Engaging The
Feminine Heroic

A RETREAT FOR WOMEN WRITERS AND ARTISTS

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JOIN US ON A TRANSFORMATIVE JOURNEY

Engaging the Feminine Heroic takes you into the heart of the artistic process, where you will not only strengthen your creative work, but also come to see more deeply and compassionately into your own life and the lives of others.

Join Us For Our Next Upcoming Retreat

Zigbone Farm

Apr. 27-May 1, 2025 A stunning, naturally-built retreat center in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains
RESERVE YOUR SPOT

Join Us For Our Next Upcoming Retreat

Zigbone Farm

Apr. 27-May 1, 2025
A stunning, naturally-built retreat center in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains
RESERVE YOUR SPOT

“I discovered things I never knew I wanted to write about, or even thought I could write about, and I was excited to be able to share my work with others in the safe environment of their workshop.”

Ellen Sandler, Writer
Everybody Loves Raymond
The TV Writer's Handbook

“I discovered things I never knew I wanted to write about, or even thought I could write about, and I was excited to be able to share my work with others in the safe environment of their workshop.”​

Ellen Sandler, Writer
Everybody Loves Raymond
The TV Writer's Handbook

“Part stimulating adventure, part kick-in-the-creative-process bootcamp, the journey is magic, deep, dangerous and transformational. I consider it the finest, most concentrated learning experience of my life.”

– Carolynne Ciceri
Writer

“Part stimulating adventure, part kick-in-the-creative-process bootcamp, the journey is magic, deep, dangerous and transformational. I consider it the finest, most concentrated learning experience of my life.”

– Carolynne Ciceri
Writer

“The venue felt like a home. The property was gorgeous, and I loved the barn cats. But the best part, by far, was the people! EVERYONE felt like a friend and not just the other participants of the retreat... EVERYONE!”

“Dara Marks and Deb Norton are two extraordinary muses who will guide you up to the gods and down into the underworld in order to reawaken your own inner storyteller. You will not merely emerge with a greater mastery of the elements of story, but with an experimental undestanding of where to find it within yourself.”

—LYNNIE GREENE, WRITER, EXEC & PRODUCER Nip/Tuck, Boss, and Masters of Sex

WHAT IS THE FEMININE HEROIC?

The Feminine Heroic may be difficult to recognize…(even for women) because most of the popular stories in our culture are grounded in the masculine quest of the Hero’s Journey. The Hero’s Journey is the essential challenge we all face in life to defend, declare and establish our self in the outer world. However, it is the inner world where the Feminine part of our nature reigns. Her heroic quest is to bring about communion, connection and relatedness to the Other.

She is our inner guide who holds us through the dark night of the soul, through the sacrifice, death and rebirth process that is our most difficult life’s work — where we embody our truest heroism. Therefore, it isn’t grit or physical prowess that gives the Feminine her heroic stature, it is her ability to descend into the dark, forbidding places that lie within. This is where we all face the challenge of transforming life’s pain and sorrow into the source of our true strength and value.

Nurture over conquest, peace over violence, conservation over exploitation. As women carve more space for themselves in the adventure cannon, perhaps readers will see more of the feminine heroic, allow for its complexity and range, and acknowledge the relationship between representation, power and possibility.
—MAYHEW BERGMAN “THE FEMININE HEROIC,” PARIS REVIEW

WHAT IS THE FEMININE HEROIC?

The Feminine Heroic may be difficult to recognize…(even for women) because most of the popular stories in our culture are grounded in the masculine quest of the Hero’s Journey. The Hero’s Journey is the essential challenge we all face in life to defend, declare and establish our self in the outer world. However, it is the inner world where the Feminine part of our nature reigns. Her heroic quest is to bring about communion, connection and relatedness to the Other.
She is our inner guide who holds us through the dark night of the soul, through the sacrifice, death and rebirth process that is our most difficult life’s work— where we embody our truest heroism. Therefore, it isn’t grit or physical prowess that gives the Feminine her heroic stature, it is her ability to descend into the dark, forbidding places that lie within. This is where we all face the challenge of transforming life’s pain and sorrow into the source of our true strength and value.

