I am a huge fan of the self created writing retreat. The ideal: a daily writing practice that genuinely feels "retreatful." It's hard when there are other people around, and when the environment itself is filled with reminders of what needs to be done and invitations to sloth and distraction. Still, the human mind is very responsive to ritual, and wants to peg ritual to space. We can carve out special corners, define special times, show up for them consistently, close our ears and close the door. It's remarkable how we can make a separate world inside our daily one.
Yeah, it definitely takes work to make a separate world inside of our daily one (especially in my tiny house). But, you're right, that's a great way to transform daily practice. To think of ways to make it special.
I know. I haven't been able to afford one myself. The only way I've managed is to teach at them, so I'm never truly doing a retreat. That's why I started doing my mini retreats.
I got nothing against retreats. Surprisingly, given my snarky nature : ) If you can do it, why not? Write, hobnob, get away from your routine. What's not to like?
I'm on a self-created retreat right now and got SO. MUCH. DONE. It's just a necessity for me to get away and allow my muse to have nothing to do but muse. Also really aware of what a luxury it is--one I work hard for, but still, a blessing.
Oh, good for you! I saw you were in a cabin in Nevada City. Such a perfect place for a self-created retreat. Must have been beautiful this time of year. I need one myself ...
I've only been on one overseas retreat, in Tuscany, and it was magical.
Your Italy retreat sounds amazing. The idea of "spirituation" is so rich with possibility. And I love the photo of you in chain mail on the retreat page. If you were to show up like that to teach, I'd definitely get some work done there :-).
And your self-guided retreat in Petaluma strikes a note of synchronicity/coincidence. I live very near the Metro Hotel and chose it as the location for the first in-person retreat I organized for the Birth Your Truest Story writers' community in March! It was a lovely, intimate experience. I guess if I want to get away for a self-guided retreat, I'll have to go to Sebastopol. Or maybe Pt. Reyes.
Hilarious about the Metro. I love that hotel. And Petaluma. You'll definitely have to make a "writing home away from home" in Sebastopol or Pt. Reyes—great options!
I have struggled with finding a writing retreat that works for me because I have a dog who's never been in kennels and a partner who isn't overly supportive and very work focused.
So I did my first self-led writing retreat in March. I booked an Airbnb in a seaside town just over an hours drive that was dog friendly. I had podcasts to encourage me, food so I didn't have to go out shopping, books and notebooks, and worked out a structure for my day - walk dog, write, lunch and walk dog, write, walk dog, chill out.
I really enjoyed it and even though my partner wasn't happy being left home alone I will push through and do it again next year - same cottage, same plan!
Oh, great plan! And that's so wonderful you can replicate it. I have to confess that I have a problematic dog that has limited me as well. Dogs and writing were supposed to go together, haha.
Thanks for the encouragement to go to a writing workshop or create one. I got so much done on my memoir when I went away for a week when The Writers League of Texas held one. Must do one this year!
I have longed for a writing workshop for my entire adult life, which began in 1983, after my college graduation. Of course, I couldn’t afford it, “later,” I told myself. When you’re 22 you have nothing but time.
Getting married improved my financial situation, but then came the babies. My husband’s excellent job came with a problem. He was on call 24/7, 365 days of the year. Finally, I could afford to go to a retreat, but I could no longer just go. My family was not going to help and my husband refused to ask his family.
The children were difficult, autistic too early. Nobody believes a mother. I left my job to be home with them. No more money.
I was diagnosed with MS while my husband still worked at the job where he was, effectively, held hostage, waiting for a phone call. My MS progressed.
The kids became independent. I became needy. I was diagnosed with ADHD. I had lost the ability to focus, and it took hours of my time to relearn that skill, though I never did get it right.
Over time I had become increasingly fatigued. I woke in the morning, already fatigued. I tried a workshop in felt-making. It was in the summer. Many of us with MS wilt in the summer heat. Two kids in college put pressure on my husband’s paycheck. I could contribute, I was too sick to work.
