Womens Writing Retreat

If you haven’t already been sent an invitation for the writing retreat in Castlemaine October 16-18, 2009here it is.

TO REGISTER IT IS IMPORTANT TO GO TO

http://www.meetup.com/Womens-Writing-Retreat/

WHO: I’m looking for ten writing women, to share a fabulous old hotel ‘with a twist’, wonderful meals, voices, laughter and silences. Perhaps you dream of writing but don’t know where to start, or you already write but struggle to find time or motivation.

WHAT: This retreat gives you the opportunity to put you, and your writing first. We use ‘writing practice’, a method developed by Natalie Goldberg. In this process there is no critical feedback, just writing and reading. We simply go deeply into the writing experience inspired by the community we create to take risks we would never take alone.

WHERE: The Midland http://www.themidland.com.au/ is a small family run hotel in the Central Victorian Goldfields town of Castlemaine. It is directly opposite the train station making it a convenient and affordable journey from Melbourne. http://www.vline.com.au/index.aspx?sid=0

WHY: To write, daydream and be pampered, to be with other women writers and hear your voice amongst theirs

WHEN: October 15- 18, 2009

FACILITATOR: Sandra Watson is a Castlemaine resident who has facilitated writing groups and retreats around the world most recently in Mexico and Connecticut USA. She does not teach writing, but has a passion for bringing together women and creating a space for creativity and change.

COST: $450 for a single room/shared bathroom for the weekend, inclusive of all food. All fees are refundable up to two weeks before the retreat minus a $35 processing fee - they are not refundable after that. If you cancel the day before the retreat you are responsible for the entire cost of the weekend. You are responsible for your own travel arrangements

REMEMBER TO REGISTER GO TO

http://www.meetup.com/Womens-Writing-Retreat/

Out of the ICF conference

It’s been two weeks since I returned from the Australasian ICF conference in Adelaide. I came back enthusiastic, inspired, and bubbling over with ideas. So many in fact that I quickly moved into overwhelm and what I call ‘splashing around in the shallows’! Anyway the eddying seems to have steadied and has left me with a couple of thoughts and resources I want to share.

The theme of the conference was ‘Creating Future Stories Together- personal responsibility, professional viability, global sustainability’. There was a fair amount of criticism of the theme, many people believing that it was not a coach specific topic. Registrations were down and the jury is still out on whether it was a result of the GFC or the theme of the conference. For me, I signed up as soon as it was announced. It hit two live spots in me, story & sustainability.

The opening keynote speaker was Bob Randall an indigenous Australian and great storyteller who rekindled the fire in me around the power of story. It’s our oldest form of passing on knowledge! Who are our current storytellers? What are the stories we are being told? It’s possible it could be television? What new stories do we need to create that give resource and hope in our current situation?

Another of our keynote speakers, Richard Hames, asked this powerful question. ‘What are you willing to do that you will not see the fruition of in your lifetime, but will allow your great grandchildren to meet their needs?’ He was saying we have to be willing to stand for something now that we will not see the result of in our life time, that we need to rewrite the ‘story’ we are told in our current culture of instant gratification, and ME, NOW.

So I’m left with that question, ‘what seeds do I want to plant for the future?’ I want to ask you that question too. I want to ask you to help write that new story, even if we may not see its end.

Here are some links to a couple of our key note speakers:

Richard Hames
http://www.richardhames.com/html/aboutus.html
Margaret Wheatley
http://www.margaretwheatley.com/index.html
Bob Randall
http://www.kanyini.com/subject.html
John Seed
http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/deep-eco/jsbio.htm

Hope

To quote Vaclev Havel, "Hope, is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense regardless of how it turns out."

We need to have the certainty that something makes sense NO MATTER HOW IT TURNS OUT.

Inspired by Margaret Wheatley keynote speaker at the recent Australasian International Coaches Federation Conference. . . . More to follow!