords, which can make all the difference from an SEO perspective.
• 4. Fiverr Pro: Best for Top-Quality Creative Writing Services

• Excellent quality. Fiverr Pro writers are adept at creating eloquent, engaging content that will captivate your audience. If that’s what you’re looking for, then Fiverr Pro is the way to go.
• Save time. Not all $5 and $10 gigs are necessarily bad, but sifting through them can be a time-consuming process. Turning the Pro switch on will automatically filter out all low-quality gigs.
• Portfolio. Pro sellers can showcase their skills by adding a portfolio. That will give you a better idea of what a writer is truly capable of.
• Access the 1%. All Pro sellers have a high rating (4.7+) and a 90%+ response rate. Aside from that, the vetting process is long and includes several different tests. We don’t know the exact criteria with which Fiverr accepts sellers into the Pro program, but we do know that only 1% of applicants earn the Pro Verified badge.
• 5. Scripted: Content Creation and Management for Agencies

• Different hiring options. You can find vetted writers in almost any niche with one of the most advanced filtering systems of anywhere I looked at. Alternatively, you can place an order and Scripted will invite writers to submit a proposal based on your content requirements.
• Recurring content services. Scripted offers discounted bundles for recurring content creation. If you’re looking to produce large quantities of content, these bundles might help you save quite a bit.
• Performance analytics. The Premium subscription tier utilizes Google Analytics to come up with useful data and insights on how your content is performing.
• Satisfaction guarantee. You don’t actually have to pay your writer until you’re 100% satisfied with your order. A piece of content could theoretically keep going back and forth for edits indefinitely until it meets your standards.
• 6. Writer Access: Best for Large Volumes of Content

• AI-powered search tool. I thought this was a gimmick, but I was pleasantly surprised. Writer Access has teamed up with IBM and Cambridge University to create a powerful AI. This analyzes your existing content to find writers that will match your brand’s style and tone of voice.
• Find talent feature. Not into AI? You can still look at writer profiles the traditional way and find the right match yourself. I appreciate the fact that this option hasn’t been phased out, despite the success of the AI tool.
• Quick delivery. The standard delivery time for a 1,000-word article is 10 days, which is on the longer side. But if you’re in a pinch, there’s the option to pay a couple more dollars and receive your content much faster.
• Workflow tools. Writer Access integrates with Google Analytics and several content management tools, such as Clearscope, Copyscape, BuzzSumo, and Spyfu.
• 7. Contena: Quick and Efficient Job Posting

• Quick job posting. It takes less than 5 minutes to post a creative writing job on Contena, and then the first few applications will start pouring in.
• Thousands of writers. Contena is like an exclusive club solely made up of dedicated writers. The website even offers an extensive course that helps writers improve their skills.
• Various niches. Besides creative writing, Contena’s writers cover a huge variety of niches, including finance, business, education, health, sports, and technology.
• Are You A Creative Writer Looking to Sell Your Services on Fiverr?
• The platform’s super easy to use. Signing up takes a maximum of five minutes, the UI is well designed, and there’s a massive knowledge base filled with helpful articles.
• It’s a niche-thriving platform in a huge industry. Do you specialize in writing resumes, cover letters, or something else very specific? Well, Fiverr’s gig database is massive, so you’re rewarded for focusing on your preferred type of content.
• You gain access to performance analytics. Not only does Fiverr help you reach your target clientele with helpful SEO tips, but it also offers a complete analytics suite to track your gigs’ clicks, impressions, and other stats.

• The Best Websites for Creative Writing Services

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How Afterlove EP survived after its creative director’s devastating death

‘Afterlove EP’ is a journey of healing a broken heart’

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Indonesian indie game studio Pikselnesia was in the middle of development on its rhythm-based visual novel Afterlove EP when it received the devastating news: Mohammad Fahmi , the studio’s founder and creative director, had died. “When it happened, I remember our character artist, Soyatu, called me around 2 AM in the morning and said, ‘Is Fahmi joking about death again? This time it’s not funny, please tell me that this is not true!’” Afterlove EP game producer Ivor Dwitomo told Polygon.

