Generative Writing with Cheryl Strayed
My first day at a creative retreat at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY
This newsletter comes to you from the Omega Institute in upstate New York. I’m away for a three-day writing retreat called Wild Awakenings hosted by
. This newsletter will be shorter than usual—there’s a lot of writing in store for me over the next couple of days!On the drive up, I committed to shutting off all other distractions this weekend and focusing solely on writing. I needed self-permission to set aside nagging responsibilities and get the most out of these three days. I knew Cheryl would test my endurance when I read the schedule and saw that our first day went until 10 pm. When she took the stage, one of the first things she said was, “A lot is going to happen. We’ll be here for 48 hours, but it’ll feel like five fucking days!”
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but Cheryl explained that our jobs were "easy." We just had to pay attention and respond to her prompts. I could handle that.
Our first writing exercise was to write a letter to ourselves from our wise inner sage. Above is the prompt. We had ten minutes to answer it.
As we wrote, Cheryl walked around and chose three people from the audience (of 300ish) at Omega at random to read their letters aloud. One woman’s wise inner sage said: "I’m giving you one important amulet—my permission.” Another person’s inner sage said, “They won’t miss the books you don’t write.” Then, it was my turn to take the mic. While we were sharing our writing in pairs, Cheryl saw my partner react to my letter by asking me to repeat something so she could write it down. Perhaps that’s why she asked if I was interested in reading.
I found the process of writing to myself from my inner guru distanced me from my typical mindset and brought clarity.
Below are a couple of sections from my letter:
Be present—fully present. Be here for the writing. You’ll find people naturally if you’re meant to network with them. These three days are for you. They are for your writing. They’re for you to go into the depths of your heart and share the powerful stories you have inside that people will relate to and see themselves in.
Believe in yourself. Say goodbye to self- doubt. Stay focused—there’s no “clearing the deck” this weekend; there’s only writing from the heart. See where it takes you. Embrace the uncomfortable.
After I spoke, Cheryl laughed about my “clearing the deck” line, and the night concluded with grand applause. It was about ten minutes after ten. It was past my bedtime, yet I walked out of the main hall, buzzing with energy.
Words of the Week
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you.” —Maya Angelou
Photo of the Week:
When I arrived at Omega Institute, I made a beeline for coffee at the cafe (did I mention that the evening session was scheduled to go until 10 pm?) Sitting on the counter in front of the register was a tarot deck with a sign that read, "Pick a Card," so I did.
Queen of Wands upright.
The Queen of Wands sits upon a throne adorned with lions, symbolizing strength and fire. She holds a sunflower in her left hand, representing life, fertility, joy, and satisfaction. Behind her, sunflowers further emphasize her vibrant nature. With her right hand, she grasps a wand, from which a tiny sprout emerges, symbolizing growth and new beginnings. At her feet, a black cat signifies her connection to her shadow self, the lesser-known aspects of her being. This card depicts a woman who is bold, outgoing, and in touch with her inner strength. Source
The weekend was off to a magical start.
Marathon Fundraising: Running for a Cause
In exactly one month, I'll be running the NYC marathon to support Resolve.org, the National Infertility Association. They are working hard to protect access to IVF. I'm so grateful for everyone’s support and thrilled to share that I've nearly hit my fundraising goal! I’ve raised $3326 of my $3500 goal. A heartfelt THANK YOU to all who have donated—and extra thanks to those who donated in the past week: Carolyn, Phil, Yuni, Amy, Debbie, Kelly and Steve.
Please share my fundraising page on social media or with friends and consider donating if you haven’t already. Your donations don't just help me reach my marathon goal—they contribute to Resolve.org’s crucial work in advocating for family-building rights, especially at this critical time when IVF access is under attack.
Did you catch the VP debate this week?
If you missed it, Healthline had a good summary of the healthcare issues. Here’s what they reported on IVF from each candidate:
Trump’s views on IVF
Trump said he would implement a policy requiring insurance companies to pay for IVF treatments if elected.
While Trump has said he supports access to IVF, this stance has angered some members of the Republican party.
Some experts are concerned Trump’s support of IVF is just “talking points” to help him get more votes.
“We know that Trump and Vance, once they’re in office, it is all but guaranteed they will implement policies that will ban abortion and continue to threaten access to IVF and birth control,” Cappello said.
Williams Navarro agreed. “During a Trump administration, we would see them using every tool at their disposal that would ban not only abortion but also some forms of birth control and assisted fertility treatments like IVF,” she said.
Harris’s views on IVF
Harris said the Alabama Supreme Court’s frozen embryo ruling was a “direct result” of the overturning of Roe and referred to Trump as the “architect of this healthcare crisis.”
In her Democratic National Convention acceptance speech, Harris said she’s heard the stories of couples “just trying to grow their family, cut off in the middle of IVF treatments” since Roe’s reversal.
Harris has not said whether she would implement a policy requiring insurance companies to pay for IVF. Some have speculated this may be due to the complexities involved.
“Mandating coverage of IVF by insurance companies is certainly feasible as it is already being done on a state-by-state basis,” Shedlin said.
“Massachusetts and Illinois have had IVF and other infertility coverage as state law for several decades. Access to IVF and fertility support should not be inaccessible due to finances. Governments and companies have the ability to help more people build families through well-managed care,” he added.
Readers, if you support IVF access for all Americans, vote for Harris/Walz in November.
Thank you for your invaluable support. Your contributions, whether financial or through spreading the word, are deeply appreciated and every dollar makes a difference.
Can’t wait for all your stories! 💕💕💕