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WALK IN BALANCE—A NEW RESIDENTIAL RETREAT
IN GEORGIA
When I first viewed the Web site of The Writer’s Retreat, I was most
struck by the breathtaking, yet diverse beauty of each location. I
remember thinking that I wanted to visit every one of them. That thought
will remain a goal for me.
I am delighted to now
join in the fold of our network with my new retreat in Sharpsburg,
Georgia.
I gave thought to why one might want to also come to Sharpsburg. I was led
to the obvious. My location offers a woodsy and serene environment where
one can create, but less obvious is that the environment feeds the soul.
To that end, I have one room that is reserved for those who wish to
meditate, practice yoga, enjoy spiritual music, and just allow silence. A
vegan myself, a healthy diet is also part of that spiritual feeding. The
retreat is a smoke-free environment and a shoeless space as well.
I have found that in order to write, I have to be in a space that allows
me the freedom to express. For me, that includes quiet, focus, and a
meditative state that invites my inner voice a place to be honored and to
be heard. I try to allow at least part of one day a week to experience a
“talking fast” so that I may rest my mind and settle inward.
What I offer personally at our Sharpsburg location is my background as an
artist. Although I am also an actor, acting teacher, talk show host, and
producer, what I bring to the retreat most fittingly is my background as a
writing instructor. I primarily work with actor/writers who are interested
in getting down on paper personal stories that have been dancing around in
their heads. My writer’s workshops at the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre
Festival have facilitated writers in reaching down to the core of their
being to unveil memories that resonate in both personal and universal
truth. I have found sensory exercises that take the writer back to
childhood are a fertile source to unlock stories begging to be told.
In Los Angeles, I have taught such workshops as “From Thought to Pen,”
“Connecting the Inner Dots.” and “From Page to Stage.” In June of
2008, I will begin teaching solo writing classes at the award-winning
Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. I welcome the opportunity to also serve my
new bicoastal community as I begin to build relationships within its
artistic world.
The progression of unleashing personal stories from the heart to the page,
and ultimately on stage, has been an extremely rewarding journey for me.
My own solo show, “I Am That I Am: Woman, Black,” is a historical
journey through time sharing the lives of seven African American
“sheroes” beginning from slavery with Sojourner Truth to present times
and concluding with Maya Angelou. My one-woman show has zigzagged across
close to forty U.S. states, and has crossed the waters to the Caribbean,
Europe, and Africa. Though the stories in my one-woman show are not my
own, they are personal stories of women I admire and who inspire me.
My first book, On My Own Terms: One Actor’s Journey is slated for
release this spring. A cross between a memoir, an acting book, and an
inspirational walk, I now look forward to working with writers at our
Sharpsburg retreat who are also developing non-fiction narrative works.
I welcome women of all genres of writing to The Writers’ Retreat in
Sharpsburg, Georgia. We will together give honor to the literary word and
celebrate the creative voice as we also learn from one other.
You may contact me directly at abarnes@writersretreat.com or visit my Web
site at www.writersretreat.com/georgia.htm.
Thank you, Roscoe, for
touching my life in such an unforgettable way.
You will be missed by many, including myself.
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