Writing the Village
creative immersion = art making
I’ve never been one to travel for travel’s sake. That’s not to say I don’t admire people who travel on full itineraries, visiting a number of countries in one trip and every museum and art gallery in between. I’m the kind of person who prefers to stay in one place a while, to feel the rhythm and cadence of life there, making jottings and sketches in my travel journal and plans to come back again if I can. And usually I do. Most places I have visited in recent years I have returned to at least two or three times since, bringing with me a group of creative travellers who like me, want to experience a total immersion in the daily life of somewhere else even for just a short time.
Over the last fifteen years I’ve led writing and creativity retreats and workshops and taken part in festivals and conferences mostly in Asia — Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, India, Japan, China with Morocco being the exception. Plus one offs in USA and Paris. It may have something to do with distance. It’s a long haul from Australia to the mother lands, but in 2019 we will be heading for the small town of Mercatello sul Metauro in Italy for a total village experience.
‘Many travelers have enjoyed the delights of Tuscany, but relatively few have discovered and experienced the unique charms of its warm and welcoming neighbors in Le Marche. Le Marche is in the eastern side of central Italy nestled between Tuscany, Emilia‐Romagna, and Umbria.
This region is renowned for some of Italy’s most delicious food. Think of food gathered from the wild; mushrooms, game, nuts, field herbs and — the area’s greatest culinary treasure — truffles are an important feature in the Marche. And of course, pecorino cheeses, olive oil and wines. It’s why Jamie Oliver, Heston Blumenthal and Gennaro Contaldo all LOVE this region, these people and indeed this village.’
Morning workshops and cocktail hour readings/sharings will include meditative writing exercises and supportive feedback sessions. Each day we will investigate a different sense — taste, scent, visual, auditory, texture with prompts also given for observing weather elements and times of day.
Participants will be encouraged to keep a creative journal — a daily diary of the senses where they can record encounters with people, places, food and wine of the region. Every sensual moment will be up for grabs as we learn how to turn our delicious indulgence into fine art with time given to work on your chosen project and time to explore the local surroundings.
There’s something to be said for getting out of the house and travelling to a far off land — it stimulates the creative juices like nothing else. There a reason why so many of our great authors and artists made their best works in self imposed exile immersing themselves in village life in a country unlike their own.
Why not try it in 2019. Come join us if you can!
Open to writers and artists of all genres and modalities…
March 1–15, 2019 — Moroccan Caravan A creative adventure into the heart of Moroccan culture. Tangier, Chefchaouen, Fes, Tissardmine.
May 25 — June 1, 2019 — Sensing Tuscany. A creative immersion in an Italian village.
Oct 6–12, 2019 — Haiku Walking in Japan, a pilgrimage along the ancient Kumano Kodo trail.
