Artist Retreat House: Elsewhere Studios, Paonia, CO

I recently returned from a three-week stay at Elsewhere Studios in Paonia, CO. Here's the 411: 

How did I get here?

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      When I returned home from a week of complete focus at the Wellspring House (click here for my post re Wellspring), I was confused. So by day four I found myself searching for another retreat house. I found a lovely, affordable retreat house in Elsewhere Studios, and decided to call:

“Do you guys by any chance have a cancellation for, say...next week?”   

“Yes, we do!”

“...That’s a joke, right? I was kidding.”

“No!”

“I’m coming.”

…Which is when I realized that this place was in Colorado. I shrugged and laughed, Eh, why not? And three days later I was on a westbound plane more than halfway across the country.

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A comparison between WELLSPRING and ELSEWHERE STUDIOS

      Both amazing stays, but completely different experiences.

	WELLSPRING	ELSEWHERE
Type of Retreat	Writer’s Retreat	Artist’s Retreat
Housemates	Easy to connect creatively with fellow writers. We understood each other deeply and formed mutual respect for each other instantaneously.     Very focused – house is completely silent most of the day. Most of Wellspring’s residents come for very short, intense stays.	More difficult to connect on a creative level.      Housemates have boundless energy. Residencies at Elsewhere are longer – at least a month generally, and so environment is much more laid back.
Retreat House itself	Inspiration can be scooped up by the hand in this house. The voices of 800 writers preceding you are etched into the walls. The house lights are dimmed, engendering focus.	Elsewhere Studios is the epitome of bright colors and paintings everywhere. The house is painted green, what else can you say?
Surrounding Town	Didn’t see much of the town since I barely left the house, but when I did it was quiet and lovely. Very quaint.	Paonia is perfect. Spent a lot of time in the town, since the stay was longer. 360 view of the mountains: utterly breathtaking. Amazing sense of community; everyone is so lovely.
Time Spent	1 week	3 weeks
Experience	Extremely intense. The couch could have grown around me. Barely any breaks. Rarely left the house. 40,000 words in a week. The writing owns you at Wellspring.	Since you can’t tie yourself to a chair and write for three weeks nonstop (I dare you), my stay at Elsewhere was extremely laid back. Like early retirement. My heart could breathe slow, relaxed enough to really look around and see how beautiful the world around me is.     Living in Paonia, CO, was like living in an alternate reality. I really could experience my life as opposed to just living it. My lengthened stay really allowed me to build on my person as a creative whole.  Leisurely walks.           Yoga classes           Horseback riding           Country dances           Theatre           Cooking experiments             Costume closet fun           Writing critique group           …Writing, of course     The town is so small (1500) and connected that “rumors” flew of having a writer at Elsewhere Studios, and so I had guests to entertain!
In Summary:	Focused	Early Retirement

For my Wellspring House post CLICK HERE

For info on retreathouses CLICK HERE

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Private questions or comments? Email me at writetoeluvian@gmail.com 

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Idea Diarrhea?

You literally have worlds in your hand.
Worlds are heavy. 

Today, I pose a situation, a comment, and a call to action.

A situation: I find myself stricken with Idea Diarrhea (antonym: Writer’s Block). Ideas eagerly await for their chance to shine. They guilt trip me, glaring when I choose one over the other. Writing ideas are jealous creatures; they feel forsaken and betrayed, and punish me by multiplying. Confusion abounds, halting progress: which project to choose?

A comment: Writer’s Block is infamous while Idea Diarrhea is its neglected opposite. And while I would choose Idea Diarrhea over Writer’s Block any day, both extremities require attention.

A call to action: Idea Diarrhea is an unattractive name. And, so, dearest writers, please post in the comment section below possible titles for this predicament. Consider the following:

                -The feeling when your head explodes, staining the
                       carpet with your tsunami of ideas.

                -The guilt of choosing one idea over another;
                       the whispers of jealous, rejected stories.

