March Updates: Treated To A Writing Retreat
The value of getting out of your space to get out of your head
Hi friends.
The rain has not let up since we fell sleep the night before. Water droplets drumming on the tin roof has become comforting white noise. We decided to get out of the city for a few nights, and even though we’re only an hour from home, it’s a totally different world over here in the woods. Instead of street lamps there is darkness, and instead of the shuffle of parked cars and pedestrians there is nobody. Moss clings to tree trunks and carpets the forest floor. Outside smells of wet dirt. Our cabin is tiny with just enough nooks for two humans and a dog.
The purpose of this trip is a writing retreat. We’ve been looking forward to it all winter. Away from responsibilities and distractions, like the half-finished taxes on the dining room table and dust bunnies accumulating under the furniture, we are free. Steve is revising his novel, and I don’t have an agenda. The only goal is to write for myself and no one else. Writing for myself reminds me that I’m real.
Still in sleep clothes, I snuggle up in the loft, under the duvet, with my laptop perched on my knees. My coffee mug and a cookie are within reach on the nightstand. Writing has no rules when you’re on a retreat, right? The one rule is that I must write. I write about Kona, the forest, the arrival of spring, why I think sewing is like writing, my hatred of baths, and how I wish I could go on more writing retreats. Then I start making a list of outdoor things I want to do in Oregon. I let my mind jump from thought to thought. I let it wander where it wants. And even though I don’t generate thousands of new words, this unfamiliar space helps me remove the fences within my mind to let loose creativity.
When can I go again?
With love,
P.S. Did you notice HHC’s new look? Read more about the rebrand here.
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I was interviewed by Darby Communications, a PR firm I’ve been in touch with over the years, about why and how I use Substack. Check it out if you have any interest in starting your own newsletter.
And that’s it! I spent this month working on two big pieces, editing other people’s stories, and shaping a few pitches for stories I can hopefully write later this year. Always feel free to pitch me an interesting person or idea!
Monthly Curiosities
Reading: Against Everything: On Dishonest Times by Mark Greif. How To Blow Up A Pipeline by Andreas Malm. The Midcoast by Adam White. The Timeless Way of Building by Christopher Alexander.
Watching: Pamela: A Love Story on Netflix was captivating. From a storytelling perspective, I loved that the documentary relied heavily on the journals she’s kept over the years. "I wanted to write things down in case I forgot them," she says. "So I wrote down things thinking if something were ever to happen to me there would be evidence. Sometimes I was writing like that. Sometimes I was just writing out my feelings not thinking anyone would ever see it."
Making: I used scraps of linen to make this checkered/quilted tote bag! My next sewing projects include lounge pants, a wrap dress, and a simple T-shirt.
Listening: The band Whitney has been in heavy rotation lately. We saw them in concert the other night. I’ve also discovered a lot of new artists lately on Spotify’s Indie Mix playlist. And don’t forget that HHC has its own “craft hour” playlist.
Subscribing: Jamie Attenberg’s newsletter CRAFT TALK always feels like a giant bear hug. She constantly inspires me to show up and write, even when it's hard. Her latest send, Start Fresh, was exactly what I needed.