May 17th to 18th 2025
In Berkeley, California
$275-375
Sliding Scale
Simple, delicious, vegetarian lunch and snacks included
Price does NOT include travel or accommodation
Scholarships available
These writer’s retreats (and weekly online writing sessions) center works of gender rebellion, LGBTQA+, polyamory, kink, sex workers, sluts, anti-racism, and neuro-spice. If you’re a writer who has struggled to find writing community where you don’t feel othered or shamed for your orientation, expression, identity, or lifestyle, I can relate.
This network of care can hold and support us, allowing our voices to be heard. Our words have power. It’s important that we are not silenced.
Brought to you by Polly Superstar, author, artist, performer, and provocateur
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. Then, we soak in the warm, healing waters.
This is not a writing workshop. There are no prompts, and I don’t direct you to specific topics. Instead, I use ritualized writing experiences 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.
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).
Express Interest
Spaces at the retreat are extremely limited. Let me know if you’re interested by filling out the form below. If a spot is available, I’ll let you know.
Yoga
During the retreat, I use gentle yoga as a way to connect with the body. No experience, special clothes or mat are needed. I am a qualified yoga teacher with RYT 200 certification.
Online Community
To complement the in-person retreats, I also host an online community with regular events. It’s a great way to meet the community, get a taste of the retreats, and stay connected when you can’t attend in person.
LEARN MORE
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?
The ticket price doesn’t include travel or accommodation. The food provided will be simple and vegetarian, BYO treats, and fancy snacks if you want to indulge.
Is This Retreat for Me?
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.
Accommodation Details
This retreat takes place in a private home in Berkeley, California. There is no accommodation available on site.
Schedule
Saturday 9am to 7pm
Introductions! Meet your fellow mermaids
Ice breakers and fun collaborative writing exercises
Learn practical tools for dissolving blocks
Floating ritual
Plenty of time to soak and write and soak and write
Read your writing to fellow mermaids (no pressure to share)
Sunday 9am to 7pm
Morning soak
Gentle stretching
Guided writing experience
Plenty of time to soak and write and soak and write
Read your writing to fellow mermaids (no pressure to share)
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
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