The Role of Writing Retreats in the Soaring System™
In today’s episode, I share the role of writing retreats within the context of the Soaring System™—a method I’ve developed for cultivating a sustainable and relationship-based writing practice. I highlight the significance of writing retreats in the Soaring writing system, addressing common misconceptions and showcasing how they can be a powerful catalyst for deep, focused work. I emphasize the benefits of physically removing yourself from everyday surroundings, reducing decision-making fatigue, and providing an excuse to focus solely on writing.
MORE DETAILS
Finally, I release the details of our upcoming Spacious Writing Retreat set in Ocean Park, San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Spacious Writing Retreat is catering specifically to women and non-binary professors. We have especially curated a beautiful venue, supportive community, and professional coaches to facilitate a transformative and productive writing experience!
What is the Soaring System™?
The Soaring System™ is my unique way of creating a relationship-based writing practice I teach in the Navigate program. I want your writing sessions to feel like a bird soaring in the air – you don’t have to try hard, your writing is flowing, and articles are published. So, instead of feeling slogged down or like writing is a chore, it becomes an enriching experience that you want to engineer again and again. The final result is a sustainable writing system based on your positive relationship with your writing.
Why Do Writing Retreats Work?
- Reduces Decision Fatigue – Normally, you have a long list of projects, tasks, and obligations begging for your time. On a retreat, you can choose one project to dedicate your focus.
- Removes Yourself From the Everyday – When you are in your everyday routine, your brain stops remembering the specifics of repetitive tasks. But when you are on a retreat, you can remember every moment because it is all new. Time expands, and it feels longer. The writing retreat persists in your memory even when you return to everyday life.
- Eliminate Task Switching – By focusing on one project, you can think more deeply and optimize your time, which is usually taken up by other obligations. A writing retreat gives you a justifiable reason to only work on your writing.
Why Spend Money on a Professionally Hosted Academic Writing Retreat?
There are ways to simulate a writing retreat at home, but when you are on a professionally hosted retreat, it is an entirely different experience. Here are the benefits of spending money on a professionally run academic writing retreat:
- It takes pressure off of you. You don’t have to worry about booking an Airbnb or figuring out what to eat.
- A curated community
- Get guidance from one-on-one coaching and a structured itinerary.
- In-person interaction with like-minded individuals
Are you interested in attending a professionally hosted academic writing retreat? Sign up for our Spacious Writing Retreat happening in July! You can find all the details here.
“You engineer for Soaring by placing your writing sessions at a time of day that is your best time of day. This is related to putting writing at the center of your career and manipulating your schedule so that your writing is happening at your best time of day instead of whenever you can fit in around your teaching. Writing takes centerstage.”
“As academics we have to juggle a lot of things. We are always doing teaching, researching, and service. We are always juggling multiple projects in multiple stages. Retreats are for getting the headspace and the time that we desire. Retreats are a way to alleviate that feeling of having to do all these things at the same time.”
Cathy has created another summer writing retreat in Ocean Park, San Juan, Puerto Rico! Join us on July 19-24th for our Spacious Writing Retreat. We are accepting reservations now. To learn more and save your spot click here.
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION:
- Our 12-week Navigate: Your Writing Roadmap® program helps tenure-track womxn and nonbinary professors to publish their backlog of papers so that their voice can have the impact they know is possible. Get on the waitlist here!
- Cathy’s book, Making Time to Write: How to Resist the Patriarchy and Take Control of Your Academic Career Through Writing is available in print! Learn how to build your career around your writing practice while shattering the myths of writing every day, accountability, and motivation, doing mindset work that’s going to reshape your writing, and changing academic culture one womxn and nonbinary professor at a time. Get your print copy today or order it for a friend here!
- Want to train with us for free on your campus? Now you can when you recommend our Scholar’s Voice™ Faculty Retreats to a decision-maker on your campus! Download the brochure with the retreat curriculum and both in-person and online retreat options here.
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