If the world were a sound, it would be flipping through all of the channels on a radio really fast. Announcers and DJs, commercials and music genres overlapping in the same way our 21st-century tasks seem to layer upon themselves.
We’re always busy, there’s always something else to be managed, and the To Do list is never-ending — one crossed-off item seemingly births two or three more. Work, family, and home responsibilities line up like a song queue on a commercial-free weekend — endless.
If you’re a creative type, like I am, though, you need to turn down the volume sometimes. All of that noise — all of those weighty expectations —stifle our ideas and muffle our creative voice.
And while a Vacation can be helpful sometimes, that’s a different genre of time off, usually involving a barrage of activities, schedules, attractions, must-dos, and must-sees. What’s more beneficial to your creative spirit is a Retreat.
What’s the difference?
I like to think of Retreat as all about the R words, like: Relax, Rest, Regroup, Restore, Reflect, Reset, Roam, Read, Recharge, Replenish. Get the idea?
It’s time without any expectations or To Do lists, and time “off the grid,” if you can stand it.
According to an article by executive coach Rebecca Zucker in the Harvard Business Review, taking time off has reverberating positive effects on your sleep, memory, concentration, mood, and stress level.
Time off, she explains, “can allow you to tune out much of this external noise and tune back into your true self. You can start to separate the striver part of you, let go of your ego, and reacquaint yourself with the essence of who you really are…feel a sense of peace…and do things that bring you joy.”
How’s that for motivation?
For the last 12 years, I’ve taken a week-long Retreat on the shores of Cape Cod. I spend my time reading books, walking by the water, and taking long afternoon naps. I eat simple meals, spend time in nature, write some poetry, and remember how to breathe deeply again. I try to make it a quiet experience — time for rest and reflection, not a tourist jaunt or food tour.
Of course, not everyone has the time or resources to take off by themselves for a whole week. Sometimes I don’t either. Sometimes, an overnight at a hotel with a good book and a picnic basket of food is time enough. A Sunday drive down the highway with the radio on and the windows open can clear my head as much as a long walk by the ocean. And always, a morning hike in the quiet woods reminds me that somewhere beneath all the layers of noise, my creative voice is waiting for her opportunity to sing!
What’s your ideal Retreat? Can you think of two or three ways — grand and small — that you can tune back into your creative spirit?
[1] Zucker, Rebecca; “How Taking a Vacation Improves Your Well-Being,” Harvard Business Review, July 19, 2023.
Photo: Time alone during a retreat on the shore of Cape Cod, MA.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jen Payne is inspired by those life moments that move us most — love and loss, joy and disappointment, milestones and turning points. When she is not exploring our connections with one another, she enjoys contemplating our relationships with nature, creativity, and spirituality. Ultimately, she believes it is the alchemy of those things that helps us find balance in this frenetic, spinning world.
In addition to Sleeping with Ghosts, Jen has published four books: LOOK UP! Musings on the Nature of Mindfulness, Evidence of Flossing: What We Leave Behind, Waiting Out the Storm, and Water Under The Bridge: A Sort-of Love Story.
Her work has been featured in numerous publications including the international anthology Coffee Poems: Reflections on Life with Coffee, the Guilford Poets Guild 20th Anniversary Anthology, Waking Up to the Earth: Connecticut Poets in a Time of Global Climate Crisis, the 2024 Connecticut Literary Anthology, and The Perch, a publication by the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health.
Jen is the owner of Words by Jen, a graphic design and creative services company she started in 1993, based in Connecticut — where she keeps house with a cat named Molly.