Nurture over conquest, peace over violence, conservation over exploitation. As women carve more space for themselves in the adventure cannon, perhaps readers will see more of the feminine heroic, allow for its complexity and range, and acknowledge the relationship between representation, power and possibility.

—MAYHEW BERGMAN “THE FEMININE HEROIC,” PARIS REVIEW

BEYOND THE HERO’S JOURNEY

Stories of the Feminine Heroic matter because it’s about more than celebrating the female experience or plugging women into traditionally male roles. To embody the Feminine Heroic, we must engage the inner transformative work that is necessary to help rebalance our culture narrative. Until our stories give equal weight to the soul-making work of our inner realm, they skew the lens through which we view and value life’s experiences.

BEYOND THE HERO’S JOURNEY

Stories of the Feminine Heroic matter because it’s about more than celebrating the female experience or plugging women into traditionally male roles. To embody the Feminine Heroic, we must engage the inner transformative work that is necessary to help rebalance our culture narrative. Until our stories give equal weight to the soul-making work of our inner realm, they skew the lens through which we view and value life’s experiences.
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YOUR GUIDES

Dara Marks and Deb Norton serve as guides, mentors, motivators and muses, using feminine mythic epics as a means of exposing the archetypal pathways that lead to undiscovered riches in the creative soul. Blending storytelling, personal exploration, ritual, and play, they provide an immersive experience in a safe, friendly and non-competitive atmosphere. Their work gives women new tools, techniques and insights to strengthen their artistic vision and gain command over the deep nature of their stories.

YOUR GUIDES

Dara Marks and Deb Norton serve as guides, mentors, motivators and muses, using feminine mythic epics as a means of exposing the archetypal pathways that lead to undiscovered riches in the creative soul. Blending storytelling, personal exploration, ritual, and play, they provide an immersive experience in a safe, friendly and non-competitive atmosphere. Their work gives women new tools, techniques and insights to strengthen their artistic vision and gain command over the deep nature of their stories.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes this program unique is that we bring together mythic storytelling, personal history, the artistic process and creative technique into one big beautiful experience. These four elements are the pillars of discovery we use to help open your creative work and enhance self- expression.
No. This retreat does not focus on the development of any particular project. All of the writing in this workshop is done in-session. The generative and experiential work we do is exploratory. It is designed to push into new and unknown territory and break through barriers of resistance. This results in a kind of writing that is often still wet and wriggling and not ready for feedback. Rather you work will receive the kind of deep listening that results in revelation and epiphany.
Absolutely! Our work with the Feminine Heroic is keenly focused on the transformative function of story and its applications across all art forms. Directly and indirectly, art is narrative. Through words, movement, music and imagery our artistic expression reveals the depth of the human drama and, therefore, our creative work – in any medium – offers us the ability to connect to each other and to the whole of life.
We would say that Engaging the Feminine Heroic is “Inside Story Adjacent.” Rather than exploring the components of story, the retreat dives into the nature of story and our deep human connection to it. Rather than understanding story through the lens of structure, you will understand it through the lens of human nature and your own life experiences.
A women-only retreat provides a sense of security and common ground that allows attendees to share openly and take creative risks. Additionally, the epic feminine myths that we draw on. We hope to have a retreat for men very soon! There is a great need for it and we think it would be very timely. We just need to find a minute to create it!

Talks & Events

PODCAST/YOUTUBE

Masters of Story Roundtable – Part I

Listen Now

STORY EXPO 2024

Westin Hotel / Los Angeles
Sept 27 – 29

Register

California Writers Club

San Fernando Valley Branch
Sat, January 11, 2025 at 1:00 pm

Buy Tickets

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