Author May Sarton wrote, ‘the only way through pain is to go through it, to absorb, probe, understand exactly what it is and what it means….whichever form our writing takes, it has the power to heal us and to help us grow’.  In Western Mass, the non-profit, Voices From Inside, has been helping women who are currently or formerly incarcerated find their voices through creative writing workshops. Originally founded by the now-deceased Pat Schneider, VFI participants receive encouragement and support for their writing and gain self-confidence as they strengthen their literacy and communication skills, and being to imagine new possibilities for themselves.