After running a few meetups in Hinterland last year, I found that the vegan cafe could no longer accommodate us due to their own events. Their roster started to stack up with philosophy and poetry nights, all things that, in fairness, I’d be tempted to try out.
I’ve been trying to find things to do that aren’t just going to bars and sampling cocktails, so an alcohol-free bar like Hinterland made a good start.
On Wednesday 2nd July they hosted a journaling class organised by Fi, who had chosen the theme for the evening:
What is freedom, really?
Fi encouraged us to free-write, in prose or poetry, what we thought of the word ‘freedom,’ and encouraged us to speak from our own perspective. We were given a few minutes to put together a piece on the subject.
Here’s mine:
The hardest thing about freedom is that you don’t realise how valuable it is until it’s taken away from you. Lack of money or time, or other obligations like family commitments can take over your life. But when they don’t, your freedom can allow you opportunities to try new experiences.
Freedom, however, has its dark side. Too much freedom and not enough commitment, can bring out other frustrations.
2/7/25 Journaling event in Hinterland Manchester. #creativewednesday
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— Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 (@matttuckey.bsky.social) July 16, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Fi asked us for our thoughts on ‘Freedom,’ or lack thereof, and she added them to the board.
• Self judgement / expectations
• Holding contradictions
• Staying open
• Allowing things to be messy / unresolved
Another prompt with a 10-minute free-writing exercise came next, on the title:
A part of me that longs for freedom is…
I splurged this out onto the page:
A part of me that already is free, but I’m afraid to take that step. I could more, solo. I’ve never gone abroad alone.
I have memory difficulties. The restriction here is that new places are hard for me to get around. I rely on my phone a lot. New places require organisation. I’d be screwed without Google Maps. That said, I have managed it in other British cities live Liverpool and Newcastle. It could be done. Is a foreign country really going to be that different?
It’s a big step, but I’m tempted to test that freedom and plan out a slow adventure. I’d be free from other people’s restrictions, other plans and priorities. If I want to try that club, that museum, I can.
Do I dare, though?
So, yes. Automatic writing rarely results in anything other than drivel, but hey, it’s honest drivel. Isn’t that why you read my stuff?
And Goddamn I need to practice Teeline. Trying to decipher my own shorthand after a few days was like trying to read the Zodiac’s letters, only I’d written it myself.
I think someone read out a poem at this point, then we dove into a new prompt:
The Place that I Find Freedom
The pen upon the page, bringing factual or fiction
whatever you can think of, without any restriction
not getting any younger, traverse across the land,
take the opportunity, embrace with both hands
order from the chaos, all you need’s a pen
That’s as far as I got before the timer went.
Enjoyable group. Good mix of people. Not too pretentious, great venue (I’ve never been to a bad event in Hinterland) and well ran.
