Community Building
Retreats, Workshops, and Conferences
As a professional writer for over 35 years, Donna Marie wants you to know that the power of storytelling will bring enlivening possibilities to your event, retreat, conference, or festival.
As a teaching artist, Donna Marie’s love of creative process and knowledge of professional writing and performing fuels her workshops, conference presentations, and retreats.
As a conference speaker and retreat leader, she creates an authentic and real connection with her listeners. Her reflective study and gentle way of speaking helps participants connect with the deepest parts of themselves so they receive the deep encouragement and inspiration they long for.
As a workshop leader, her programs provide participants with powerful personal insights, real artistic growth and positive feedback. Her leadership style enables a deeply connected community to form.
About her one‑, two‑, and three-day retreats and workshops, she says:
“I ‘ve had a very challenging life. I used to think I was a one-off, but after working with thousands of people in retreat, I know better now. As a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist and experienced event leader, I know that life hardens all of us, saddens us, and sometimes defeats us. Yet life is also beautiful, fragile, and fleeting.
“I hold these truths inside the stories I tell, and I hold them inside the story-sharing processes I will facilitate for you. We will tell and listen to stories that will both change us and unite us. It is such an honor to encourage and witness other’s powerful stories.
“When you hear the ‘other person’s’ story, and they have heard yours, something amazing happens. Suddenly, there is no longer a ‘them;’ there is only an ‘us.’ These stories that we share together form inspired community and we all leave stronger for the telling and the listening. It’s hard to believe it’s life-changing — until you experience it.”
Resilience
We all experience challenges in life. It’s part of being human. Life has a way of beating us down. Our stories want to heal us from these inevitable beatings. Our stories want to remind us how strong we are, release us from shame, and teach us what we learned.
Sharing Our Stories Cultivates Compassionate Listening
We live in a divisive time. The constant bombardment of political (and increasingly machine-driven) messages from all forms of media pits us against one another. The things we feel safe expressing online are often things we would never say to someone’s face. A vulgarity and coarseness poisons many of our conversations. Sharing our stories brings us back together.
Life After Grief
Donna Marie is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist and the author of Navigating Loss: A Survival Guide for the Newly Widowed. She has presented one-day retreats for widowed women across the country (including Hawaii!).
Being widowed is the most challenging experience a woman can face. The grief is actually the easy part.
The hardest part of being a widow is rebuilding your life as a single woman. Who are you now, without your spouse? What do you want to do now? How can you heal from the shock, the caregiving, the anger, the loss of community that widowed people experience?
Donna Marie’s retreat brings proven methods for grief recovery, life skill visioning, joy-seeking experiences, and a new community of understanding friends to widowed women. Please note: This is a widow’s retreat. We do not allow “observers.” This is a sacred sharing. If you wish to have pastors or bereavement teams present they must be women and they must participate in the retreat. Thanks for your understanding.
Inquire about hosting Donna Marie at your upcoming retreat, workshop, festival, or conference.
You may find Donna Marie’s book helpful before or after your retreat, workshop, or conference.