Writing & Creativity Retreat by The Sea

Why Retreat?

Whether you’re sifting through ideas, planning your masterpiece, just starting, or on a roll and looking for time, space and support in that final push, we’ve got you.  

Write and create in a beautiful space designed to inspire creativity, with access to a pool, gym, pilates, a beach and lovely walks, to shake out those ideas.

Designed for relaxed creativity, workshops, time with other creatives and 1:1 support will show you the way. 

You deserve some dedicated time and space for your ideas and words to form.

Come alone, with a writing or creativity partner, or in a group.

All are welcome.    

Join Us

When

Friday 28-Sunday 30 March 2025.

2.5 days of focused creativity and writing.

Where

The retreat will be run out of the Barwon Heads Resort, 13th Beach.

Barwon Heads is a gorgeous coastal town, located on the Bellarine Penninsula, 1.5 hours from Melbourne and 20km from Geelong.  

The resort is 800 metres to 13th Beach and 10 minutes by car from Barwon Heads village.

What

Throughout the Writing Retreat, we’ll follow the program outlined below:

1. Work out what to write

• Find the joy in writing.

• Action: Set your personal goals for writing, determine where writing fits in your day or your business and get clear on your target audience.

2. Work out how to write it

• Set yourself up with an achievable plan to write, including downtime and knowing when to take a break. The magic is often in the pause rather than the push. 

• Consistent manageable action + sustainable progress = completed projects.

• Action: Create your personalised plan will create the discipline you need to show up consistently making your practice a regular habit. 

3. Work out when to write it

• Establish a consistent writing cadence is the ideal. While this isn’t realistic for some people, waiting for inspiration to strike doesn’t work. You need to be able to create the conditions for writing and creativity, it doesn’t just happen.  

• Action: We’ll showcase tips and tricks to work out the best time for you to write regularly.

4. Write

• Write. Beside the pool, at the beach, in the garden, in your room. Amongst the company of other curious writers, with allocated writing time, feedback sessions and plenty of time to think and relax.

• Action: Choose your environment and Write

5. Reflect and share

• Work out what's working and what's not. 

• Action: Reflect on your progress and how to improve. Share within a generous group of like-minded creatives, choosing whether to receive feedback or simply be witnessed in your art.

What’s Included  :

• Structured process to help you start or complete your project 

• Focused Writing sprints

• Constructive feedback sessions

• Sharing sessions

• A couple of surprises

• Free time to take a dip in the pool, swim in the sea, walk, relax, connect

Accommodation Options

Accommodation is not included in the price of the retreat, we want you to do you. You can choose where you would like to stay

• Either stay on-site at the Barwon Heads Resort. Various rooms are available for you to book at the Barwon Heads Resort

• https://barwonheadsresort.com.au/

• Or, you can organise a stay offsite in a local hotel, Airbnb or caravan park

Please get in touch with accommodation providers separately.

Meals Included

• Welcome drink and nibbles upon arrival 

• Breakfast baskets are included in your room or for consumption in your selected accommodation

• Saturday lunch is provided on-site 

• Sunday lunch is provided in the field

• Afternoon tea is provided on-site - coffee, tea and sweet treats, fruit platter

• Friday night and Saturday night dinners will be hosted at local restaurants and will include facilitated engagement sessions (drinks at own cost)

Dietary requirements will be catered for!

Investment

$1600 + GST ($1750)

Your hosts

The weekend will be hosted by Penelope Barr and Joanna Lippold, with special guests. 

Penelope is an author, innovator and transition coach, with 2 non-fiction books written, and two in progress. Penelope has designed her life in seasons she calls 6:3:3. She combines interim executive roles, with creating books, communities and courses and dedicated time to travel. Penelope has been a mentor and community champion in the renowned Expert Author Community for the past 4 years, supporting other writers to remove barriers, find their stride, and write. Penelope’s writing builds on a successful 25+ year global career, including living and working in 8 countries.  Penelope created many ‘first’ digital products and led teams to transform and change. She now pragmatically blends the best of her corporate expertise with coaching to help people and organisations transition through the messy middle to your personal best. Penelope hosts writing retreats around the world curating programs in environments conducive to creativity. 

Jo is a London-born poet, writer, performer, theatre maker and collager. She believes that everyone is creative. She is the founder of Good Cheer Leadership - a place for women to learn how to lead a life they love and a job that lets them live it. After studying drama and performance art at university, Jo found herself back in her hometown of London, embarking on a career in PR coming up with creative campaigns and collecting, connecting and sharing the dots as stories, which led her to know that everyone has a story to tell. Since moving to Australia Jo has trained as a yoga and mindfulness teacher, and facilitated How To Be More Creative Workshops with The School of Life. She tries to inject a healthy amount of warmth, humour and tender truth in all she does.