Each day balances guided learning with spaciousness for reflection, creativity, and connection.

Throughout the week you'll experience:

• Personal narrative workshops

• Story mapping and life mapping

• Creative autobiography

• Poetry and blackout poems

• Improvisation and embodied creativity

• Story circles

• Morning movement and contemplative practices

• Guided writing cafés

• Theme excavation and pattern recognition

• Creative collage and visual storytelling

• Sound meditation

• Tarot and intuitive reflection

• Story Salon

• Independent studio time

• Shared meals and conversations

Our days are intentionally designed to alternate between focused creative work and spacious integration.

Mornings begin with optional movement, yoga, creative flow, or quiet writing before gathering for immersive workshops.

Afternoons invite deeper exploration through writing, play, and conversation, balanced with generous breaks and independent creative time.

Evenings bring us together around shared meals, Story Circles, meditation, local outings, and Story Parlor community events.

Throughout the week, you'll also have opportunities to explore Asheville, browse local bookstores, visit galleries, enjoy neighborhood cafés, and simply rest.

This retreat is designed for people who long to:

• reconnect with their creative voice

• deepen a writing or artistic practice

• navigate a season of transition

• explore personal narrative in fresh ways

• discover recurring themes and patterns in their lives

• cultivate imagination alongside reflection

• spend a week in meaningful creative community

Whether you're working on a memoir, beginning a new creative project, or simply seeking a richer relationship with your own life, you'll find a place here.

TBD

Do I need to be a writer?
Not at all. This retreat welcomes anyone who is curious about story, creativity, and self-discovery.

Will I have to share my writing?
Sharing is always invitational. You'll be encouraged, never pressured.

Where should I stay?
We'll provide recommendations for nearby hotels, Airbnbs, and walkable accommodations in West Asheville.

Is this a craft retreat or a personal growth retreat?
Both. We'll explore the craft of personal narrative alongside the deeper questions of identity, creativity, and meaning-making.

note to self: do some research on other retreats and what they include on their registration pages