Well, then.
I'm back.
I described the current state of my thoughts to a friend this morning as like a cup of tea, brewing. She replied that she likes her tea extra strong and quite stewed, so that is promising :)
I have many posts about my Arvon course, which was at Moniack Mhor in Inverness last week. I hope I'll be able to write about it in such a way that you will experience the revelations as I did - gradually, and in varying shades of clarity. And I wonder if you'll see the twist coming. I know I didn't.
Overall, it was a still and quiet place, where there was a lovely sense of camaraderie among the students, but still enough space for people to get on with their own thing. I enjoyed both the solitude and the company. I enjoyed the writing classes in the morning, and then breaking to eat, drink tea and go upstairs to my room where I'd write, read and sometimes nap. I could have happily lived like that for a long time!
Most of all, I enjoyed being still with my own thoughts. Without the distractions of every day life, things became clear.
~ ~ ~
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."
- Sir Winston Churchill, Speech in November 1942
Like a yoga retreat but with words. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI am thinking of doing one of the Skyros writing retreats (my body and brain work better in a Greek Island climate rather than Scotland!).
Looking forward to further posts.
Ooh, Skyros!! With a wedding coming up, I think I've had my quota of writing retreats this year. I'm already fantasising about my next one.
ReplyDeleteNext post coming soon!
Welcome back! So jealous of your Avron retreat. I can't wait to hear more!
ReplyDeleteWelcome back!
ReplyDeleteI could really do with a retreat like that right now :-) I'm feeling really run down and out of inspiration.
Looking forward to hearing more about Arvon x
Can't wait to read more, sounds amazing!
ReplyDeletesounds wonderful, can't wait to hear about it
ReplyDeleteI can just imagine the experience and I think I am still "stewing" on my experience with Sharon Gannon and David Life. It's so hard to find words for something so deeply personal and not entirely defining in one light-bulb moment. Experiences like this open up so many more possibilities and brings about more confidence and belief in oneself. Can't wait to see how it effects your writing :-)
ReplyDeleteSounds like the perfect retreat, I can't wait to hear more about it.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds amazing and that picture looks so lovely. It's bringing back all my memories of scotland.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear that you had such a good time. It's a very valuable thing to be able to get away from all the distractions of life, even for a short while.
Jai
How gorgeous! I would love to have a retreat like that. So wonderful.
ReplyDeleteiamemmamusic.blogspot.com
Oh, envy. It looks and sounds divine. :)
ReplyDeleteWow! What an incredible setting.
ReplyDeleteI've never been on a writer's retreat before, so i look forward to hearing how your journey unfolded and what you learnt in the process.