You can follow the author at:
Website: https://3chairspublishing.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threechairspub
Blog: https://randomactsofwriting.wordpress.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/3chairsbooks/
WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR
of
Sleeping with Ghosts
By Jen Payne
Tour Begins October 14
Book Summary
“Beautifully crafted and luminous, these poems take the reader on an intimate and unforgettable journey of love found and lost, the joys of creativity, and the power of memory.” — Judith Liebmann, Ph.D.,Poet Laureate of Branford, CT
“Sleeping with Ghosts is not an ordinary ghost tale. Jen’s latest collection of writings is a poignant meditation on a life of love confronted.” — Mary O'Connor, author of Say Yes! to Your Creative Self
Known for her meditations and musings about our outside world, Jen Payne takes readers inside this time…into the heart and mind of a poet, where memories wander, hearts break, and ghosts appear in dreams. Those ghosts — her lovers, soulmates, and muses — reveal themselves slowly, one at a time, chapter by chapter, in this wistfully reflective, time-traveling memoir.
Publisher: Three Chairs Publishing (September 15, 2024)
Print length: 182 pages
Purchase a copy of Sleeping with Ghosts on
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/3chairs24
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sleeping-with-ghosts-jennifer-a-payne/1146208477
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/3ChairsPublishing
You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8561082.Jennifer_A_Payne
Chances to Win a copy of Sleeping With Ghosts
In addition to the book giveaway on the Muffin on October 14, there will also be book giveaways on:
Chit Chat with Charity on 10/20 and 10/27: https://chitchatwithcharity.wordpress.com/
A Wonderful World of Books on 11/2: https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/
Share these additional chances to win with your readers.
Blog Tour Calendar
October 14th @ The Muffin
Join us as we celebrate the launch of Jen Payne's memoir through verse Sleeping with Ghosts. Read an interview with the author and enter to win a copy of her book.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com
October 16th @ Create Write Now!
Today Jen Payne writes about the Importance of Retreat.
https://www.createwritenow.com/
October 17th @ Words by Webb
Jodi shares her thoughts on Jen Payne's latest book of poetry: Sleeping with Ghosts.
www.jodiwebbwriter.com/blog
October 20th @ Chit Chat with Charity
Charity will be reviewing Jen Payne's newest book of poetry: Sleeping with Ghosts and sharing a poem from the book.
https://chitchatwithcharity.wordpress.com/
October 21st @ Tracey Lampley
Poet Jen Payne shares How One Phone Call in 1996 Led to a Life of Self-Publishing.
https://traceylampley.com
October 24th @ The Faerie Review
Ready to dive into something new? Try a book of poetry that captures the ghosts of Jen Payne's past.
https://www.thefaeriereview.com
October 24th @ Some Thoughts - Everything Creativity
Kaecey will be interviewing Jen Payne about writing and her latest book of poetry Sleeping with Ghosts.
https://www.kaeceymccormick.com/blog
October 26th @ Anthony Avina
Curious about the ghosts in Sleeping with Ghosts? Author Jen Payne writes about them today while Anthony gives his review of her new book.
http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com
October 27th @ Chit Chat with Charity
Hear from poet Jen Payne about the Importance of Storytelling. Second chance to win Jen's latest book, Sleeping with Ghosts.
https://chitchatwithcharity.wordpress.com/
October 27th @ Shoe's Seeds and Stories
Read a review of Jen Payne's latest book, Sleeping with Ghosts
https://lschuelerca.wordpress.com/
October 30th @ Beverly Baird
Jen Payne writes about Listening to Your Ghosts and shares one of her poems. Beverly also tells us her thoughts on Jen's new book, Sleeping with Ghosts.
https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com
October 31st @ Some Thoughts - Everything Creativity
Kaecey reviews the latest poetry collection by Jen Payne: Sleeping with Ghosts.
https://www.kaeceymccormick.com/blog
November 1st @ Hook of a Book
Stop by for a list of books beloved by Jen Payne, author of Sleeping with Ghosts and enjoy one of her poems.
www.hookofabook.wordpress.com
November 2nd @ A Wonderful World of Books
Last giveaway of Jen Payne's Sleeping with Ghosts! Also, learn the story behind the book's amazing artwork.
https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/
November 5th @ Choices
Never seem to have enough time to write? Learn a few secrets from poet Jen Payne.
http://madelinesharples.com
November 8th @ Jill Sheets
Learn more about poet Jen Payne in today's interview.
https://jillsheets.blogspot.com/
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