Edwina Shaw

A wonderful weekend was had by all at the latest Relax and Write Retreat in Springbrook on the Gold Coast hinterland. From our retreat nestled in the rainforest, it was only a short walk to a spectacular lookout that made the rest of the busy world drop away.

A fascinating group of women, aged from 23 to 83, gathered together to write, do yoga, feast and have fun, sharing wisdom and kindness. I am always inspired and uplifted by the magic of women coming together. These retreats are only as special as the women who come along, and this one was very special indeed.

The highlight for me was our glorious Jacqui and her Exotic Dance performance. Jacqui performed in an international revue in the late 70s and in eh 80s performed with Joe Cocker onstage and even for the Harlem Globetrotters. She taught us all that sexy is sexy at any age and helped us all to reclaim our inner goddesses. We had so much fun dressing up in her costumes and fan dancing.

Here’s what some retreaters had to say about the weekend:

“I’ve been inspired to work on my writing but also to work on my health. Not only am I motivated, I made so many new friends.”

Peg Macleod

“Working with other experienced writers and learning new ways of doing things is always mind expanding. Then there was the yoga, the exotic dancing, the body work, the deep dive conversations and the sacred walk to the waterfall. It was an extraordinary way to learn and grow.” Vicki Bennett.

The retreats offer the perfect balance of relaxing and writing. Be warned though, once you’ve gone on one you’ll want to come back again and again. Bianca Millroy (repeat retreater )

With big thanks to all the beautiful women who made this retreat so special. We feasted on a delicious vegetarian gluten free menu prepared by repeat retreater and Cookie extraordinaire the wonderful Gay Liddington whose special little books of wisdom were a big hit. Body work treatments by the gifted healer Monique DeGoey had us all floating around. I made sure I got one this time too. My dream team of helpers worked hard so everyone had a nurturing time, even me!

So if you’d like to come along on retreat, just drop me a line! The next retreat is in Highfields near Toowoomba from Friday 22 to Sunday 24 October 2021, and has a life writing focus. Prices start at only $380 for early birds. Keeping these retreats affordable so women from all walks of life can come is important to me. If you have more dash than cash, just let me know. There’s always lots of things to do to help out.

With lots of love, Edwina xx

Here in Queensland we’ve been pretty lucky lockdown wise. But now, here we are, as the rest of the world parties again, finding ourselves shut in. This whole Covid business has dragged on so long. We’re all sick and tired of the whole thing. But we’re stuck inside, some of us with no one to play with. What to do?

Here are a few fun creative activities to help fill those hours – there’s only so much screen time you can take before you start getting crazy eyes.

A MOMENT OF JOY! We’ve all had moments of pure happiness. This picture represents one of mine – a wonderful trip out to Moreton Island with my extended family, including my young nieces and nephew. We climbed all the way to the top of enormous sand dunes and slid and bumped and jumped and rolled our way back down again. Such fun. Remember your moment of joy, big or small, the birth of a child, a win at work or in a sport you love, the first time you clapped eyes on a true love, that moment of connection with a small creature, the delight of rain on your face at the end of a stinking hot day. If you can’t think of anything, make something up! We’d all like to win a lottery, right? Now put a timer on for 5 minutes and write about that moment covering all the five senses – sight, sound, taste, smell and touch. Go deeper. What did that joy feel like in your body? You can do this as a poem, a list, a song, an essay, a story, a drawing even. Whatever you like. Whatever takes you back to that moment and helps you feel that joy again. When the timer goes off, you can stop if you like. But if you’re on a roll just keep going!

2. MOVE! Okay, okay we’re stuck at home and there’s not much room maybe, but if you’ve got room to stand you’ve got room to stretch right up and try to touch the ceiling! Then bend down as low as you can – bend your knees. Then see how far you can twist around. Put on music and do a jig. Roll around on the floor like a log. Have fun moving your body. Even just wriggling is lots of fun and good exercise too. I love to do a shimmy to wake myself up and shake my sillies out. If no one is watching, play some kids’ music and dance along. If you’ve got people at home you can all work out a dance routine – just for fun. It doesn’t have to end up on TikTok.

3. MAKE A CONSTRUCTION If you’re like me you may collect things, shells, feathers, odd toys or leaves or plastic toys. Gather a few of them together and see if you can make something from them, just a photo still life will do, or you could draw them or paint them or stick them all together with glue. Or write about one of them, where you found it, what it reminds you of, why you picked it up. Just handling those collected treasures will lift your spirits.

4. MAKE A COLLAGE! All you need is an old magazine or two, some scissors (or just rip pictures out) and glue and a piece piece of paper of cardboard – an old cereal box will do. Set a timer for 10 minutes and flick through the magazines or newspaper or old books that you don’t mind cutting up or whatever you have, looking for any images that appeal to you. Anything that makes you smile. Words too. Anything that draws you in, or “speaks” to you in some way. Don’t overthink it and don’t get stuck reading articles, just keep flicking and ripping out pictures of things that make your heart sing. When the timer goes off stick all the images onto your sheet of paper or cardboard, go outside the edges, do lift up flaps, do both sides, whatever you like! You could cover a shoebox to keep precious things in. Just have fun doing it. Use coloured pencils or felt pens or glittery stickers or stars to decorate it. When you’re done, pin it on your wall to remind you of all the things that make you smile.

5. WRITE A LIST! Not a shopping list. Not a list of pros and cons. This time write a list of all the small things that bring you joy. Roses or rain, or swimming in a waterfall, or walking along the beach, or hugging your kids, or playing with your dog, or red-backed wrens, or small stones gleaming under a stream, or a blue blue sky, or a friend’s laugh or grandma’s chocolate pudding or your favourite song. Try and get to fifty! Yes fifty! Fifty small things that bring you joy.

Last but not least, even if you can’t go outside, stick your head out the window and look up at the sky. Watch the clouds for a while, until your neck gets sore anyway.

The world is still a beautiful, magical place and it is good to be alive.

Try one of these activities or all of them. I hope they’ll lift your spirits.

With lots of love

Edwina xxx