On Saturday I returned from Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia after attending the week-long Writers and Exile retreat.
Tatamagouche is a quaint, rural town located at about a two and a half hour drive from Halifax. It lacks cellphone reception and Internet connection (except for the basement’s landline computers), and is abundant in trees, mosquitoes and stars. That being said, Tatamagouche is a great place for writers in need of quiet writing and reflection time.
The bridge leading off to the hiking trail behind Tatamagouche Centre. It was my favorite part of the landscape, and is a beautiful place to watch the early morning sunrise.
The Writers and Exile retreat, facilitated by Gwen Davies and Shani Mootoo, grappled with questions of an individual’s sense of exile and of the writer’s mission in regards to such experiences. The questions most frequently asked throughout the week were, “What story do I need to tell?” and “Why do I need to tell it?”
The retreat was the first collective writers’ experience I’ve ever had and it was an absolutely amazing one. In addition to travelling alone for the first time, I was thrown in the midst of an open and supporting group of unique individuals all searching for the same thing: their writing voice. It was heart-warming to finally feel that I, as an aspiring writer, was not alone.
Among the many things I learned over the past week, I learned that some stories just need to be written – no matter how bad the first draft. I also learned that I, as a cultural being, am not alone, nor are my experiences ones that lack interest or purpose to others. Instead, each individual’s story is one that can and should be told. The more stories we share, the wider our collective realities become. Most importantly, by being in an environment where writing is considered a serious business, I garnered the confidence in myself as a writer and in my dreams to write. As a result, I took a very important step on this journey of mine, and came back to Toronto without the fear that I’m doing the wrong thing by pursuing this dream. Life is meant to be lived. And my passion for writing is not a detriment to living. All I need now is the confidence and persistence to continue writing.
And if anyone from Tatamagouche just so happens to read this – Thank you to all the workshop participants, facilitators and visitors who made the experience a memorable one; it wouldn’t have been what it was without everyone’s whole-hearted participation and openness. It was a truly unforgettable experience.