The Power of Connection

I’m just surfacing from what has been the most profoundly transformative and delightfully inspiring Conscious Writing Retreat for Women!

It was an amazing group of creative individuals and I’m truly honoured to have had the opportunity to guide and facilitate the dramatic shifts that took place from start to finish.

It was rather like witnessing tightly closed buds breaking open and emerging into full flower.

By the end, each of these talented women had found their way into a deeply authentic, aligned, integrated and vibrantly alive space of creative being, and left the space as fully fledged Conscious Writers*. Wow – look out world!

Immense Impact

I recently wrote a post called Positive Solitude and love the fact that so soon afterwards I’m drawn to share the immense impact that appropriate connection with like-minded others can have.

At the retreat, as in everyday life, there’s a time and a place for solitude and sharing as creative souls usually thrive from an individually chosen combination of both.

I certainly know that significant long-term friendships have been formed from the connections made at Conscious Writing Retreats and these provide a welcome balance for the predominantly solitary writing path.

Connection as Wholeness

Connection is one of the 7 Core Principles of Conscious Writing.

I usually teach it from the perspective of wholeness as the true value of connection doesn’t require you to have someone or something to connect to.

Instead it’s about being consciously connected with your true self as an individual wave on the ocean of all that is.

This provides the ideal foundation for seeing the world through the eyes of Truth and expressing yourself authentically and creatively from there.

Connection through Sharing

As a writer, however, there are many other levels of connection to explore.

These include the relationships you develop with your readers through the words your write and the stories you tell as well as the interactions that occur through your blog and the numerous social media platforms.

Yet the power of connection is truly felt when writers come together with like-minded other writers for an experience such as a retreat.

There’s nothing quite like sharing the ups and downs of the creative journey with someone who knows from personal experience what you’re going through; someone who understands how…

• hard it is to carve out time and space for your creative dreams
• real the anxieties appear to be when they block your path to the page
• vulnerable it can feel to write from your heart
• easy it is to lose confidence in your ideas and your ability to write, especially when left to your own devices
• and perhaps above all, someone who clearly sees your unique gifts when you’ve lost sight of who you truly are and are struggling with uncertainty about the positive difference you yearn to make.

Collective Intention

The power of connection at a group retreat is established through each person contributing to a whole that is so much more than the sum of the individual parts.

Together you create a safe and sacred space that is filled with positive energy to encourage everyone to show up fully and write freely, without judgement.

The amplification of collective intention cuts through the doubts and fears like a hot knife slicing butter and clears the way for clarity to reveal what you’re truly here to write and share with the world.

This may not be what you originally planned, yet always feels deeply liberating as a reflection of your creative soul’s true purpose at that particular moment in time.

Add to this the…

• acknowledgement and reward of (finally!) being seen and heard
• constructive feedback from engaged interest and fresh perspectives
• and the immense value of targeted support to move you swiftly through whatever surfaces instead of finding yourself caught in a seemingly endless loop of resistant patterns that hold you back from living your dreams.

All of this and more combine to shift you onto a whole new level of aligned, authentic and creative being ready to take your next steps as a writer.

Solitude AND Solidarity

So if you feel drawn to writing – or indeed any form of creative expression – I hope this post inspires you to balance the solitude required for your art with an appropriate group experience at some stage on your journey.

It could take the form of booking yourself onto a carefully selected retreat or joining a local (or virtual) group of writers whose interests resonate with your own.

Whatever you choose to suit your individual circumstances, I encourage you to embrace the solitude of your creative endeavours AND enjoy the solidarity that comes from the power of connection.

What are your experiences of connecting with like-minded others in the pursuit of your creative art(s)? Please share your comments below.

* Read the feedback here.

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Further Resources

To experience a greater connection with me and my work, if you haven’t already done so, register to watch my free Conscious Writing video series in the purple box on the right hand side of this page by clicking here. Enjoy!