Afterlove EP was put on hold indefinitely while the team grieved the loss of their coworker and friend. “No work happened on Afterlove EP during that time, but then we came together, talked about the game’s development, and we all agreed to continue Afterlove EP no matter what,” Dwitomo said. The game is about love and death, set in Jakarta, he said — and Fahmi had outlined a clear vision for the game. The rest of the team wanted to deliver that vision.

Fahmi, the acclaimed creator of Toge Productions’ Coffee Talk , passed away in March 2022. Coffee Talk , released in 2020, is a visual novel and coffee shop simulator centered around a barista working in a fantasy version of Seattle. It’s a game that perfectly evokes the atmosphere of a coffee shop on a rainy day — with some light fantasy elements thrown in. Afterlove EP has a different but still distinct sense of place; it’s set in Jakarta, Indonesia, where Fahmi grew up. The story pulls these three genres together (visual novel, dating sim, and rhythm game), focusing on Rama, a young musician whose girlfriend has just died.

“With Afterlove EP , Fahmi really wanted to show a slice of life of what it is like to be young and living in the places that he himself grew up and lived in,” Dwitomo said. Game director and programmer Dany added: “And we hope that they will enjoy getting to know our home through the locations and vibe of the characters you meet, whilst if you’re from or know Jakarta, you might find yourself nostalgic for some of the spots we chose to recreate in the game.”

Fahmi was very deliberate with his vision for Afterlove EP , and had extensively outlined the game and its characters with lead narrative director Galuh Elsa, who also goes by Sasha. The story and its characters were all in place, Dwitomo said, and the team at Pikselnesia was just beginning to put things in place.

“Our big objective as a team after Fahmi passed away has always been to keep the outline aligned with his vision whilst creating all of the content in the game — especially when writing the dialogue and script,” Dwitomo said. “We brought in extra help with the writing and narrative design because there was a lot of actual writing to do. But because Sasha worked so closely on the story outline, characters, and the overall vision with Fahmi, she has been able to be the keeper of all of it and guide the writers to help them stay true to that.”

Editing and adjusting the game introduced another layer of difficulty. “Fahmi chose to become part of Afterlove EP for a reason and I don’t want to betray that,” Dwitomo said.

“The biggest challenge has been staying true to his vision whilst still being prepared to make changes because, of course, Fahmi would also have made changes and had new ideas as we went on with development,” Dany said. “So we have had to think about what he would do and whether things are in line with his central vision.”

Pikselnesia is still working on Afterlove EP , but the studio just published a demo as part of publisher Fellow Traveller’s LudoNarraCon . And the game’s expected to be released this year on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.

“This game is our homage to Fahmi,” Dany said. “Having a game that he designed, envisioned, and worked so hard on and [releasing it] to the world is our best way to do that.”

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‘Baby Reindeer’ Star Jessica Gunning Talks Mastering Accents & Her Debut Writing Credit On ‘The Outlaws’

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Baby Reindeer star Jessica Gunning has been generating headlines aplenty for her creepy turn as Martha in Netflix’s stalking thriller series, but she’s imminently set to return to screens on both sides of the pond in the third season of the BBC /Amazon’s The Outlaws .

Gunning talked the Creative Cities Convention through her role as community services officer Diane in Stephen Merchant ‘s hit dramedy.

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“I love working with Stephen and he does let us add bits [of writing] here and there,” she said. “I was lucky enough to be in the writers room for Season 3 and I learned so much behind the scenes. I was honored to be a part of that.”

In Season 3, Gunning’s character returns with new sidekick Stan, played by Ten Percent’s Harry Trevaldwyn, who Diane is training up while doing a night class in criminology.

Gunning’s role as Martha in Netflix chart-topper Baby Reindeer about comedian Richard Gadd’s real-life experience of being stalked has dominated the cultural zeitgeist over the past few days. Gunning has garnered plaudits aplenty for her performance including her Scottish accent, and the Pride and Back star detailed today how she has mastered a strong Bristol accent in The Outlaws, which is set in the English city in the south west.

