A wild invitation: come outside and write!
Discover more from Writing to Right the World
A wild invitation: come outside and write!
Greetings, friends!
As the season pivots to Fall in the Northern Hemisphere, with its back-to-school, back-to-reality kind of resignation, I find myself wanting to hold on to the free-ranging creative energy of summer, to bury my writer's head deep in the wide open hearts of bright flowers, coming up with golden pollen dust in my hair, ready to turn fragrant inspiration into the honey of images and words.
September is a great time to get outdoors, and I'm here to encourage you to get away from your desk and screen as much as you possibly can this month.
You are not "wasting time" when you go for a walk in the woods or linger on a rock by a stream or pond. On the contrary, opening your spirit to nature is the best way to get rid of all the clutter of modern life that threatens to choke our creativity like silt in a river or plaque in an artery.
When we reconnect with Mother Nature, we also connect with the deep creative well within each of us, which has its source in the abundant, flourishing energy that birthed Gaia long ago.
That energy is still going strong, and it can nourish us as well as everything around us, if only we take the time to get out of our houses, away from our screens, and into communion with the humming vitality of the natural world.
There is no place better for developing a practice of writing to right the world than outside in a peaceful, well-loved forest, like the one that is lovingly tended by my friend Tes Reed, wilderness educator and creator of the "Find Your Wild" retreats.
Tes and I are joining forces to offer a daylong writing workshop on September 15, out in her woods; a day for writing and dreaming, sharing and co-creating, connecting with the deep spirit of the Earth and the more-than-human teachers who have so much to offer us, if only we take time to pay attention.
When was the last time you communed with a moss-covered boulder, followed a stout oak root down below the forest floor, gazed into the eyes of a bee, or congratulated a spider on her ethereal handiwork?
When was the last time you brought your notebook out with you for a day's jaunt into the woods, losing track of time, letting your "shoulds" and "have-tos" fall by the wayside as you lost yourself in swaying treetops and hawks spiraling in endless blue sky?
Here’s a 3-minute message from me, in the heart of the woods….
Now, while the weather is still warm and the leaves are edging their way towards golden-orange, it's the perfect time to step away from your desk and let your creative spirit be renewed by the wisdom of Gaia and her creatures.
Come make some honey with Tes and me!
Register here.
I'll close with wise words from one of my favorite worldwrights, Rainier Maria Rilke, as translated by worldwrights Joanna Macy and Anita Barrows:
Quiet friend who has come so far,
feel how your breathing makes more space around you.
Let this darkness be a bell tower
and you the bell. As you ring,what batters you becomes your strength.
Move back and forth into the change.
What is it like, such intensity of pain?
If the drink is bitter, turn yourself to wine.In this uncontainable night,
be the mystery at the crossroads of your senses,
the meaning discovered there.And if the world has ceased to hear you,
say to the silent earth: I flow.
To the rushing water, speak: I am.
Who are you when you are most yourself? Find out by the silent earth, by the rushing waters, by the sun-dappled forest floor.
Register here to join us in the forest on September 15.
And in the meantime, keep your writer's heart tuned to the beauty of the season!
Yours in grace and gratitude,
Jennifer
Come write with me, in person and online!
Honoring Our Plant & Animal Teachers: A Workshop in the Woods, co-led with Tes Reed. September 15, 10 am - 4 pm Eastern, in person in New Marlborough MA. Register here.
The Art & Craft of Purposeful Memoir. October 3, 10 am - 3 pm, in person at Lunenburg School of the Arts, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Register here.
Magical Stories: Writing Under Greylock’s Spell, co-led with Audrey Kalman. October 11, 10:30 - 4 pm Eastern in person at Bascom Lodge, Mt Greylock, North Adams MA. Register here.
Telling the (Loving) Truth About Your Family: A Memoir Workshop hosted by Il Chiostro. November 3, 10 & 17, 9 - 10:30 am Eastern, online. Register here.
Riding & Writing
Monte Velho Equo-Resort in Evora, Portugal, January 7 - 13, 2024. A week of dressage lessons on beautiful, well-trained Lusitano horses, plus guided writing sessions and plenty of time for relaxing and exploring the hill country of the Alentejo. Find out more and register here.
Hestaland in Borgarnes, Iceland, June 10 - 16, 2024. A week of riding spirited Icelandic horses in beautiful rolling countryside, writing in good company, and soaking in the hot springs and Arctic Summer Solstice energy of Iceland. Find out more and register here.
Join the Birth Your Truest Story Online Community for Writers!
Speak from the Heart Author Conversation with Dorcas Cheng-Tozun, author of Social Justice for Sensitive Souls: How to Change the World in Quiet Ways. September 28, 7 pm Eastern. Free! Register here.
Channeling & Journaling: A Co-creative journey with Gaia & Other Guides, co-led with Christine Boschen. October 15 & 29, 12 - 2 pm Eastern, online. Register here.
Check our online Events Calendar for a steady stream of online coaching and writing sessions, classes and events designed to nourish your writing practice and build community! See it all here.
Let me know how I can help you live your creative life to the fullest!
