The Tides of Creativity: A Writing Workshop Guided by Dolphins
Friday, March 13th-Saturday, March 14th, The Dolphin Research Center, Grassy Key, Florida
“In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand and we will understand only what we are taught.” - Baba Dioum
This phrase has been a guiding tenet of the work done at Dolphin Research. A conservation organization since 1984, the Dolphin Research Center in Grassy Key has been a thought leader in studying, working with, and protecting marine life in the Florida Keys, with rippling effects into our global oceans. This never-before-taught retreat will be a unique blend of experiencing new perspectives on your writing, participating in generative writing workshops with Author and Poet, Kate Belew, and learning about the ocean-beings that have inspired people for millennia. Additionally, there will be fresh food, guided meditations, and up-close experiences with dolphins, in a conservation-minded setting with no more than fifteen writers in total.
Writers, like dolphins, are naturally curious and inspired by places and people. Writing, guided by dolphins, is a way to inspire and connect with your creativity cycles, by the waves' sacred swells. Join us for two days of activities at The Dolphin Research Center while staying at a beachside hotel on the ocean. This will be an intimate, slow-paced retreat, and after our time together, you will depart with a new understanding of the magic of dolphins and a deeper connection to your writing practice. You can learn more about the Dolphin Research Center and their mission here.
Our Schedule:
Thursday, March 12th, 2025:
Check-In to Gulf View Waterfront Resort
Friday, March 13th, 2025:
9:00 am: Arrive at the Dolphin Research Center & Introductions
9:30 am: Meditation
10:00 am: Writing Workshop: The Tides of Creativity
11:30 am: Lunch
1:00 pm: Swim with the Dolphins
2:30 pm: Writing Reflection Time
4:00 pm: Close for the Day
Saturday, March 14th, 2025:
9:00 am: Arrive at the Dolphin Research Center & Check-In with Group
9:30 am: Meditation
10:00 am: Writing Workshop: The Mythic Guides, Dolphins
11:30 am: Lunch
1:30 pm: Free Write & Explore
2:30 pm: Reading & Sharing Writing from Workshops
4:00 pm: Close for the Day & Final Reflections
The Writing Workshops:
Writing Workshop #1: The Tides of Creativity
During our first day, we’ll connect with the wisdom of the ocean. By listening to the waves, learning about the tides, and being inspired by oceanic legen and lore we’ll connect and celebrate with our own tides of creativity, creating pieces of writing that mirror the ocean’s magic.
Writing Workshop #2: The Mythic Guides, Dolphins
During our second day, we’ll connect with our mythic guides, the dolphins. After spending 1:1 time with dolphins in a conservation environment, we’ll be inspired by the legends and lore about these inspiring creatures. With the help of our more-than-human-kin we’ll create pieces of writing prompted by the dolphins.
Pricing:
$1,200 a person includes two days of writing instruction, daily meditations, lunch, a celebratory group reading, daily discussions and reflections, and a swimming with dolphins experience in a conservation environment. Four payments of $250 must be made by 12/25.
Where You’ll Stay:
You’ll be staying at the Gulfview Waterfront Resort a five minute walk from the Dolphin Research Center. They offer pet friendly rooms, a heated pool, a sun deck, kayaks and paddle boards, barbecue grills, guest laundry, wi-fi, and parking. The cost of a room on March 12th will be $289 per room, and the night of the 13th and 14th will be $349 a night with taxes and fees included for a total of $987. You can learn more about the resort and their offerings here. If you’d like to share a room, or book together with a friend, this can be coordinated on your behalf. If you’re local, or wish to stay at a different location, that’s completely fine! Please reach out to kate@katebelew.com to plan your travel.
Travel:
You can fly into Miami International Airport, Fort Lauderdale, or Key West. Miami and Fort Lauderdale are approximately three to four hours from Grassy Key (traffic can be unpredictable), and Key West is roughly an hour and a half. You can rent cars in either of these locations, or the Keys Shuttle will pick you up and drop you off door to door. Learn more about the Keys Shuttle here.
Additional Activities:
The Florida Keys are filled with lots to do! A list of recommended restaurants will be provided to help you plan your dinners and downtime. You can also explore The Turtle Hospital, Crane Point, Sombrero Beach, and the Seven-Mile Bridge, among many other activities.
Your Facilitators:
Kate Belew is an author and poet. Her work exists at the crossroads of creativity and magic. She has taught and facilitated circles and workshops worldwide since 2017. She is dedicated to the spirit of poetry, the sacred wild of the planet, and seeks enchantment in all she does. She is a forever student of the plants and the stars. She has an MFA in Poetry from Sarah Lawrence College and is an initiated Green Witch. Her roots are in Michigan, and her wings are in Brooklyn, two places she calls home.
Grace Belew is a Breathwork and Mindfulness Meditation teacher and facilitator. Grace's work is defined by much of her education and career in mental health as a Social Worker. Grace is currently an associate clinical social worker at a private practice in Southern California. Early on in her career she consistently found success using mind-body/ mindfulness techniques with individual clients and groups. However, she quickly learned these techniques (like many) needed to be adjusted for those she was serving. At the time she was serving clients living in shelter housing for women experiencing intimate partner violence. She began to make changes and create Mindfulness practices based on her client's identities, experiences, and specific needs. Grace received her BA in Human Development from Michigan State University and continued her education receiving her MSW with a focus in Clinical Mental Health from the University of Maryland. She then received her Social Work License and worked as a Social worker for a public school system and county government in the D.C area. Here she provided mental health services and led Mindfulness classes for numerous groups including Educators, Public School Employees, Public Health Employees, Mental Health professionals, and First Responders. She continues to serve this population by consulting on mental health programming and teaching weekly meditation and breathwork classes. Grace recently completed a 200- hour trauma-informed breathwork facilitator training from the Breath liberation society and is passionate about making mindfulness and breathwork accessible, inclusive, and relevant.