Thank you. But it won't. I'm 63 and everything is straight down hill from here. My health will get worse, my ADHD will consume more and more of my time, I'll sleep more. I'm getting older. Good things don't happen to old people. I started too late, and everything changed in the meantime. Life is cruel for women. The world is cruel to women. I stayed home to raise my challenging children and the world rewarded me by taking away all my opportunities.
I'm not whining, not really. With my state of health, a workshop would be wasted. I'd go the first day, then have to sleep for three days to recover. I'd talk too much and everybody would hate me. Or I'd be quiet and miss everything because I was looking out the window daydreaming. Imagine a character who looks behind her and sees nothing then looks in front of her and sees nothing, then you can see me. I'd be a great character in a novel.
How do you divide the time between reading and writing? It is important to read novels, newspapers and poetry it takes up a huge amount of time, I have tried for years to organize time spent reading and time spent writing, into harmonious complementary activities but it often seems that one is forced to choose between reading a novel to the end or writing one to the end
My usual way, when I have a true retreat or time when I'm in charge of my entire day, is to write in the morning (the time my brain is most creative) and then read in the afternoons. Reading becomes a creative replenishment, and my reading can help me think about my work, often without really trying to do so.
Sometimes I'll start the day with a little reading, just to get in the mood. I don't think it has to be an either/or proposition. Ideally, my reading is in conversation with my writing.
I’m currently on day 4 of my self imposed retreat at home. Found you and your course on Day 1 and now here I am on Day 4 with a half written screenplay completely re-thought into a novel. And I read 3 books. Haven’t managed to do that in years. I shall be doing this every weekend until I’m languishing by an Italian pool on a posh retreat 😂
I am a huge fan of the self created writing retreat. The ideal: a daily writing practice that genuinely feels "retreatful." It's hard when there are other people around, and when the environment itself is filled with reminders of what needs to be done and invitations to sloth and distraction. Still, the human mind is very responsive to ritual, and wants to peg ritual to space. We can carve out special corners, define special times, show up for them consistently, close our ears and close the door. It's remarkable how we can make a separate world inside our daily one.
Yeah, it definitely takes work to make a separate world inside of our daily one (especially in my tiny house). But, you're right, that's a great way to transform daily practice. To think of ways to make it special.
"I’ve dreamed of going on one of those perfect, luxurious writing retreats" I've dreamed of having the $$ to go on one : )
I know. I haven't been able to afford one myself. The only way I've managed is to teach at them, so I'm never truly doing a retreat. That's why I started doing my mini retreats.
I got nothing against retreats. Surprisingly, given my snarky nature : ) If you can do it, why not? Write, hobnob, get away from your routine. What's not to like?
I'm on a self-created retreat right now and got SO. MUCH. DONE. It's just a necessity for me to get away and allow my muse to have nothing to do but muse. Also really aware of what a luxury it is--one I work hard for, but still, a blessing.
Oh, good for you! I saw you were in a cabin in Nevada City. Such a perfect place for a self-created retreat. Must have been beautiful this time of year. I need one myself ...
I've only been on one overseas retreat, in Tuscany, and it was magical.
Your Italy retreat sounds amazing. The idea of "spirituation" is so rich with possibility. And I love the photo of you in chain mail on the retreat page. If you were to show up like that to teach, I'd definitely get some work done there :-).
And your self-guided retreat in Petaluma strikes a note of synchronicity/coincidence. I live very near the Metro Hotel and chose it as the location for the first in-person retreat I organized for the Birth Your Truest Story writers' community in March! It was a lovely, intimate experience. I guess if I want to get away for a self-guided retreat, I'll have to go to Sebastopol. Or maybe Pt. Reyes.
I'll bring the chain mail to Italy!
Hilarious about the Metro. I love that hotel. And Petaluma. You'll definitely have to make a "writing home away from home" in Sebastopol or Pt. Reyes—great options!
