Soak, Write, Achieve Your Dreams
Brought to you by Polly Superstar, author, artist, performer, and provocateur
Introduction: Inspired by water, this weekend-long retreat will take you on a relaxing journey into your writing practice. We begin with the breath, centering ourselves in the body and grounding in our experience. Using guided visualizations, we evoke the elemental qualities of water. We flush out creative channels and find inspiration swimming in the fluidity of our aquatic nature. Together, we use our imaginations to dissolve our worries and watch as creativity bubbles to the surface.
This is not a writing workshop. There are no prompts, and I don’t direct you to specific topics. Instead, I use the processes described above to help you unleash memory and imagination to tune into your authentic story. I have used this process for my personal writing practice for many years. Instead of notes, prompts, and clutter, we empty the mind and discover the story floating in the void.
What to Expect from the Retreat
Break Through Blocks: Dive into practical methods for overcoming writing anxiety and firing your imagination.
Soaking Process: Learn how a good soak can do wonders for those blocks.
Community Connection: Meet like-minded souls who’ll support you every step of the way.
Guided Visualizations: Experience exercises designed to bring out your authentic, embodied voice.
Breathwork: Master techniques to banish distractions and truly tune into your story.
Unshackled Writing: Explore your writing, free from the stuffy confines of academia.
Artistic Exploration: Use various artistic modalities to gain fresh perspectives on your writing.
Nature Immersion: Lose yourself in a desert environment that brings you back to nature.
Your Own Schedule: Write at your own pace, with no pressure or deadlines.
24-Hour Access: Soak whenever you please—day or night, the hot springs are yours to enjoy.
Daily Rituals: Learn how to keep your creativity simmering even after you’ve left the retreat.
What to NOT Expect from the Retreat
No Preparation Needed: Come with an open heart and a blank page
No Critique: There won’t be any critique, just gentle guidance to help you find your path.
No Pressure to Share: You’re not obligated to share your work—this is your journey.
No Academic Rigidity: Don’t expect structured writing classes or being told what to do.
No Party Atmosphere: This isn’t a raucous affair; it’s a time for reflection and creation.
No frills: Expect simple, modern accommodations—think charm, not chandeliers.
No Connectivity: Unplug and unwind—no wifi or cell service (except in the office, if you must).
Nov 15-17 2024
$275
This retreat is for everyone, but it’s geared toward people whose relationships and identities fall in the spectrum of gender, sexual, and romantic minorities: Gender rebels, kinky sluts, queers, relationship pioneers, love anarchists, radical monogamists, polymorphous polyamorists, and the people who love them.
Simple, delicious, vegetarian meals included
Price does NOT include travel or accommodation.
Scholarships available.
Hold Your Spot
Spaces at the retreat are extremely limited, so please let me know your interest ASAP by filling out the form below. I’ll then ping you with details of how to pay and how to book your accommodation, and I’ll answer all your questions.
Mini Retreats
I also host regular three hour mini-retreats in Las Vegas. If you’re looking for an introduction to my style of working or can’t make it for the weekend, check out this similar but different page!
Why This Retreat is Totally Worth Doing
Claim a weekend just for you and your writing practice. The breakthroughs you’ll experience? Absolutely priceless. These aren’t fleeting insights—they’ll stay with you, helping you write with newfound confidence, passion, and clarity long after the retreat ends.
How Come This Retreat is So Unbelievably Cheap?
Simple. The cost doesn’t cover accommodation, so you’ve got all the flexibility in the world. Fancy a bit of luxury? Enjoy your privacy in a cozy bungalow. Want company? Stay in a shared house. Prefer to sleep under the stars? Camp or bring an RV. Or perhaps you’re a local? Commute in each day and enjoy the best of both worlds. The food provided will be simple and vegetarian, BYO treats and fancy snacks if you want to indulge. It’s your retreat—tailor it to suit your taste and budget.
Who is This Retreat For?
Have you struggled to find a writing community where you don’t feel othered or shamed for your orientation, expression, or lifestyle? Do you feel the need to hide your true self? Is your truth often met with blank stares and open mouths? I can relate. Though many in the writing community mean well, it has been hard to find people who get me.
