The next Creative Connections Writing Retreat will be in
Tuscany, Italy from June 9 to 15, 2019
Join us in TUSCANY for our next Creative Connections Retreat.
How often do you attend an academic event and think to yourself: "this was a life-changing experience"? Our retreat participants often describe our retreat in these terms. Join us and find out how an academic event can be life-changing, motivating, inspiring, and enjoyable.
Creative Connections is a unique writing retreat for women scholars that focuses on you as a woman, a writer, a scholar, and a member of a community. Our writing retreat uses four proven techniques to enhance your intellectual creativity and productivity: 1) focused writing time; 2) spending time unplugged and in nature; 3) connections via conversations about our work; and 4) meditation and mindfulness activities that enhance focus and allow us to tap into our creative potential.
Tuscany, Italy from June 9 to 15, 2019
Join us in TUSCANY for our next Creative Connections Retreat.
How often do you attend an academic event and think to yourself: "this was a life-changing experience"? Our retreat participants often describe our retreat in these terms. Join us and find out how an academic event can be life-changing, motivating, inspiring, and enjoyable.
Creative Connections is a unique writing retreat for women scholars that focuses on you as a woman, a writer, a scholar, and a member of a community. Our writing retreat uses four proven techniques to enhance your intellectual creativity and productivity: 1) focused writing time; 2) spending time unplugged and in nature; 3) connections via conversations about our work; and 4) meditation and mindfulness activities that enhance focus and allow us to tap into our creative potential.
Creating meaningful new ideas requires creativity. Does your academic work require creativity? Do you develop new ways to think about and understand the world? Do you try and understand problems in new ways? Do you make decisions about which ideas are worth pursuing? All of these things require creativity. This retreat will help you nurture your creativity through practices that have been proven to enhance creativity.
You will learn how to create and cultivate a daily writing practice. You will learn a variety of innovative mindfulness techniques. And, you will practice setting your work aside and allowing the big ideas to come to you as we practice yoga and go on nature hikes.
You will learn how to create and cultivate a daily writing practice. You will learn a variety of innovative mindfulness techniques. And, you will practice setting your work aside and allowing the big ideas to come to you as we practice yoga and go on nature hikes.
This is a Shared Room - priced at $1700 per person.
What's Included
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This is a Single Room - priced at $2050 per person.
What's not Included
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The retreat will be held in a living ancient village.
CostThe cost for the retreat includes food, lodging, and writing workshops.
Retreat Registration Fees Shared occupancy: $1700/person Single occupancy: $2050/person Deposit $250 (non-refundable). Rooms are limited so please kindly send your deposit asap after your application has been accepted. For application, click here. Cancellation Policy Final payment is due by February 15, 2019. Unfortunately, no refunds are available after that date. If you would like to set up a payment plan, please contact us and we will be happy to work with you on a schedule that meets your needs. Funding Most of our participants attend using professional development funds from their institution. Please let us know if you have any questions about this. |
Retreat Location:
Castello Ginori di Querceto, a living village 56040 QUERCETO PONTEGINORI (PISA) TUSCANY – ITALY Castello Ginori of Querceto is an ancient village, near Volterra, on the slopes of Mount Aneo in the center of a large estate. This quaint little village has accommodation facilities and is the centre of an important winery. The village is populated with “old” inhabitants (quercetani), people who have lived here for generations and are tied to their homes and to this land, and “new” inhabitants, foreigners coming for a brief holiday and deciding then to settle here, or young people working in the region who have fallen in love with this magical place. When we stay at Castello Ginori of Querceto, we are staying at a “living” village. We will be part of the local village life. The medieval hamlet of Querceto is beautiful and is constantly moving towards greater sustainability. The local wines and olive oil are organic. All of the electricity is renewable, drawing from the biomass of the agricultural production. The swimming pool is 5 minutes walking distance from the apartments, at the end of a path surrounded by olive trees. It’s reachable by car too. 