“I work with an accent coach and try and do as much work as I can,” she said. “And it’s amazing having so many crew from Bristol, so I would ask them, ‘How do you say this?’ or, ‘How do you say that?’.”

When she was first given scripts to The Outlaws several years ago, Gunning said she had thought it was a straight drama and had performed her audition in this vein.

“I said, ‘Oh, I wasn’t trying to be funny’ and the people auditioning me were in fits,” she added. “The way Stephen writes his comedic voice is so familiar to me and I knew what he wanted from [the character].”

Gunning was joined on stage by fellow Outlaws cast members along with EP Kenton Allen, who runs Big Talk Studios.

‘The Offenders’ in LA

The show swiftly moved to Bristol, drawing on The Office co-creator Merchant’s experience, before picking up a big financial contribution from Amazon, which allowed for the casting of the likes of Christopher Walken .

Allen said the city of Bristol, which is playing host to the Creative Cities Convention this year, “had not really been filmed contemporarily in drama for a long time.”

“ Bridgerton is shot here but there are lots of amazing locations, stories and characters so that was part of the sell,” he added. “And the BBC likes to spread its tentacles far and wide to represent different parts of the country.”

Allen scotched the notion that the cast’s strong Bristolian accents bemuse U.S. viewers, pointing out that global audiences are “becoming more used to leaning into the specifics of a story” and that subtitles are more commonly used in the streaming era.

The Outlaws team were speaking at the Creative Cities Convention after a talk from Mr Bates vs the Post Office director James Strong.

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Critic’s Notebook

At SFMOMA, Disability Artwork Makes History

After 50 years, Creative Growth in Oakland celebrates as its artists enter the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s collection.

At the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s exhibition, “Creative Growth: The House That Art Built,” a mannequin wears an untitled piece by William Scott from 2020 (acrylic paint on suit jacket and pants). Right, a wall-size photo of Creative Growth artists and staff members. Credit... Don Ross, via San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

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By Jonathan Griffin

Reporting from Oakland, Calif.

• Published May 7, 2024 Updated May 8, 2024

In 1974, Florence Ludins-Katz and Elias Katz — she an artist, he a psychologist — turned the garage of their Berkeley home into an art studio for adults with developmental disabilities. Across California at that time, people with a range of disabilities were being deinstitutionalized, with little provision made for them after their release. The Katzes viewed art-making as a pathway not only to personal fulfillment for disabled people, but also to their integration into a society that valued their work.

Half a century on, Creative Growth — as the iconoclastic and influential studio in Oakland was named — is celebrating its 50th anniversary with an exhibition, “Creative Growth: The House That Art Built,” at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

The exhibition draws from SFMOMA’s half-million-dollar acquisition of more than 100 Creative Growth artworks, the largest purchase by any American museum of the work of disabled artists. The museum acquired 43 more pieces from Creative Growth’s sister organizations in California, also founded by the Katzes: Creativity Explored in San Francisco and NIAD (Nurturing Independence Through Artistic Development) in Richmond.

Time was when such work would have been siloed in collections of “Outsider Art” or folk art. Over the past decade, however, it has been increasingly common to see art by developmentally disabled artists integrated, without contextual fanfare, into group shows or biennials. Cultural institutions, from the Museum of Modern Art to the Brooklyn Museum, have occasionally acquired examples of such work, although it is seldom exhibited except in special displays.

What is happening at SFMOMA is different. The acquisition is part of a partnership with Creative Growth through which the museum, led since 2022 by the director Christopher Bedford, pledges to introduce more art by developmentally disabled people from the three Bay Area organizations into its collection displays, and consequently into the canon of modernist art history.

Tom Eccles, executive director of the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, calls the partnership “unprecedented.” The art historian Amanda Cachia — who writes on disability art — agrees, saying, “The canon as we know it is being reorganized to incorporate the voices of disabled artists who have long been excluded from these narratives. Museums have a long way to go in recognizing contemporary disability art.”

