The Writing Salon
A one-day nourishing experience where you can easefully get ONE story down on the page in just a few minutes.
Sacred Guidelines for the Writing Salon
You’re agreeing to these as you choose to do the writing associated with this experience.
This is a space of kindness and a non judgment zone. Just for this Writing salon experience, I invite you to keep at bay your writing inner critic that may come in with all the thoughts.
I agree to explore this experience with curiosity and wonder. The goal is to feel and do some good writing, not gather some level of mastery. And so, when in doubt, I remember, what’s the experience I’m really desiring to have as I write a story?
Raquel agrees to keep confidential whatever I share via email as long as it doesn’t mention any form of self-harm. I agree not to share the contents of this experience or duplicate it for my own purposes.
I trust the stories that come forward today are here for my greatest good because I’m ready at this moment in time to be with them. Trust is placed in the Divine as I navigate the placement of these stories on the page and what they may reveal about my life and relationships with others, the world, and the Earth.
I understand that Raquel will respond to email messages within 24 hours and is on eastern standard time.
Let’s Begin!
Our Sacred Pulse for the Day
Setting Your Intention for Our Time Together
Step 1: Making Decisions
Select the materials and space you're going to write within. (Are you a handwriting girlie or perhaps you appreciate a juicy googledoc or iPhone notes app?)
Step 2: MINDFULLY SETTING YOUR INTENTION
Allow yourself to set your own small intention for our time together. Close your eyes, take 3 deep breaths, and just allow yourself to arrive here. Then, simply ask yourself, what does your heart most desire right now as you walk this journey to writing your personal stories?
If you feel stuck, then just allow yourself to consider what do you want to be able to do, learn, or believe by the end of the day?
Step 3: Share
Share your intention with me via email.
Connecting with Your Intuition: An Oracle Card Reading
Step 1: Listen
Take a moment to listen to the oracle card reading below. I invite you to feel into the messages that most resonate with you.
Step 2: Reflect
Consider the following reflection questions in relation to the reading. You're welcome to simply think and feel into your response or take a moment and write. Do the one you're being intuitively led to consider.
What usually inspires you to write? How can you consider changing that up today as you move through the Writing Salon?
How could you allow yourself to slow down today and consider the various moments unfolding around you to see what may be calling you to write?
What would allow you to courageously anchor into your heart and explore your feelings as you move through today’s experience?
How would you approach your experience in the Writing Salon if you already knew that everything you needed to write and share your story was already within you and that you had nothing to prove to anyone (not even yourself)?
Writing Exercise - Part 1
Step 1: prepare to write
Get ready to start writing, take out your materials, and set a timer for 10 minutes on a device of your choice.
Step 2: the writing prompt
Explore your multifaceted identity using the questions below:
What are all the roles you play in your life?
This can be a simple list where you jot down titles you’ve been given or taken on such as: mother, romantic partner, aunt, artist, dancer, daughter, cultural or racial identity, woman, professional titles, survivor of X, someone diagnosed with X, etc.)
Which role brings you the most joy and why?
Which role is the most resonant and prominent in your life right now? Why is that the case?
Step 3: take a moment & share
Allow yourself to walk away from what you've written and check-in with me via email.
How was that like? What is coming up for you as you write in response to these questions?
Midday Gushing About Stories
Step 1: Answer this Fun question
What's a story you've been loving recently? Ohh yea, it can be a story in a book, TV show, movie, or the stage! Let's not forget, YOUR story may also be your fav. at the moment.
Take a moment to gush about the range of stories out in the world that just capture your heart and inspire you to write!
Step 2: Share a Question VIA EMAIL
What's a question you have about writing, storytelling, or anything else that's coming up as you move through this journey?
This is also a great time for you to talk to me about the private podcast, Liberate Your Voice. What questions did it bring up for you? Are there any new concerns it brings forward? What does it inspire you to create or write?
You can send these to me at raquel@trulyyourssalud.com.
Writing Exercise - Part 2
Step 1: THE RETURN
Read what you wrote in response to the questions about the roles you hold in your life.
Then, select one juicy part of it that you feel intuitively led to explore further.
Place that part at the top of a brand new and empty page.
Step 2: set the timer & write for 10 minutes
On the new sheet of paper, use that part of your writing to be your prompt and write from there forward.
What is a story that feels resonant for you to share in relation to that role? If you already shared a story in the prompt, what are some additional details you can add to fully complete it?
Again, only set a 10 minute timer. You can extend it if you don't feel like you're done and are free to keep writing.
Step 3: read it out loud
Read your work out loud to yourself!
Celebrate yourself for allowing yourself to hear the words you've placed on the page.
Step 3: Reflect & Share
Let me know on Voxer what the experience of hearing your story out loud was like for you.
Meaningful Reflection
Step 1: reflect on the day
Take a moment to reflect on your experience in the Writing Salon. You're welcome to simply think and feel into these questions or respond in writing.
What did you find most supportive about our time together?
What did you learn about yourself and your writing through this journey?
What are you most desiring as you consider committing to your writing in the future? What feels like the next best step after moving through this experience? If you're not sure, would you be willing to ask Raquel for support and suggestions via email?
Step 2: EMBODY YOUR LEARNING & SHARE
Allow yourself to embody what you learned by sharing it with me via email so I can witness you!
Submit Your Story
It'S TIME TO BE WITNESSED!
As promised, I will review one story that you’ve written throughout our time together.
You may be wondering what a “review” is and if it’s anything like what you get at work or school.
FULL STOP - no it’s not!
It’s a love note tied up with juicy questions for you to consider as you develop this piece further (if you even want to).
Yup, you’ll get a video of about 3 to 5 minutes indicating the beauty I see in your story and with some loving feedback on areas you could consider changing if you’re interested in revising it for publishing or sending it out in the world.
What Now?
The Possibilities Abound…
If you enjoyed this experience, then I invite you to join us in the Writing Corner where this is exactly what we do in our monthly sacred writing circles.
Our goal in the Writing Corner is to do more writing that truly matters to us in a way that we enjoy so that we can make the impact we seek in the world.
The best part? It’s a nourishing space with other women of color that continue to witness you and love all up on you and your stories just as I did throughout the Writing Salon experience.
Can you imagine that? A space where the goal for our writing and stories to simply be heard, loved, and held in the greater collective. It exists and it awaits your beautiful presence.
Who Am I?
ABOUT YOUR GUIDE
I'm Raquel, and I am so freakin' excited to make your acquaintance and support you in this experience.
I am a doctor of words, a woman with a PhD in wrangling all types of writing in academia, my personal life, and yes, even these mean internet streets. (No, but for real, I've got 3 degrees in writing along with several years of experience writing online.) Most importantly though, I am a lover of stories, having spent much of my lifetime wielding the written word to express what the heart most desires to share with the world.
After spending over a decade teaching writing in the academic classroom, I now have the privilege of supporting women of color in my membership, The Writing Corner. I help them get still, listen to that beautiful voice within them and honor with doing the writing that's always mattered to me: personal narrative.
THE FUN DOESN’T HAVE TO END HERE!