How often do you hear yourself saying, “I’m not creative.” Or “I’d love to write a book, but my story’s not that interesting,” or “I don’t have the time.”
The truth is: you are creative. And you do have a story that is uniquely yours. And you do have the time. You simply need to learn how to give yourself permission. You got dressed this morning. You chose a couch for your living room. You choose the words that come out of your mouth.
You are a creative being by nature. And the child in you knows it well. It’s just the adult who sometimes forgets.
Part of it has to do with the fact that society doesn’t value creativity as a lifeline. But creativity is the most powerful lifeline I know. I used it to work through a marital crisis depicted in my New York Times and international best-selling memoir This Is Not The Story You Think It Is, and I use it daily as I go through the bumps in life. It’s my practice, my prayer, my meditation, my way of life and sometimes my way to life.
In my travels promoting my book and its message about turning crisis into creativity, I hear over and over again how hungry people are for their creative voice but how stuck they feel in the pursuit of finding it. They want to know how to have creativity in their lives like diet and exercise, but they can’t seem to give themselves permission. So I started to de-construct how it is that my creativity comes so naturally to me.
And when I found the answer, I decided I wanted to help people find the safe haven I find daily in answering the most powerful question I know: What can I create? I have my answer and I want people to have theirs.
So I founded Haven Writing Retreats in Montana where I live. Montana has been my muse for over twenty years. The wilderness of its rugged terrain matches the wilderness of the writing life. Five times a year, I lead my retreats at a ranch tucked into the woods, surrounded by thousands of acres. And people come. All ages, all backgrounds, from all over the world. Some are published writers and some haven’t written since college.
But they have one thing in common: they are seekers. They are all shedding old stories, and they are boldly taking this stand for their creative self-expression. Each time, I see break-throughs where there were blocks. Inspiration where there was fear. Healing where there was pain. And when they return home, they have a re-charged, re-purposed, creative practice, as well as the continuing support of a nurturing, supportive Haven community.
I would love to share this experience with you. Contact me: [email protected] and we can talk about the possibilities of giving yourself the gift of a lifetime.
Yrs. Laura
August 7th-11th (Now Booking)
September 4th-8th (Now Booking)
September 18th-22nd (Now Booking)
