Who Needs a Writing Retreat When You Can Have Jury Duty Instead?
As you probably know, I’m leading an iconic writing retreat for incredible women nonfiction writers at the end of October. (want to come? 1 spot left! info here)
As you probably don’t know, I’m sitting on jury duty today… again…
I swear there’s a star by my name that says “put her on the list her again!”
In 10 years, I’ve been called for jury duty over half a dozen times. My husband has never been called once. The last time, I wound up sitting on a first-degree murder trial. It took a while. Hung jury.
It was a fascinating insight into how different we are but, importantly, also fascinating insight into why the system works. In my case, it was eye-opening both to see such disparate people consciously working together towards justice, as well as to witness first-hand the juror who invented a different version of the crime and declared the defendant guilty for that (omg).
So today here I am again, and I’m trying to approach my bi-annual day in the courthouse with a new level of patience.
Not: what am I missing sitting here in this not-quite-airconditioned jury room?
But: what am I gaining by having a whole day with limits on what I can do?
My first thought was to catch up on this newsletter, which has been on my list, but always slips from the top.
I thought about how nice it was, actually, to have a day to sit and do nothing but read and write… and the lightbulb went on!
I was having a conversation last week with a colleague (who also happens my fave yoga instructor) and we were talking about retreats. We were sharing the value of finding and embracing time for what matters. She’s been leading yoga retreats for over 20 years, and we talked about the gift we give ourselves when we take the time to do the thing.
We all have practices we’d like to improve, hobbies we aspire to level up in, accomplishments we know we’d get to… if we only had the time.
And a retreat offers that.
The combination (usually) of cost and location and community means you are committing to yourself in very real terms that you will let go of the everyday run-around and “crazy-busy” lifestyle that is our 2020’s default. You are promising that you will write that chapter, find that calm, realign those values.
And it happens because you give/gift yourself the uninterrupted time and open yourself to getting it done.
Retreats are also lovely because they foster community. You’re not only doing your thing, but you’re doing it with other people who usually also do the thing!
Writer’s retreat? Meet and bond and share with fellow writers. Even better when those writers have more in common with you than that. Mindfulness retreat? Take time to share about your experiences with like-minded and open-minded folks. Surfing retreat? Well, that would just be awesome!
In book-writing terms, we talk about “knowing your reader,” really niching down. In retreat terms, you can often find one that is your niche.
It could be as simple as Chicagoans who love yoga and need to go somewhere warm in March to make it through to May. (If you live in Chicago, you know what I’m talking about!)
In the case of my Athens retreat, it’s a small community of women who are writing a nonfiction book. They are at different points on the journey, but will come together knowing that each of them brings powerful words to the page in a particular way that there needs to be more of (i.e. more women writing more nonfiction!).
So this brings me back to jury duty.
What, fundamentally, have I been doing all day?
I’ve been in a community of like-minded folks (pretty much all of us would rather be elsewhere, but also all stepping into our civic responsibility and commitment to foster justice if asked) with time on my hands where I can commit it to a thing I know I should do more of - that I would honestly like to do more of but “I just never have the time.”
So here I am with time, and I’m getting this s*** done!
I’m remembering that you don’t always need the big, fancy retreat to make the time for things that matter. You can make the time yourself. Or, you can get jury duty ;-)
P.S. While I openly encourage you to gift yourself time to write, to set aside a day, or even a few hours sometime this month - you’ll thank yourself! - I also am in fact running that writing retreat in Athens for 3 iconic women nonfiction writers. So before my husband reads this post and gives me a hard time for talking you out of joining me in Athens - hi, babe ;-) - let me remind you that there’s one spot left.
This an intimate retreat where you’ll have dedicated writing time in the mornings and early afternoons, 1:1 coaching for insight and strategy, a small, encouraging community of like-minded women, evenings of cultural immersion, and did I mention the rooftop hot tub with the view of the Parthenon?
If you’ve wanted to start that book and are ready to jump in, join us.
If you’ve been working hard and want some motivation and accountability as you keep working, join us.
We’re in this together to make sure that your book becomes yet another powerful nonfiction book sitting on all our shelves written by an incredible woman!