This space is dedicated to you—the sex and gender pioneers—and your stories. You don’t have to share erotic stories, or focus on your relationships. The content of your writing can be drawn from anywhere: fiction, non-fiction, cultural commentary, memoir, expository, descriptive, persuasive, or narrative. Here, you can be yourself and find your voice, whatever that means for you.
This retreat is open to all. It’s queer-centered, anti-racist, neurodivergent-supportive, sex-worker-friendly, and non-judgmental. Whether you’re a published author, a blogger, or someone who writes simply for the joy of it, you are welcome here.
How much is accommodation at the hot spring?
Day passes are $35 per day. Everyone will need day passes for Friday and Saturday.
Camping starts at $40 per site per day for dry camping and ranges up to $60 to bring a full-size RV and get 50 AMPS of power. Camping spots can be shared with 6 people but day passes are not included and must be purchased separately.
A room for two in a three bedroom house is $350 for the whole weekend. The cost can be split between two people if the room is shared. This accommodation includes day passes for two.
A private bungalow for two is $504 for the whole weekend. If the room is shared, the cost can be split between two people . This accommodation includes day passes for two.
All rooms at the hot springs are newly renovated and have a comfortable queen size bed which can be shared. All prices shown include all taxes and fees. Don’t worry, if you’re confused I can walk you through all the options and ensure you get the right spot for your needs and budget.
Where Does It Happen?
We have a stunning Death Valley Location just 90 minutes outside Las Vegas. The resort is newly remodeled and features a large outdoor pool as well as four private soaking rooms. Camping has unobstructed views of the Nopah mountains.
Schedule
Friday Evening
Arrive at the hot springs
Meet your fellow mermaids
Welcoming ritual
Guided breathwork to release stress and arrive in your body
Time to journal and soak
Saturday
Morning soak
Gentle stretching
Ice breakers and fun collaborative writing exercises
Learn practical tools for dissolving blocks
Guided writing with inspiring prompts
Floating ritual
Plenty of time to soak and write and soak and write
Read your writing to fellow mermaids (no pressure to share)
Campfire s’mores and storytelling
Midnight soak
Sunday Morning
Morning soak
Gentle stretching
Closing ritual
Say farewell until next time!
100% Guaranteed
If this retreat doesn’t help you break through those creative blocks and find your flow, I’ll happily refund you, no fuss, no drama. Your satisfaction is guaranteed.
William
“Writing at Polly’s retreat is fun and fluid. She has a beautiful knack for turning the struggle for ideas into a carefree invitation.”
Sharon
“Polly includes techniques that are both serene and stimulating. You will leave feeling nurtured, cared for and most likely a connection to the others who have joined you”
Randy
“I have learned new ways to express myself through Polly’s retreats. I highly recommend them for anyone at any stage in their writing journey.”
Hi, I’m Polly Superstar
Hi! I’m Polly Superstar, the author of Polly: Sex Culture Revolutionary, a vulnerable memoir that chronicles my journey in founding and stewarding two of San Francisco’s iconic sex culture institutions: Kinky Salon and Mission Control. The book intertwines intimate stories from my childhood in London, weaving together the narrative of how I came to do what I do today. This journey has included latex fashion design, making strange art, writing, performing, being a spokesperson for sex culture, a zine-maker, an emcee, a mentor, a mentee, a teacher and a student of life. Any pronouns work for me as gender is a construct I don’t feel connected to.
I’ve been a Las Vegas resident since 2018 and I’m currently working on a speculative fiction novel that centers on alternative, queer relationships and challenges gender norms. I believe it’s crucial to use our imaginations to conjure alternative worlds and possible futures as a tool to explore cultural possibilities through the lens of fiction.
Although I’m known for my wacky stage presence, costumes, and larger-than-life persona as a party host, in reality, I’m a sensitive introvert who has faced my own set of personal challenges, including ADHD, chronic pain, sleep disorders, and debilitating grief.
To counterbalance my lifelong career in the exhausting world of community building and events, I have a daily practice of yoga and meditation and am studying for my 200 hour Yoga Teacher Certification. I am an avid lover of nature, finding solace in the quiet contemplation that can only be experienced at a hot spring, unplugged from the world.
Click the links below for more information about my art, books, events, and mentoring services.
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