Our souls are nourished by beauty and awakened through self-discovery and insight. When writing is used to investigate the false stories and negative beliefs that limit us and prevent flourishing, we’re able to tap into our deepest potential with new dimensions of creative expression and discover the beauty within us.

This five-day writing retreat on the island of Santorini is a unique opportunity to work personally with Mark and use his Writing to Awaken method as a path of creativity, self-discovery, and transformation. Immerse yourself in an unforgettable creative retreat in an intimate group setting with daily writing sessions and one-on-one time with Mark, while experiencing the rich culture, history, and exceptional cuisine of this remarkable region.

Known for his insightful, provocative guidance, Mark creates a supportive, gentle atmosphere of mutual support and creative discovery. “When you tell the truth, your story changes. When your story changes, your life is transformed,” he teaches. Writing to Awaken has helped thousands of students around the world toward their personal, professional, and spiritual goals. 

How this retreat will help you:                                                                                                                           Learn to access the emotional depth of your personal stories                                                                    Recognize the essential element of beauty in storytelling                                                         Develop the internal storyteller-witness who knows you better than you know yourself    Practice transforming fear self-doubt into material for powerful writing                                   Write with greater honesty and immediacy about core life experiences                                                                                   Renew your relationship to creativity as soul workenvironment. Fantastic!”

~ Diana, USA

Who will benefit from this retreat:

Memoir writers who wish to deepen their insight and craft

Journal keepers interested in self-exploration
Legacy writers drawn to creating for posterity
Writing enthusiasts who are cultivating a regular writing practice
Seekers using writing for self-inquiry and spiritual awakening

Whether you’re working on a creative project or wish to use this time for self-exploration, Writing to Awaken in Greece will leave you “whole and balanced, with lots of things to think about and ways to grow,” as one student put it. We invite you to join us for this enchanting retreat on Santorini for five days of inspiration, insight, and self-renewal.

Mark Matousek, M.A., is an award-winning memoirist, teacher, and speaker whose work focuses on transformative writing for personal, professional, and spiritual development. He is the founder of The Seekers Forum, an online community for writing and self-inquiry, as well as the author of eight books including Lessons From an American Stoic: How Emerson Can Change Your Life, Sex Death Enlightenment: A True Story (an international bestseller), When You’re Falling, Dive: Lessons in the Art of Living, and Writing To Awaken: A Journey of Truth, Transformation, and Self-Discovery.  A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, he is a featured blogger for PsychologyToday.com and has contributed to numerous anthologies and publications, including the New Yorker, Details, Harper’s Bazaar, The Chicago Tribune, and O: The Oprah Magazine. Mark collaborated with Ram Dass on his book Still Here, and with Sogyal Rimpoche on The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying.  Mark founded V-Men (with Eve Ensler), an organization devoted to ending violence against women and girls, and has a 21-part journaling series available on Sam Harris's Waking Up app. He offers workshops in self-inquiry and personal development internationally, using his Writing to Awaken method, and has helped thousands of people around the world reach their creative and professional goals. Mark lives in Dedham, Massachusetts.

TESTIMONIALS

“This retreat was one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life. The teaching, and the writing, and the experience of just being in this beautiful environment. Fantastic!”

~ Diana, USA

“Mark is a masterful and loving guide: his wisdom teachings and brilliantly conceived questions will enable you to dissolve the coverings and open to life-changing truth. You don’t need skill in writing to partake; all that’s required is the longing to awaken your heart.”

~Tara Brach

Mark Matousek is a wise and caring guide who opens the craft of writing as a way to dive into the art of self-reflection. His work will restore meaning and change your life.”

~ Mark Nepo