The Art and Heart of Your Story: Writing and Telling Your Stories And Truths
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Nothing blocks us more than untold stories. Nothing is more powerful than stories whose time has come (To paraphrase Maya Angelou and Victor Hugo) |
Suitable for people at every stage of their work. For the nervous or inspired. For those just starting, transitioning, or years in. Welcoming and playful, raw and fluff-free. This retreat will help you reach your next level, whatever that is.
A week diving deep into your writing and storytelling gifts, in an 18th century farmhouse, in a gorgeous part of France, near pilgrim trails, medieval villages, vineyards and more... Our stories are our superpowers. When you know and own your story, your truth, you can make magic happen. It doesn’t matter what your vocation is, your stories are what make your offering come alive. Spend a week discovering the gifts within your own true stories: Dive deep into craft, flow states and soul. Learn how to supercharge confidence and inspiration and transcend inner critics. Explore what makes a story come fully alive. Fall in love with editing, rehearsing and feedback. Master the fundamentals of hacking flow states. Access electric speaking presence. Connect to your calling. |
"Dave Rock is the embodiment of passion and word artistry! A direct hit to the heart and brain. I hope you have the opportunity to experience him!" Mary Alice Arthur, Founder, the Story Dojo, Story the Future
The Big Picture
Suitable for all levels. For teachers, speakers, writers, performing artists, leaders or anyone who believes in story.
By the end of the week, you’ll have a much deeper connection to the power of your own stories, and the skills to reach and inspire the people you want to. You’ll be massively more confident as a writer, a storyteller and a speaker. You’ll also have the tools to keep improving your craft, confidence and creativity on an ongoing basis.
The program will change day to day, responding to your needs, inspirations and flow.
Every session will be experiential, interactive, and involve plenty of laughter, sharing and practice.
We’ll be simultaneously operating in two Zones - a Zero Shame and Judgements Zone, and a Zero Excuses and Bullshit Zone. Writing and Storytelling are about truth and beauty. Truth and Beauty are always kind, but not always gentle. At the same time as creating deep safety and acceptance, we’ll all be looking for our edge, where the growth is.
Suitable for all levels. For teachers, speakers, writers, performing artists, leaders or anyone who believes in story.
By the end of the week, you’ll have a much deeper connection to the power of your own stories, and the skills to reach and inspire the people you want to. You’ll be massively more confident as a writer, a storyteller and a speaker. You’ll also have the tools to keep improving your craft, confidence and creativity on an ongoing basis.
The program will change day to day, responding to your needs, inspirations and flow.
Every session will be experiential, interactive, and involve plenty of laughter, sharing and practice.
We’ll be simultaneously operating in two Zones - a Zero Shame and Judgements Zone, and a Zero Excuses and Bullshit Zone. Writing and Storytelling are about truth and beauty. Truth and Beauty are always kind, but not always gentle. At the same time as creating deep safety and acceptance, we’ll all be looking for our edge, where the growth is.
Outline Program
Saturday Evening - Hearing the Call - Storytelling and Writing Games, Sharing Intentions, Desires and Needs. We’ll play some high-energy, no-pressures games, connect, get to know each other, and playfully clear away all the pressures, expectations and insecurities we all carry into these things. Then we’ll share our dreams, desires and needs for our time together.
Sunday Morning - Inspiration on Tap - You’ll Learn the Secrets to Deepening and Sustaining Flow States, to Expand Creativity, Confidence and Content. I’ll explain how you can set your life up so you can feel your greatest, and do your greatest creative work, over and over again, day after day. I’ll share the latest neuroscience hacks, and the tricks ultra-creatives use, and you’ll make yourself a map of sustainable creative growth.
Sunday Afternoon - Making the Moment Magic - You’ll Practice Embodying the Secrets of Genius Storytellers. We’ll spend time playing with some simple, radically magical tricks and tools to bring stories to life. You’ll learn how to use these for any story, speech, workshop, gig, conversation…..
Followed by Free/Time Creativity Walk
Sunday Night - Games, Stories, Songs
Monday Morning - There’s no Such Thing as Writer’s or Speaker’s Block - How We Sabotage or Supercharge Flow. We’ll explore how there’s no need to ever buy into being ‘blocked.’ I’ll explain how people create ‘blocks’ and how you can always playfully and practically side-step them, and keep flow going.
Monday Afternoon - Hearing Your Heart’s Call - Exploring Your Unique Stories, and Your Unique Calling, Connecting to the Gifts. We’ll use simple deep practices to connect to the essence of your calling. Not just as an idea, but as a place inside to come from, a connection in your body, nervous system, your spirit if you like. We’ll look at how we can deepen connection to calling with just a few minutes every day, and keep amplifying confidence, motivation, action etc that way.
Monday Night - Group Dinner Out
Tuesday Morning - There’s No Such Thing as a Boring or Fascinating Topic - Discover What Makes Any Topic or Story Come Alive, or Become Lifeless. This is about two different dynamics - the pure energy of fascination on the one hand, and multiplying the perspectives you can offer on any given thing on the other. I’ll give you easy, profound lenses which empower you to express the incredible depth and breadth of any topic.
Tuesday Afternoon - Activating Fascination - We’ll explore how to access and amplify fascination in both writing and speaking/storytelling. This will be lots of playful, inspiring games.
Followed by Free Time to Explore, Go on Outings etc.
Wednesday Afternoon - To Write is Human, to Edit is Divine. The difference between most okay or good writing and most great writing is editing. Editing is what takes raw potential and turns it into art. Most writers produce mountains of garbage in our lives. The craft of sifting for gold, and turning that gold into something, that’s where the sublime sneaks in.
