Sankofa Sisterhood Writers Retreat INFO SESSION

9th Annual Sankofa Sisterhood Writers Retreat

Silencing the Imposter & Trusting the Writer

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

August 25-30, 2023

The imposter!

The imposter tells us that we are not good enough, that we don’t deserve to be here, that our stories are not ours to tell. The imposter makes us question our abilities. The imposter tells us that we have to be perfect and often has us comparing ourselves to others. The imposter sometimes holds us to unrealistic and impossible standards; telling us that we will fail, so why even try?

Silencing the imposter takes tremendous skill and self love. Silencing the imposter is about reminding ourselves of our WHY. Why MUST we write? Why are we the ones to write it? Why did we become writers? What did we come here to say in the first place? When we Silence the Imposter and Trust the Writer we remind ourselves of who we are, we look at our accomplishments and acknowledge them. We celebrate ourselves!  We surrender feelings that we are somehow frauds. We are not frauds! When we trust the writer we get to a place of acceptance and can finally trust our voices. In order to Silence the Imposter and Trust the Writer we must remind ourselves often that we are capable and that we do in fact have a story worth telling. Trusting the writer is not only about trusting the voices of our characters but trusting ourselves.

The imposter is the liar… when we trust the writer we are saying to ourselves: I know me. I know what I want to say here. I know my heart. I know my intention. I know that only I can tell this story, only I can write this story and I am committed to it. We are called to not only commit but to surround ourselves with people who respect and value us. When we trust the writer we know, I deserve to be here!

The imposter paralyzes us, and tells us all the reasons why we shouldn’t be taken seriously–who are you to write that? The imposter has us convinced that everyone is getting there first… yet, who is keeping score? Who is “everyone?” The imposter doesn’t just show up when we are trying to write, sometimes it takes over in other areas of our lives where we feel like we need to constantly prove ourselves in order to feel worthy or validated.

Listening to the writer's voice is the moment where we finally accept that we do not need to prove ourselves to anyone. All we have to do is listen and trust ourselves. This requires surrendering our attachment to the outcome.

I hope you will join us as we celebrate the 9th Annual Sankofa Sisterhood Writers Retreat here in the Dominican Republic! Join us for this 6 day / 5 night experience.

May we stop allowing for the imposter to rob us of our joy and trust that it is our right to write our stories. You are worth it!

ABOUT THE SANKOFA WRITERS RETREAT:

SANKOFA DEFINED: Sankofa is an African word from the Akan tribe in Ghana. The literal translation of the word and the symbol is “it is not taboo to fetch 

what is at risk of being left behind.” The word is derived from the words: SAN (return) KO (go)

Using the Sankofa symbol we are reminded by our ancestors that we must always go back and get what is rightfully ours. May we never be afraid to write our stories and take up space. May we never be afraid to write our truth.  The Sankofa Sisterhood Writers Retreat is a self-care retreat for writers.

This is a week designed to give you what you need to rest, recharge, create and work on projects that are important to you. In a comfortable house in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, you will be provided a sacred space to create, hone and nurture your craft surrounded by nature and the divine feminine. We will also be nourishing our bodies with a personal chef cooking all of our meals. In order to access true creativity, we must tap into a source that often feels unattainable to us in our day-to-day lives.

THE RETREAT IS FOR:

Women of Color.

Writers who need time and space to write.

Women who need a break to nourish their creativity, body, mind, and soul.

Writers who have works they would like to complete.

Women seeking the support and encouragement of “writing in community.”

THIS RETREAT OFFERS:

Workshops, private time for writing and/or working on personal projects, relaxation, solitude, and community. We will have a private chef, yoga, meditation, and time on the beach.

RETREAT ACCOMMODATIONS, FEES AND PAYMENTS:

6 days / 5 nights - only (9) spaces available

EARLY BIRD RATE: $1,777.00 USD until June 29th. (airfare not included, closes airport is SDQ) - CLOSED

RETREAT RATE is $2,077.00 USD as of June 30th. (airfare not included, closes airport is SDQ)

PAYMENT PLAN RATES:

Nine payments of $180.77 (not including deposit) -- SELECT WEEKLY PAYMENT OPTION --- HERE

If you are a Dominican resident and would like to attend please email me at lasantera.nyc@gmail.com to discuss day passes.

See you in the Dominican Republic!

With love,

Alicia

PREVIOUS RETREAT THEMES:

2015 - 1st - Releasing the Selfless Woman: Becoming the Selfish Writer

2016 - 2nd - Nourishing the Writer, Nourishing the Soul

2017 - 3rd - Self-care as a Form of Resistance

2018 - 4th - Strengthening the Writer’s Core Through Movement

2019 - 5th - The Writer’s Journey for Survival: Connecting to Wellness & Moving Towards Wholeness

2020 - 6th - VIRTUAL Sankofa Writers Retreat

2021 - 7th - RETREAT CANCELED

2022 - 8th - Protecting the Spirit, Protecting the Craft! (Dominican Republic)