Home

Guanajuato Writing Retreat 2024 Overview

Renewal is the act of making something continue for more time, start again, or improve. When we renew ourselves as writers, we strip away that which we’ve outgrown or no longer need, that which has become stale, or that which holds us to former styles, topics or characters we no longer believe. Renewal is a deep process of investigation and experimentation, allowing us to emerge from behind our masks and find ways to live as only we can, to write what is only ours to write. Now. To forge a path for our current writing that will take us closer to the path which is right for us now.

Renewal is so much more than resolutions and goals. It is an ongoing way of writing and living our lives. We identify our fears and doubts, take the right kind of risks, participate in whatever life is offering us, and show up – on the page, to ourselves and others – truthfully. Renewal, when done with lovingkindness and acceptance for our strengths and weakness, sets us on the path of growth, allows our writing and our next stage of life to unfold in alignment with our truest self.

Come with me to beautiful, bold Guanajuato, Mexico, for a full-week of replenishment, creative and personal exploration, and, what any writer craves: inspiration and time to write.

We’ll stay at The Florecer Casitas, where you won’t be able to resist the invitation to nourish your body and invigorate your senses with the vibrancy of this gorgeous colonial city. Leave feeling restored and inspired, in touch with the boldness you wish to carry with you into the next stage of your personal and creative voice.

This workshop is for writers seeking time, space and creative innovation for their own work, and the chance to create a supportive writing community in a home-away-from-home environment. Mornings will include activities to foster creativity and self-exploration (mindfulness meditation, creative prompts, and process group time for exploring our internal landscapes and encouraging ourselves to understand/explore sides of ourselves often unseen).

During the day, we will have plenty of time to write, as well as explore and be inspired by Guanajuato’s colorful sights, sounds and its mix of historic and present-day Mexico. Excursions and activities will correspond to that day’s themes for self-exploration and writing. In the evenings, we will deepen our connections through meals, conversation, and the opportunity to share or workshop our day’s writing. Our experiences will culminate in a public reading shared with local writers.