Wednesday Afternoon - To Write is Human, to Edit is Divine continued…
Wednesday Night - Games, Stories, Songs
Thursday Morning and Thursday Afternoon - Whatever is Most Inspired. On Thursday we will work with whatever questions, tools and processes are most valuable to the group, stemming from your journey till then. We’ll explore what the most transformational next steps are for you, and how to make them real and easy. In this way we’ll crystallise and ground the learning and shifts from the week, and set you up to keep on embracing and expanding confidence, creativity and craft for the rest of your life.
Saturday Evening - Hearing the Call - Storytelling and Writing Games, Sharing Intentions, Desires and Needs. We’ll play some high-energy, no-pressures games, connect, get to know each other, and playfully clear away all the pressures, expectations and insecurities we all carry into these things. Then we’ll share our dreams, desires and needs for our time together.
Sunday Morning - Inspiration on Tap - You’ll Learn the Secrets to Deepening and Sustaining Flow States, to Expand Creativity, Confidence and Content. I’ll explain how you can set your life up so you can feel your greatest, and do your greatest creative work, over and over again, day after day. I’ll share the latest neuroscience hacks, and the tricks ultra-creatives use, and you’ll make yourself a map of sustainable creative growth.
Sunday Afternoon - Making the Moment Magic - You’ll Practice Embodying the Secrets of Genius Storytellers. We’ll spend time playing with some simple, radically magical tricks and tools to bring stories to life. You’ll learn how to use these for any story, speech, workshop, gig, conversation…..
Followed by Free/Time Creativity Walk
Sunday Night - Games, Stories, Songs
Monday Morning - There’s no Such Thing as Writer’s or Speaker’s Block - How We Sabotage or Supercharge Flow. We’ll explore how there’s no need to ever buy into being ‘blocked.’ I’ll explain how people create ‘blocks’ and how you can always playfully and practically side-step them, and keep flow going.
Monday Afternoon - Hearing Your Heart’s Call - Exploring Your Unique Stories, and Your Unique Calling, Connecting to the Gifts. We’ll use simple deep practices to connect to the essence of your calling. Not just as an idea, but as a place inside to come from, a connection in your body, nervous system, your spirit if you like. We’ll look at how we can deepen connection to calling with just a few minutes every day, and keep amplifying confidence, motivation, action etc that way.
Monday Night - Group Dinner Out
Tuesday Morning - There’s No Such Thing as a Boring or Fascinating Topic - Discover What Makes Any Topic or Story Come Alive, or Become Lifeless. This is about two different dynamics - the pure energy of fascination on the one hand, and multiplying the perspectives you can offer on any given thing on the other. I’ll give you easy, profound lenses which empower you to express the incredible depth and breadth of any topic.
Tuesday Afternoon - Activating Fascination - We’ll explore how to access and amplify fascination in both writing and speaking/storytelling. This will be lots of playful, inspiring games.
Followed by Free Time to Explore, Go on Outings etc.
Wednesday Afternoon - To Write is Human, to Edit is Divine. The difference between most okay or good writing and most great writing is editing. Editing is what takes raw potential and turns it into art. Most writers produce mountains of garbage in our lives. The craft of sifting for gold, and turning that gold into something, that’s where the sublime sneaks in.
Wednesday Afternoon - To Write is Human, to Edit is Divine continued…
Wednesday Night - Games, Stories, Songs
Thursday Morning and Thursday Afternoon - Whatever is Most Inspired. On Thursday we will work with whatever questions, tools and processes are most valuable to the group, stemming from your journey till then. We’ll explore what the most transformational next steps are for you, and how to make them real and easy. In this way we’ll crystallise and ground the learning and shifts from the week, and set you up to keep on embracing and expanding confidence, creativity and craft for the rest of your life.
Practical Stuff
Just three places left, prompt booking is a good idea!
A sliding scale is offered, 580-700 for the whole week, including food, board and tuition. OR you get the whole thing at an even lower rate! If you're happy to do 90-120 minutes of work in the kitchen each day then you can pay the super low rate of just 436 for the whole retreat. Just select 'Volunteer' option.
Accommodation is in shared twin rooms.
A sliding scale is offered, 580-700 for the whole week, including food, board and tuition. OR you get the whole thing at an even lower rate! If you're happy to do 90-120 minutes of work in the kitchen each day then you can pay the super low rate of just 436 for the whole retreat. Just select 'Volunteer' option.
Accommodation is in shared twin rooms.
Things people have said recently about my own story sharing..."This touched me more than I could have imagined. I love you for giving....Hits me in ways I don’t fully understand yet...Your words have initiated a healing process inside me that I never believed was possible...There is so much authenticity in you, which just gives permission to be raw and vulnerable and honest and weird...Your words help me find a tunnel in myself I had forgotten...Your writing, your words, your story here—you've shifted something inside my soul...You are helping people every day with your wisdom and truth."
NB We recommend you use our airport pickup service to get to the retreat. To use the service, you will need to book a flight arriving at Bordeaux Merignac by 3pm on Saturday 11th May, this allows time for acclimatisation, rest and evening meal. On Friday 17th May we will be able to return to the airport for flights leaving from 2pm onwards.
If you are travelling across Europe by train, you can also be collected from Bordeaux with the group being collected from the airport.
Parking is available if you wish to travel in your own/hire car. If you are driving yourself, please arrive by 6.00pm on Saturday 11th in time to join the group for an evening meal and have an introduction to the Retreat.
If you are travelling across Europe by train, you can also be collected from Bordeaux with the group being collected from the airport.
Parking is available if you wish to travel in your own/hire car. If you are driving yourself, please arrive by 6.00pm on Saturday 11th in time to join the group for an evening meal and have an introduction to the Retreat.