I love writing residencies. And If you’ve been considering a residency, sometimes called a writers retreat, do whatever you’ve got to do to make it happen.
Here’s why.
It’s Not Just About Your Writing
Of course, you will change. You will grow not only as a writer, but as a human. And it all feels so damn cliché until you remember that clichés came about because they’re true for the majority of humans. If we’re all singing the same song, there must be something to the tune. Writing residencies offer you dedicated time to sit with your work without distractions.
When I’m in residence, I’m not only able to open my mind to my project, I can KEEP it open. No putting things away in order to use the kitchen table for ridiculous things like eating dinner. No answering text messages or running to a meeting that could’ve been an email.
When you allow your mind to stay open, your world opens up as well. I’ve made friends with restaurant owners, received downloads from the Universe of the storytelling variety, hiked 20km to a ruined castle, said yes to cool experiences like doing yoga in a garden studio with sheaves of herbs drying in the rafters. And all of that fed right back into my work.
You’ve Given Yourself Permission to Create Art
Sometimes, this is the hardest part. Whether you fund time away to yourself or attend a traditional residency, the entire point is to do the thing you love. With a traditional writing residency, you also have a group of folks doing it too. There’s quite a bit of power in that kind of group think.
As much as we may want to be the kind of person who can sit in that chair and get it done, the world be damned, sometimes that extra nudge is what makes difference. There’s nothing wrong with reaching for that, or admitting you need it. At the end of the day, it’s about getting the work done.
One goes to a writing residency to make strides with their art. Even if that art doesn’t produce a dime. Some of the most amazing works of art were created only after the artist had made a lot of shitty pieces of art. If we expected everything that came out of our studios or laptops or kilns to be prize-winning material, we’d be sunk before we ever started.
So extend your permission to things like experimenting, fucking up, daydreaming, failing and getting back up the next day, and dare I say it? Having fun.
Make Friends
A writing residency is one of the best ways to connect with artists from all over the world. Even if they aren’t working in your medium, they’ll become a source of inspiration to you just as you will for them. I made a wonderful friend from Greece while I was in the Czech Republic, who is an amazing visual artist. We laughed. Drank wine in the castle cellar together. Watched the fireworks over the river. Yoga’d our faces off in the herb garden studio. Our friendship was one of the best things to come from that residency. We’ve even met up in Denmark while she was in another residency and attended a Viking Bard’s Festival together.
Like your mother used to say – go outside and play! Make friends! It’s good juju for life and art and everything in between.
Writing Residencies Allow You to Be Merciless With Your Time
Traveling to a writing residency implies that you are unplugging from the world. Most people in your life will respect that and not pester you, especially if you’re already immersed in a group of writer friends and artists.
In all the years I have traveled abroad I have never gotten a phone plan. Yes, I’ve kept in touch via Skype or WhatsApp or the socials. But you know what my favorite thing is about those apps? I can turn the notifications OFF. I connect on my time, when it’s convenient for me.
Everyone’s situation and comfort level is different. By all means, make the right choice for you and your family. For me, it’s not getting a SIM card for the country I’m in. I cannot stress enough how much a digital detox changes everything.
When you’re ready, take the leap.
Cheering for you always,
Kelly
Photos by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash