Drala Mountain Center: Fearless Creativity: A Writing and Meditation Retreat

Fearless Creativity is a writing and meditation retreat for anyone who has wondered why it is so hard to write. It is held over four days at Drala Mountain Center in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, in the Rocky Mountains, and is led by Buddhist teacher and New York Times bestselling author Susan Piver. The retreat combines Buddhist-rooted meditation practice with journaling and long stretches of personal writing, in the company of other writers.

What to Expect

Susan Piver has spent more than a decade sharing her three-step creative process at dozens of retreats. The steps are simple: meditation practice, journaling, and a dedicated block of time for personal writing. She has seen that when these steps are taken, words come within an atmosphere of joy. There are no instant solutions, but the process is steady and repeatable.

A fourth ingredient, community, is what helps it all come together. Writing alongside others is a central part of the retreat rather than an extra.

The days follow a clear rhythm:

- Two extended personal writing periods each day
- Short meditation sessions woven through the schedule
- Time to reconnect with your own voice
- The experience of writing within a community of writers

You leave with a simple three-step meditation and creativity practice you can continue at home.

About Susan Piver

Susan Piver is a Buddhist teacher, New York Times bestselling author and the founder of the Open Heart Project, a community of support for living an awakened life. Her teaching draws on more than thirty years as a student and a teacher. The Open Heart Project is a dharma community of close to 20,000 members who practice meditation, study Buddhist teachings and support one another on the path. Each Monday, Susan sends the community a free meditation by email.

On her podcast she discusses traditional teachings such as the four noble truths, the middle way and the six paramitas, aiming to make them relevant to everyday life without sacrificing their depth. She invites people to look past the science and celebrity testimonials toward the deeper powers of meditation, which point not toward self-improvement but toward self-discovery.

The Setting

The retreat takes place at Drala Mountain Center, set in the Colorado Rockies near Red Feather Lakes. A mountain setting suits a retreat built around quiet attention and long, unhurried writing sessions.

Before You Go

The retreat is taught in English and sits within the Buddhist tradition. No prior writing or meditation experience is specified, so it is worth reaching out to the organizers if you are unsure whether it fits your background. The writing periods, the short meditation sessions and the take-home three-step practice are all part of the retreat.