ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the experiences of members of a collaborative group, the Fenner Writing Group. It explores an account of a collaborative writing group formed to encourage members to help each other pursue their separate interests. The writing group created a container in the sense of W. Isaacs who refers to a field as ‘the quality of shared meaning and energy that can emerge among a group’. He recognizes four key aspects of a container as the active experience of people listening, respecting one another, suspending their judgement and speaking their own voice. Thinking for oneself was safeguarded by the protective presence of the collective container. In particular, it supported independent thinking with honest, constructive criticism. With the scientific era giving emphasis to thinking objectively there was a devaluing of the subjective experiences of individuals and other ways of thinking.
