Writing Workshops
We offer in-town, field-based, and online creative writing workshops and retreats. All online workshops take place over the course of several weeks, and our in-person workshops range in length from one day to ten weeks. Please explore this page to discover the opportunity best for you.
Unless otherwise noted, our writing workshops and retreats are limited to ten participants each so we can have a maximal amount of comfort and time. To register, please fill out our online registration form or call us at 971-227-0305.
Please note, we want to make our workshops as accessible as possible. If cost is your only deterrent, let's talk. The economy may be suffering, but we don't need to! We have a limited number of scholarships available for folks who would not otherwise be able to attend. To find out more about our scholarships, please email us at becca@ibexstudios.com.
More workshops are always in the works! Check back soon for updates!
IN-TOWN WORKSHOPS
Living Room Series: Readers Write
Date: Four Wednesdays, July 28-August 18
Time: 7-9pm
Location: Becca's living room: 4424 SE Ivon
Facilitator: Becca Deysach
Fee: Sliding scale: $30-50
If you love The Sun Magazine, you probably love their "Readers Write" section. And if you love to write, you've probably imagined contributing to it, someday....
Well now's your chance! In this four-week workshop, you will be guided by prompts that transform the bare-bones themes into inspiring springboards for the kind of personal and provocative writing The Sun is best known for.
We'll gather in Becca's cozy living room to drink tea, eat cookies, and generate new material around four upcoming topics: Making it Last, Singing, The Back Door, and Shoes. (Folks who don't read The Sun will enjoy this, too!)
*Please note: Becca has two cats. If you have allergies or kitty aversions, this may not be the right workshop for you.
"I love the space you created and the exercises you provided. They were all provocative and exceeded my expectations." -Living Room Series participant
FIELD-BASED WORKSHOPS
Maps and Terra Incognita:A womens' backpacking and
writing adventure on the Salmon River
Dates: Sunday noon-Tuesday 4pm, August 22-24
Location:Salmon River, near Zig Zag, Oregon
(about one hour from Portland)
Facilitator: Becca Deysach
Fee: Sliding scale: $80-$125.
A portion of the proceeds will go to Oregon Wild.
Price includes both dinners. Participants will provide their own breakfasts and lunches.
Description: There's nothing like gigantic trees in an old growth forest, a rushing river filled with its namesake, wide pebble beaches, and exposing views to awaken the creative imagination!
Join us for an exploration of maps and terra incognita--known and unknown--through words and a wilderess adventure. We'll hike a couple miles into our basecamp along the Salmon River on Sunday afternoon, passing weekend hikers on their way out. The full moon will shine for us as we write, laugh, and tell stories around the campfire at night. By day, we'll hike upstream and write from prompts inspired by our adventure, explore the secrets of the forest, and bask in the summer sun.
Not only will you get a chance to develop your writing skills in a stunning setting within a supportive community, this workshop will also provide you with the skills you need to live out of your backpack for a couple days at a time. Experienced wilderness women, we want you, too! Writers of all kinds will thrive out here. This workshop is limited to eight participants, so save your place now!
"Becca is a gifted writer and teacher. She inspires spontaneity, randomness, and wildness in those around her." -Mike Foote, Writing the Wild Participant
To the Yes! A Gratitude Retreat
for Women on the Oregon Coast
Dates: October 22-24, 2pm Friday to 3pm Sunday
Location: Westwind near Lincoln City, Oregon
(1 1/2 to 2 hours from Portland)
Facilitators: Becca Deysach and Johanna Callard
Fee: Sliding scale: $175-225
Price includes lodging and delicious organic, vegetarian meals.
Description: As fiery fall colors fade to brown, gardens are put to rest, and the clouds start moving in, it can be hard to get excited about the long winter ahead, so cultures around the world ease that transition with harvest celebrations. To the Yes! is our own version of a harvest celebration—it's a feast of color, gratitude, and full-moon light.
This weekend-long retreat will take place at Westwind where the Salmon River meets the Pacific Ocean. Co-facilitated by Ibex Studios' director Becca Deysach and Buddhist social worker and artist Johanna Callard, we will spend the weekend honoring the past, engaging with the present, and celebrating the unknown through writing, guided meditation, art, and exploration of Westwind's wilderness beaches. By the end of the weekend, we should have all the resources and umph we need to carry us through the winter ahead.
We will sleep in one of Westwind’s rustic bunkhouses and our sessions and meals will take place outdoors and in the living room and kitchen of a nearby cabin. In addition to group activities, you will have ample time to relax and explore on your own. No previous writing or art experience is necessary.
About the Facilitators: Becca Deysach is the director of Ibex studios and her bio can be seen on the Director's Note page. Johanna Callard is a licensed clinical social worker who offers psychotherapy for children, youth, families and adults in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. She has worked as a therapist, workshop leader, community artist, and advocate in a variety of settings for the past twelve years. Johanna received her BA from Prescott College and her MSW from Smith School for Social Work. She has also been practicing Buddhist meditation since 1998 and has received training in Zen, Vipassana and Shambhala traditions. We are excited to have her zest and expertise with us!
ONLINE WORKSHOPS
Check back soon for upcoming online workshops!
