A Brave Writer's Life in Brief

Mark your calendars!

Announcing the second Brave Writer Retreat

July 13-15, 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio

More details to come!

But we guarantee it’s going to be awesome so save the date!

In the meantime, enjoy these recaps of the 2014 Retreat:

Jean writes: “Have you taken a road trip by yourself as a Mama? I always cry. I’ve gone away by myself almost every year or every other since my oldest two were maybe 3 and 4 – so that’s 20 years of leaving my family at home and venturing off by myself! Even if just for a day or two, even if it’s to a homeschooling workshop, it always helps me to gain some perspective”…read more.

From Grace: “It’s been a couple of weeks since the Brave Writer retreat. The initial ‘rock concert high’ is wearing off a bit, and I’m pondering some of the things I learned. Quite a few friends expressed interest in my experience, so I thought I would try to put my thoughts down on paper. Most were wondering, ‘What exactly IS Brave Writer?’ So, is it a curriculum? Is it a book? Is it a class? Is it a philosophy? Well, yes”…read more.

Hive Mind Queen Bee shares: “I attended the Bravewriter retreat in Ohio. I’ve not been to any gathering of homeschoolers like it before, so it was definitely an experience. I imagine it had a very unique and different feel than a typical convention. There were only, maybe, 70 odd people there. It was set in a very beautiful location, hosted by the St Mary’s convent, Bethany k-8 school. It was a cozy, home like environment for sure. Julie made it even better with the homemade brownies. When she talks about treats and tea, she means it….brownies, tea and teapots abound!!!…read more.

UPDATE: The 2016 Retreat info is NOW AVAILABLE!

The weekend with our 54 Brave Mamas was amazing. It meant a great deal to me to see a long-held private vision of what a homeschool weekend event should be come to fruition. New friendships formed, shared ideas, time to rest and reflect, no dishes to clean up or restaurants to seek out, lectures combined with discussion and sharing in pairs and small groups, beautiful grounds, a lovely town adjacent… It seems we accomplished our mission—to train, inspire, reassure, and give rest to our intrepid homeschooling parents.

The most common question put to me as women left was, “Will you do this again next year? I want to bring…”

So naturally the googling for a larger retreat space started.

The biggest take away from the retreat for me: We parents are doing an incredibly courageous thing when we take on the 12 year educational task of one child, let alone 2, 4, or 7! We don’t know where we’re going when we start, we don’t know what it means to teach or understand developmental stages of growth, we have no yardsticks to measure our progress, or colleagues to meet with in the “teacher’s lounge.”

This solo act is done purely out of love. Home educators cling to a vision of what a lifestyle of learning could be, might be, ought to be! They spend their much-needed vacation time and money on better understanding how to do this task, rather than dipping their toes in turquoise blue water, sipping a pineapple daiquiri.

I’m moved by the audacity of the commitment, and the resolve of beleaguered, uncertain, hopeful parents (in this case—mothers!) who keep going, even when they are exhausted, in pain, or can’t see the fruit of all that investment.

I could see the fruit, though—the happy stories, the unrelenting care, the creative solutions, the trudging ahead, the adapting to teens and toddlers, the attempts to consider all options… This is what success looks like when you are still in the trenches.

It was an honor to share the weekend with these women.

Here’s a little collection of memories from the retreat. If you were there or weren’t, this will give you a visual over view. Thanks to our awesome videographer, Jim Sutter, and photographer, Dotty Christensen.

Cross-posted on facebook.

The question I asked myself today: “With or without walnuts?” You won’t know why I asked it if you don’t come to the Nurturing Brave Writer Families Retreat!

We still have commuter spaces left. I feel like you are coming right into my home! It’s going to be so lovely—teatime using my plates, poetry books, and lovely flowers; a special “gift” for every retreater; time to talk, laugh, share, plan, imagine, and redirect your efforts; a chance to page through my digital materials in print; lots of Q&A time so you go home feeling like that nagging question is on its way to a solution… and more.

I love meeting our families! There are still a few spaces open (due to some last minute cancellations of family’s with emergencies). So please come! It will be wonderful.

Register today!

We have openings for the June 27-29 Cincinnati retreat that we didn’t anticipate!

Hope some of you will join me and the other 50+ women/men who are coming to recharge, renew, and learn about ways to make homeschooling a happier, healthier, more fulfilling experience.

Some of the fun stuff we’ve got planned:

• Three meals a day that YOU don’t prepare!
• Space to both engage in material and relax as you need it
• Snacks, tea, wine, chocolate
• A manicure/pedicure bar
• Poetry tea
• Bohemian journaling
• Materials to help you plan your custom routine for fall (and beyond!)
• Practice with the tools and strategies of Brave Writer writing
• Teaching about homeschooling and writing (as much as you can handle!)
• A chance to talk to me about your family, if you want it
• Foot paths, lovely grounds with gazebo, a church, and a lovely little town center with antique shops, a bakery, and a city museum.
• Quiet…! (This is a retreat center so it is naturally peaceful and lovely—your brain will unwind!)
• AND a surprise gift to take home that I know you’ll use.

SIGN UP if you haven’t yet! We’ve still got plenty of space for commuters (who will stay within one mile of the center—you will dine with the us at the center, only sleeping away from us).

Also, we have a GOOGLE PLUS page now! Follow us!

At our upcoming Brave Writer Retreat in June the lovely Carmen Taggart will give you the tools to create your own Bohemian Journal!

Bohemian Journaling is the practice of combining words, color and images on a page to connect you more deeply with your intuition or your soul voice. The beauty in the process, created by Kaizen Muse Creativity Coach Carmen Taggart,  is that you don’t need to be artistically gifted to create a meaningful page in your journal. You simply need to come to the page with an open heart. At the Brave Writer Retreat you will play with watercolors, stories, and prompts in order to connect more deeply with your intuition and soul voice as you create your own Bohemian Journal.

So join us at our first ever Nurturing Brave Writers Retreat June 27-29, 2014 in Cincinnati, Ohio! Besides Bohemian Journaling:

• We’ll test and try the techniques Brave Writer teaches in The Writer’s Jungle together, so you know how to do them.
• You’ll get to experience copywork and dictation in the same way your students experience it, and learn how to maximize it.
• We’ll practice nature journaling and art study.
• We’ll share a full tea with china teacups, handmade scones, flowers, and poetry (and I promise you’ll enjoy the poems—they won’t be intimidating).
• You’ll have down time to use a planning tool to craft a homeschool routine for the coming year.
• You’ll have time to take walks or go for a hike or run. You can get coffee with a friend or take a nap.
• My staff and I will be available to talk to you about your specific worries and children, too.
• And because I know how hard you work, we have a few pampering surprise gifts in store for all who attend.

Commuter spots are still open! Register today!

More about Carmen: She is a certified Kaizen Muse Creativity Coach and ARTbundance Coach whose experience as a recovering perfectionist, sometimes poet and homeschooling mother of three are leading her on an adventure to inspire others to connect to their intuition, and their Spirits as they create their own stories and myths.  Connect with Carmen at her online home or on Facebook: Story Raven Group and Carmen Taggart.