The partnership with SFMOMA, which began in late 2022, is a landmark achievement for Tom di Maria, who joined Creative Growth as its executive director in 1999 and has led the organization to become the most successful and widely recognized studio of its kind in the United States.

The exhibition “Creative Growth: The House That Art Built” opened April 5, showcasing nearly 70 standout works by 11 of the center’s hundreds of current and former artists, alongside a newly commissioned mural in the museum by the acclaimed Creative Growth artist William Scott.

The partnership constitutes the breach of the institution’s high walls that Creative Growth has been striving toward for years. While it may signal a turning point for disability arts, it also comes at a time of change for the organization, as di Maria, 65, looks to retirement and its staff has moved to unionize.

In 2019, di Maria tried to step back from his position as Creative Growth’s leader, first by sharing the position of director, then later moving into a director emeritus role. New appointments did not stay in leadership roles for long. The pandemic complicated matters further, interrupting Creative Growth’s operations. Since December, when the executive director, Ginger Shulick Porcella, left after 12 months, di Maria stepped in once again as interim executive director.

Di Maria tells me that this kind of leadership problem is common in art nonprofits, where long-term directors broadened their job descriptions as their organizations grew. “When they step away,” he said in an interview, “you’re looking for somebody that’s going to be the fund-raiser, the curatorial director, the HR person, the grant-writer, all in one.”

Under di Maria’s leadership, Creative Growth has evolved in ways that make it barely recognizable from the nonprofit he inherited. Its annual budget has risen to $3.4 million from $900,000 in 1999, about a third of which is raised from sales of the artists’ work. (Art sales totaled around $20,000 annually when he joined. When artists sell their work through Creative Growth, the organization takes a 50 percent cut.)

Di Maria has advanced the Katzes’ legacy by pushing to integrate the work made by Creative Growth artists into the mainstream commercial art world. During his tenure, artworks have been acquired by museums including the Pompidou Center in Paris, the Tate in London and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Two Creative Growth artists, Judith Scott and Dan Miller, exhibited in the 2017 Venice Biennale. Many others have had solo shows at respected commercial galleries across the world.

The sale of artworks by disabled people, di Maria says, is a means of “getting a seat at the table.” Collectors acquire often-inexpensive works, and become invested in the lives of the makers; dealers take notice, and put on shows; prices go up; museum boards promote the work they own to curators; work gets donated to museum collections. Once the art is inside the museum, the real work can begin: changing the way the public values and understands the lives of disabled artists.

On one level, the exhibition — organized by the SFMOMA curators Jenny Gheith and Nancy Lim — presents a social history of disability arts in the Bay Area and the Katzes’ groundbreaking initiatives. This story is told through a well-designed interpretive display in a new gallery called “Art in Your Life,” and in cases of ephemera such as fund-raising letters and event announcements that frame the exhibition in documentary terms.

On another level, however, it is a show of art as accomplished as any in the museum. The first gallery showcases work by three of Creative Growth’s pre-eminent figures, and one emerging talent. Dwight Mackintosh, who died in 1999, was one of the first artists from the organization to win international attention for his drawings. Using felt-tip and colored paint, in his looping hand, he drew groups of translucent figures often surrounded by a distinctive, intermittently legible script.

Mackintosh’s repetitive mark-making rhymes with the intensely overlaid words and shapes in drawings and paintings of Dan Miller, 62, and in an assemblage sculpture by Judith Scott, who died in 2005: a small chair wrapped with strips of fabric and twine, tying in other items including a basket and a bicycle wheel. Meanings are buried deeply in these works.

Do not confuse such practices with art therapy. Just like professional artists who work and rework a set of ideas and motifs, Mackintosh, Miller and Scott spent decades honing private languages, resulting in oeuvres that embody their powerful personal visions.