                -The irony of having too many ideas, yet no clue which to work on.

                -Have you run out of coffee for the third time today?

Those are just a few. I will create a poll with your posted suggestions and we shall name this monster. Feel free to also post possible fixes for this issue.

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Playing Dress Up

      I recently discovered the costume closet in the artist retreat house I currently reside in. And since I relish having fun, I have turned the costume closet into my personal wardrobe.

      How does dressing up relate to your writing, you might ask. Well, I sometimes find myself lacking focus, be it distractions or sheer laziness or whatever else, and I have discovered some writing-related perks of dressing up:

      1. Dress the part, play the part- Role play, step into your character’s shoes. How does your character dress? How do your character move, feel? How do the clothes make the character? How does the character make the clothes? If you are more on the practical side of things, think of dress up as a characterization exercise.

      2. Dress creative, think creative- Pretty self-explanatory.    

      3. Disconnect from reality, reconnect with your writing- When you step into clothes that aren’t yours you become a character. You act different. You feel different. By dressing away from your reality, you purge your mind of life distractions, providing room for you to catch up with your long lost writing self.

      4. Um, it's fun- It was socially acceptable when you were a child, so why not now? Get happy and you'll want to keep the momentum going!

        Keep a good sense of humor. Yes, this is embarrassing. Trust me, I know: in the past few days I have rocked a jumpsuit, donned a "Purity Dress," and have frolicked around in a pink furry bear costume with blue polka dots. 

       You don’t have to dress up in a gorilla suit (though kudos for the commitment if you do), but have fun and get creative!

Happy writing,

Lev 

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Where I Come From

I often find myself wondering, can other writers pinpoint the moment when their inner writer emerged? When they first decided—I mean really decided—to write a book? 

Where I Come From

The tea bag that started it all...

        I first became aware of my writing self at age eleven, when the sudden, unexplainable urge to write a book hit me. Ideas were known to take leisurely strolls in my mind, but never had I previously considered forming them into a story, let alone a book.

        One day, I was home sick. I sat in the kitchen, drinking bottle after bottle of sugar-saturated tea. On my fourth or fifth bottle, we ran out of Earl Grey and so I opted for Celestial Seasonings Chamomile Herb Tea (that’s a mouthful…). The picture on the tea bag caught my eye, and an epiphany ensued: eyes widened as ideas began to swarm my mind, my writing self gaining power over me, ordering me to WRITE, WRITE, WRITE.

        Five months later, I completed my first manuscript, a 77,000-word fantasy.

Where do YOU come from?

     Please share in the comments section below: when did your writing self awaken? When did you decide to begin writing? And/or, share a moment of creative inspiration. (Inspiration does have a knack for being found in the oddest circumstances!)

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Inspiration Station I: Path to Publication

If the path to publication were a highway, it would have many, many appealing exits. So tempting are these escapes that most choose to forego their original destinations, as the drivers have come to believe that their destinations are unreachable. 

The above diagram is not meant to dishearten; it is meant to be a starting point. Be grounded, aware of the statistics and the difficulty of the task at hand. How you use your awareness will determine whether you make your destination or whether you turn around and drive home. Take the numbers and decide, "I won't be a statistic, I will reach my goals." Ask yourself,

           Where did I begin?

                     How far have I come?

                                   Where am I now?

                                                 Where do I wish to be?

                                                             What must I do to reach my goal?

So, while you are aware of the statistics, focus on your own life map:

These questions apply to every Dreamer. Know where you are, and know the actions you must take in order to continue in the right direction. Take pride in how far you have traveled. A sense of direction partnered with an awareness of your progress will fuel your drive.

Indeed, you will become stuck in traffic jams, wade through downpour and blizzard, and drive by unsightly accidents—but do not be deterred. When you need to, pull over at a rest stop. Take a nap. Gather your thoughts. Return to the highway when you are ready.

Continue driving. You will arrive at your destination soon enough.

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