Why Attend An Online Writing Retreat?
WRITING FROM THE HEART - ONLINE - JANUARY 17 - 21, 2024
Why attend an online writing retreat? Adventures in Writing retreats offer the environment and space to unplug from daily routines, demands, and expectations. They allow your creative self to be the focus of attention. Carving out the time to attend an online writing retreat is the first step in saying YES to yourself and your writing journey.
With each day of the retreat, more tension releases from your body and you expand into deeper levels of inspiration. Powerful words emerge from this relaxed and focused state, and participants are able to stay focused on developing their poems and stories. A one hundred word story becomes 1500 words, sparked by the original idea. A 17-syllable haiku blossoms into a multimedia presentation within the encouraging space co-created within retreat.
Confidence for each individual grows as we share our emerging pieces. I begin to hear people share, “Writing this way is so much fun!” “I can call myself a writer now!” I invite you to pause, take a moment to think about what attending a retreat could mean for your writing goals this year. Now take a few more moments to write your response in your journal. Notice how your body feels as you explore what is possible.
One thing I love about facilitating writing retreats is the energy created when people come together with committed energy; people who have said yes to crafting their stories within a circle of trust. I have experienced the transformational power of a well-crafted online event. Year after year, I witness how the structure for my writing retreats is successfully adapted to online. The process of writing together from sentence stems, and sharing our fresh writing by reading aloud, builds strong connections. We all commit to nurturing a respectful, non-judgmental space for the seeds of writing to take room and grow.
For five years, I have offered Writing from the Heart for writers of all levels of writing experience. Here’s what Marni Allison, a participant from 2023 chose to share with you:
In Marie’s circles, you meet unique people and hear interesting perspectives. The group honours one another’s distinct voices. You don’t feel any pressure to write to a set of expectations. Yet somehow our collective voice becomes stronger as we move through the program. It’s magical.
Are you ready to say YES to your desire to craft your compelling stories?
An Online Writing Retreat To Start The Year
You might be curious about what Writing from the Heart 2024 (January 17 – 21) might be like, so here is a brief overview.
I begin by encouraging you to set up a personal space that allows creativity to flourish. Our retreat groups are structured so that everyone gets individualized attention as well as group time. A typical retreat day starts with a brief grounding meditation, followed by group writing practice.
After lunch break, there are unstructured afternoon hours, dedicated free time to create, explore, rest, or connect with fellow retreat participants. Every day we arrive and connect more deeply with the stories we are longing to write, as well as the audiences we are meant to serve.
I invite you to arrive with a beginner’s mind, open and ready for exploration. You will be amazed by the results, as you discover that your words come more easily each day. As you lean into the support created within the group, you begin to see the beauty of what you have written. For most writers, having your words received and honored so deeply is a new and liberating experience.
Everyone has a deep well of expression inside them, waiting to be revealed; an unlimited and overflowing reservoir of creativity where laughter, pain, sorrow, and love all reside. During an online writing retreat, you are likely to reclaim your sense of playful self-expression. You may discover just how much your words matter.
A lasting take-away of an online writing retreat is that you learn how to build an ongoing practice that includes loving your newborn pieces and mindfully revising them in a nurturing way. You learn the elements of strong writing using an organic process that arises directly from the body. It is a place beyond thought, beyond the rational mind. This is where magic happens.
If you are ready to move your writing journey forward, join me for an online writing retreat unlike any other! Writing from the Heart online retreat, January 17 – January 21, 2024.
marie
If something in this newsletter inspired you, send me a note at marie@mariemaccagno.com.
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