I have struggled with finding a writing retreat that works for me because I have a dog who's never been in kennels and a partner who isn't overly supportive and very work focused.
So I did my first self-led writing retreat in March. I booked an Airbnb in a seaside town just over an hours drive that was dog friendly. I had podcasts to encourage me, food so I didn't have to go out shopping, books and notebooks, and worked out a structure for my day - walk dog, write, lunch and walk dog, write, walk dog, chill out.
I really enjoyed it and even though my partner wasn't happy being left home alone I will push through and do it again next year - same cottage, same plan!
Oh, great plan! And that's so wonderful you can replicate it. I have to confess that I have a problematic dog that has limited me as well. Dogs and writing were supposed to go together, haha.
Thanks for the encouragement to go to a writing workshop or create one. I got so much done on my memoir when I went away for a week when The Writers League of Texas held one. Must do one this year!
I love setting a goal to do one a year!
I have longed for a writing workshop for my entire adult life, which began in 1983, after my college graduation. Of course, I couldn’t afford it, “later,” I told myself. When you’re 22 you have nothing but time.
Getting married improved my financial situation, but then came the babies. My husband’s excellent job came with a problem. He was on call 24/7, 365 days of the year. Finally, I could afford to go to a retreat, but I could no longer just go. My family was not going to help and my husband refused to ask his family.
The children were difficult, autistic too early. Nobody believes a mother. I left my job to be home with them. No more money.
I was diagnosed with MS while my husband still worked at the job where he was, effectively, held hostage, waiting for a phone call. My MS progressed.
The kids became independent. I became needy. I was diagnosed with ADHD. I had lost the ability to focus, and it took hours of my time to relearn that skill, though I never did get it right.
Over time I had become increasingly fatigued. I woke in the morning, already fatigued. I tried a workshop in felt-making. It was in the summer. Many of us with MS wilt in the summer heat. Two kids in college put pressure on my husband’s paycheck. I could contribute, I was too sick to work.
I'm so sorry to hear you've gone through so much, Betsy. I hope life somehow opens up and gives you the gift of a retreat.
Thank you. But it won't. I'm 63 and everything is straight down hill from here. My health will get worse, my ADHD will consume more and more of my time, I'll sleep more. I'm getting older. Good things don't happen to old people. I started too late, and everything changed in the meantime. Life is cruel for women. The world is cruel to women. I stayed home to raise my challenging children and the world rewarded me by taking away all my opportunities.
I'm not whining, not really. With my state of health, a workshop would be wasted. I'd go the first day, then have to sleep for three days to recover. I'd talk too much and everybody would hate me. Or I'd be quiet and miss everything because I was looking out the window daydreaming. Imagine a character who looks behind her and sees nothing then looks in front of her and sees nothing, then you can see me. I'd be a great character in a novel.
How do you divide the time between reading and writing? It is important to read novels, newspapers and poetry it takes up a huge amount of time, I have tried for years to organize time spent reading and time spent writing, into harmonious complementary activities but it often seems that one is forced to choose between reading a novel to the end or writing one to the end
My usual way, when I have a true retreat or time when I'm in charge of my entire day, is to write in the morning (the time my brain is most creative) and then read in the afternoons. Reading becomes a creative replenishment, and my reading can help me think about my work, often without really trying to do so.
Sometimes I'll start the day with a little reading, just to get in the mood. I don't think it has to be an either/or proposition. Ideally, my reading is in conversation with my writing.
Getting away, visually, spatially, and routine-wise is so helpful, I agree.
Ah the bloody synchronicity… 😊
I’m currently on day 4 of my self imposed retreat at home. Found you and your course on Day 1 and now here I am on Day 4 with a half written screenplay completely re-thought into a novel. And I read 3 books. Haven’t managed to do that in years. I shall be doing this every weekend until I’m languishing by an Italian pool on a posh retreat 😂
I went to Rome last month and loved every minute of it! I want to go back again, but I have to save up some more money. 😊