HOSTING A WRITERS' RETREAT AT CASA DE ARTE
At Casa de Arte, the only real limit we have around tenancy is that the property is for adults. How guests choose to spend their visit is up to them, but the unique quality of the premises calls out to certain groups of visitors. What comes to mind in this regard are the ways Casa de Arte is highly suited for hosting writers’ retreats. As Rowena Murphy wrote in Writing in Social Spaces, “Conversations about writing cannot happen on campus and other workplaces where writing has no place.” Instead, writers have unique interests and needs that make Casa de Arte an ideal venue for facilitating creativity, mentorship, and social interaction.
New Mexico is a popular location for writers' retreats and Las Cruces has a long history of supporting writing in all its forms. The Las Cruces Arts and Cultural District recently held its third Lit Fest, with interactive workshops, discussions, and creative activities. Las Cruces Writers is a group of published and aspiring writers who gather to promote literature and its creation (www.lascruceswritersgroup.org). We have many published authors here and frequent book signings.
Casa de Arte is designed around creativity, such that the walls are adorned with art by blue-chip artists. One of the living rooms has over 1000 books on the shelves, with topics ranging from art, to the southwest, to personal growth. On the property is XYZ Studios, a non-residential studio where visual artists produce their work. When your writing group is not meeting as a whole, there is ample space to sit inside or out, surrounded by the peace of this two-acre semi-rural location.
Highlights of the venue include:
- Sleeping quarters for up to 3 guests in the main house, more if two share a bed
- Additional sleeping quarters for 1-2 people in the casita
- Two large living rooms, each with seating for 5-7 people
- A fully stocked kitchen for coffee, tea, snacks, and meal preparation
- Outdoor grill
- The option for having one or more meals catered
- A separate dining room, with seating for 6
- Outdoor sitting areas, overlooking the desert gardens
- All day access to the indoor pool and spa
- Two acres of gated property to walk and explore
- Dedicated desk/table space
- An outdoor gazebo is being built on the property
- Inspiration from having over 1000 books on the premises
- The sharing of the property with on-site visual artists at XYZ Studios
- Observing native wildlife that is abundant on the property
Now that you have a location for the writers’ retreat, what considerations go into organizing the event? In her article on the topic, Writers’ Retreats: How to Host Your Own, Lauren Wise points out that it is important to identify the goals for the retreat. Will this be a time of critiquing, brainstorming, and getting feedback from others, or will this be time focused solely on private writing time? Others point out the importance of developing a daily plan to help the participants stay on task. This typically includes blocks of 80- to 90 minutes of writing, separated by morning, lunch, and afternoon breaks.
Cost is always a consideration for retreat space. Though our rates vary seasonally, participants can expect to pay around $150-200 per night/person for 4 people. Added costs will include your transportation to Las Cruces, as well as meal preparation/catering/dining out. We can assist you with finding stores for purchasing groceries; identifying local caterers; and suggesting restaurants in Mesilla or Las Cruces. If you opt to cook in, the kitchen is fully stocked with all the essentials you need. There is also an outdoor grill.
In her 2023 article, How to Plan Your Own Writing Retreat to Find Creativity Again, Kayti Christian encourages participants to identify the goals they have for themselves by attending a retreat. Some of these questions include:
- What do I hope to gain from this time away?
- How many words or pages do I hope to produce?
- Do I need to focus on rough drafts, creative thinking, or edits and revisions?
- What rules do I need to set for myself to stay focused?
- How do I plan to navigate inevitable writing blocks?
- What small reward can I offer myself each evening to celebrate my achievements?
Christian concludes, “Just as we set structure and goals for our writing retreats, no matter what they look like, we can also release our expectations with the hope that whatever is supposed to happen will. That’s the beauty of creativity anyhow.”