In that first gallery is also an arresting video by Susan Janow, 43, her first foray into the medium. In “Questions?” (2018), Janow stares into the camera, tight-lipped, while questions are asked of her (in a voice-over, also recorded by Janow), ranging from the banal — “Do you wear a watch?” — to the existential — “Do you trust others easily?” “Who do you miss?” “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?” Her art reveals that her interior life is shaped as much by inquiry as by confident conclusion.

Another highlight of the exhibition is a vivacious untitled abstract painting, from 2021, by the Berkeley-based Joseph Alef, 43. In an exhibition text, Alef explains that nonfigurative work makes it “easier to get all of the emotions out.” These texts admirably elucidate artists’ processes and approaches without disclosing the nature of their disabilities, which might risk skewing viewers’ interpretation of their art.

If some artists choose to share details of their lives through their art, that is their prerogative. Camille Holvoet, 71, who worked at Creative Growth until 2001, makes cheerfully frank, brightly colored drawings of her joys, anxieties and hopes. Created between 1987 and 1998, the pictures on view depict her medications, her fear of public transport, her experience of moving to a new group home, and — poignantly, in this context — a picture of a smiling woman next to stacks of cash and checks: “Making More as Mush Money as a Good Artist, Without No SSI Cuts and No Pay Tax.”

Ordinarily, I am not inclined toward such illustrative artwork. But Holvoet’s pictures achieve one of the most profound aims of the exhibition, and indeed of Creative Growth’s founders: to help disabled artists thrive as individuals with agency and potential. Whether an artist is using creative work to narrate their life story or to transcend their circumstances, making art is a deeply assertive act.

Exemplary is William Scott’s commissioned mural “Praise Frisco: Peace and Love in the City,” part of the museum’s “Bay Area Walls” series. Over the course of his artistic career, Scott, 59, has painted his vision of a utopian San Francisco of the future, a city he calls “Praise Frisco” which incorporates rejuvenated elements of his past. In his mural at SFMOMA, we see smiling, youthful versions of himself and his mother, alongside a spotless depiction of the Alice Griffith public housing development where he grew up. (Also present are green flying saucers, labeled “Wholesome Skyline Friendly Organizations.”)

Three days before this triumphant exhibition opened, di Maria received a letter from Creative Growth staff members announcing their intention to unionize. “Forming a union will help ensure more equitable hiring and pay practices, standardized benefits, greater protections, safer working conditions, and improved procedures around transparency and accountability,” it read.

Di Maria accepted unionization soon after, on April 11. In recent years, staff members at arts institutions across the country from museums to art schools have been unionizing. Sam Lefebvre, a part-time artist aide and member of the union Creative Growth United, told me that high turnover, owing to unsustainable working conditions, can negatively affect the artists, who may form close bonds with studio facilitators, and who often respond best to routine and stability.

At this moment of transition for both Creative Growth and SFMOMA, all eyes are on the future. Museums across the country are working to connect more deeply with their audiences, and by including and celebrating the work of disabled artists in their collections, they will better reflect the lives and experiences of all their visitors.

“One in four people in the United States identifies with disability,” the scholar Jessica Cooley, who writes on disability arts and museum studies, said in an interview. “Disability art and artists are already everywhere, in every collection, making incredible impacts on the art world.” SFMOMA’s partnership with Creative Growth can be seen just as an acknowledgment of the contributions disabled artists have made to art history.

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May 14, 2024

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Fronting the campaign is proud mom and model Lily Aldridge and her sister, model and singer Ruby Aldridge, alongside 11-year-old twin sisters Levia and Zahar. Shot by Dan Martensen, the photography and accompanying campaign film showcase playful moments between sisters who value the freedom of self-expression through personal style. Lily and Ruby perfectly portray the beauty and power of sisterhood, bonding through the differences and similarities that connect them. 

The Gap × DÔEN collection will be available globally starting Friday, May 17 at 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT on gap.com and at select Gap stores. For more details on the Gap × DÔEN collaboration, follow along with @gap and @shopdoen. 

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