Connected Well Writing Retreat

Welcome to the Connected Well Writing Retreat where we invite you to nurture, create and cultivate your writing practice, creativity, and
connections to fellow writers to build a community that heals and supports your artistic heart.

While you relax into a natural setting located in beautiful Bragg Creek, you’ll be invited to participate in interactive discussions around creativity (what it is, how it manifests, and what blocks it) and you’ll be given several writing prompts and exercises designed to promote and enhance daily creativity in your writing. You will also discover how to tap into “the flow state” to connect with your writing so you can get the words out of your head and onto paper. You’ll also discover a number of ways to connect with your reader on a deeper, more meaningful level so you can create the impact you desire.

We’ve also created a Connected Well Workbook for all your retreat notes, and you’ll enjoy some delicious snacks and refreshments throughout the day. Lunch will also be provided by our amazing heart-centered hosts. We can’t wait to connect and create with you!

Your Hosts

Allissa Blondin

Allissa began writing poems and stories at a young age. As an adult, that translated to over 25 years of writing and editing legal documents, bylaws, reports, and other corporate documentation but the work lacked the creativity she longed to express. Through a process called Ikigai, the Japanese art of finding one’s purpose, she re-discovered her love for creative writing and soon after, started her own writing services company, The Feathered Pen. This life-changing decision not only aligned with her purpose, but also empowered her to live her values, have more control over her schedule, and be there for her family – what a gift!

What motivates Allissa to help others step into their light and write what they were meant to write is witnessing the moments of awe people experience. She believes everyone has a story that could change a life. It’s no coincidence her core values create the acronym HEAL: Heart-centered service, Expansion, Authentic connection, and Legacy. She holds space for people to create a unique and meaningful imprint on
the world.

Maryke Schouten

Maryke started writing as a child, finding joy in the process of putting pen to paper and creating new realms and lives. She continued into her teens but stepped away from her creativity as she pursued a career in dietetics. Fast forward twenty years when a story came to Maryke in a dream just days before the sudden and unexpected death of her father. That inspiration and the writing of that story, which resulted in her debut novel The Beckoning Sky, helped her find her way through the fog of that dark time.

Maryke’s deepest desire is to guide you through the depths of your well of creativity, to access the joy, connection and healing that results from that deep dive. From the experience of navigating tragedy and insight into life these days, Maryke’s desire is for all people to access their inherent creativity, in whatever form that may surface, for it serves as a healing balm in myriad surprising and revealing ways.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Post House Inn and Conference Center, 36 White Avenue, Bragg Creek, Canada