When we step away from the noise, what emerges?
There comes a point in every writer or creative’s journey where something isn’t flowing.
The words won’t come.
The ideas feel tangled.
The energy to keep going just isn’t there.
In those moments, stepping away — into a space that nurtures both you and your writing — can be the most powerful thing you do.
A retreat isn’t just about time to write or create. It’s about loosening what’s stuck, shifting perspective, and allowing yourself to be held in the process.
Space to let creativity flow
There’s a common idea that writer’s block is about struggling to find the right words.
Often, it’s something deeper.
An idea that hasn’t quite formed.
A quiet resistance to what wants to be said.
Or simply the weight of everything else pressing in.
Taking ourselves into a different environment helps. We step out of familiar patterns. There’s no laundry waiting, no meals to plan, no small tasks tugging at our attention.
A retreat gives us space to create.
Of course, that can feel uncomfortable at first.
Most of us are used to distraction. So choosing stillness can feel hard. As my publisher once said:
“The reason I love retreats is that I hate them at the beginning — because there’s no way out.”
A writing retreat — especially one like we offer at Bach Brook — isn’t always easy.
In place of all the things we’ve been using to avoid creating, there is silence. Space. Time. And slowly, something begins to shift.
Choosing to be in nature.
To be nourished. To be unhurried. To receive support when it’s needed.
It changes things.
When we step out of the logical mind and into a more intuitive space, ideas begin to move again. Not because we’ve forced them — but because we’ve created the conditions for them to arrive.
The freedom to focus
I know from my own experience how important this freedom is.
When I take time away each year in our van to write — six books, at the time of writing — I love the solitude. But there’s also the reality of cooking, washing up, tending to all the details of daily life.
It’s very different to be somewhere where everything is taken care of for you.
When meals, dishes and logistics fall away, energy returns. Attention softens. Focus deepens.
That’s why we’ve shaped our retreats the way we have.
Everything is designed to give you space — both physical and inner — to write, create, and simply be.
I still love taking myself off in the van. But sometimes I retreat to the retreat house instead. Anton brings me my meals as though I’m a guest, and I find myself writing with a kind of ease that feels quietly miraculous.
Nature and creativity
There’s something about being held by the land.
Walking in the meadow. Listening to birdsong. Sitting by the river.
These simple things open a different quality of attention — one that allows the mind to wander, soften, and make unexpected connections.
Many writers find that just stepping outside shifts something inside. Whether you take your notebook and lay down in the deep green grass or let your thoughts drift as you sit quietly, nature has a way of unblocking what effort alone cannot.