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HOW TO Get to the Retreat Site in Querceto
A short train-ride from Pisa, Florence (and Rome). Closest train station is Cecina. Closest airport is Pisa. Ryanair & Easyjet fly to Pisa from most European airports. Transport from the Cecina train station or Pisa airport can be arranged for a fee. 
Hawaii 2016 Participants
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Testimonials from previous participants
Creative Connections was a life changing experience. I am so grateful to Ayu and Tanya for creating and holding the space for us to explore and innovate.
2018 Retreat participant
It was totally amazing. I truly needed this to reset and it helped me in so many ways. I loved the integration of so many activities. I really liked everything.
2018 Retreat participant
Gorgeous accommodations, delicious food, well structured writing time, exciting excursions... what's not to love?
2018 Retreat participant
I really enjoyed Ayu's morning meditation. I found that it grounded me before the writing process began. I enjoyed everyone's company and the sharing about what we all confront in academia. The conversations were important for me. … I left the retreat with great inspiration and motivation for the summer and the coming academic year.
2016 retreat participant
I liked the safe space created by the facilitators and willingness to trust by the participants. I appreciated everyone's openness to share their experiences and honest advice.
2016 retreat participant
Thank you so much Ayu and Tanya for making this incredible retreat happen. It was a fantastic experience and you worked so hard on the logistics, everything ran so smoothly. Also, it was fruitful academically, we got two new manuscripts out of it and lots of motivation and insights.
2015 retreat participant
I loved the camaraderie. Writing can be a lonely activity. I appreciated the opportunity to spend time in such a beautiful space with other scholars and support each other in our writing goals.
2015 retreat participant
I really liked the dedicated writing time, feedback sessions, and all of the relationship building. I loved siting down at a dedicated time to write WITH others. And I really liked the nature experience.
2014 retreat participant
I loved making connections and community with the women/scholars here. ... It was validating in so many ways.
2014 retreat participant
Thank you to the organizers. I am extremely grateful to have had this experience. It's not like anything else I've ever experienced and I learned and grew immensely thanks to this experience.
2014 retreat participant
THANK YOU! This was by far the best thing I've ever done in my professional career. I feel honored and excited and grateful to be a part of something so astoundingly beautiful.
2014 retreat participant
Creative Connections was a life changing experience. I am so grateful to Ayu and Tanya for creating and holding the space for us to explore and innovate.
2018 Retreat participant
It was totally amazing. I truly needed this to reset and it helped me in so many ways. I loved the integration of so many activities. I really liked everything.
2018 Retreat participant
Gorgeous accommodations, delicious food, well structured writing time, exciting excursions... what's not to love?
2018 Retreat participant
I really enjoyed Ayu's morning meditation. I found that it grounded me before the writing process began. I enjoyed everyone's company and the sharing about what we all confront in academia. The conversations were important for me. … I left the retreat with great inspiration and motivation for the summer and the coming academic year.
2016 retreat participant
I liked the safe space created by the facilitators and willingness to trust by the participants. I appreciated everyone's openness to share their experiences and honest advice.
2016 retreat participant
Thank you so much Ayu and Tanya for making this incredible retreat happen. It was a fantastic experience and you worked so hard on the logistics, everything ran so smoothly. Also, it was fruitful academically, we got two new manuscripts out of it and lots of motivation and insights.
2015 retreat participant
I loved the camaraderie. Writing can be a lonely activity. I appreciated the opportunity to spend time in such a beautiful space with other scholars and support each other in our writing goals.
2015 retreat participant
I really liked the dedicated writing time, feedback sessions, and all of the relationship building. I loved siting down at a dedicated time to write WITH others. And I really liked the nature experience.
2014 retreat participant
I loved making connections and community with the women/scholars here. ... It was validating in so many ways.
2014 retreat participant
Thank you to the organizers. I am extremely grateful to have had this experience. It's not like anything else I've ever experienced and I learned and grew immensely thanks to this experience.
2014 retreat participant
THANK YOU! This was by far the best thing I've ever done in my professional career. I feel honored and excited and grateful to be a part of something so astoundingly beautiful.
2014 retreat participant
