Creativity Retreat in Charleston, South Carolina

Five nights/ Six days of creative immersion, inspiration, and play  

PROJECTED ITINERARY

Day 1




Check into The Vendue, Charleston's award-winning Art Hotel. 

Welcome Reception and Orientation.

Group Dinner at Tempest, named the country's top new restaurant in 2021 by readers of USA Today's Travel Guide. Cost not included. 

 

Day 2 - Place


 
 

Enjoy breakfast. 

Private, historic walking tour of Charleston. Our dedicated guide will orient us to the city's past and present, and the stories that are unique to Charleston. 

Lunch on your own. 

Workshop about Place. We'll explore the places we are from--in terms of geography, culture, and family. What stories come to mind when you think about the role of place in your life? 

Dinner at SNOB (Slightly North of Broad). Cost not included. 

 

Day 3 - Transcending the Past


 

Enjoy breakfast.

Private tour of Boone Hall Plantation, one of the oldest, still working plantations in the U.S. We'll tour the house, see a live presentation about Gullah culture (unique to Charleston), explore the slave quarters, and take a private tractor tour of the fields and gardens. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Boone Hall is a link between Colonial America, the Antebellum South, and the modern era. 

Lunch included at Boone Hall. 

Workshop on Transcending the Past. Are there places that "hold you?" What are they? What's stopping you from transcending them? 

Free night. 

Day 4 - Food & Culture


 

 

Enjoy breakfast.

As the saying goes, “When life hands you lemons, put them in your sweet tea.”  Charleston is sweet on tea and food. This special Savor the Flavors of Downtown Charleston Food Tour will immerse you in the history and culture of the Lowcountry. Discover how Charleston's unique cuisine has evolved over the past three centuries while sampling delicious specialties from local eateries, markets, bakeries, restaurants, and culinary landmarks. Our private tour includes lunch. 

Workshop on Food & Culture. What are the foods, recipes, events, rituals, and traditions that have shaped your life? 

Two options: Private Sailboat Harbor Cruise or Group Dinner. Cost not included. 

 

Day 5 - Strong Women



 

Enjoy breakfast. 

Strong women of the South History Tour offers the chance to discover Charleston from a unique perspective. Learn about the women who were artisans, activists, shopkeepers, plantations owners, and more. We'll stand in front of the homes and shops of the women who built this city and hear stories in the contemporary voice of their times...smashing the myth of the "fainting southern belle," the "woman behind the man," and "chattel slavery." 

Workshop about Strong Women. Who are the most influential women in your life, past or present? Do you consider yourself to be a strong woman? How so? 

Lunch on your own. 

Dinner at Hank's Seafood, voted best seafood in Charleston for 18 years. Housed in an old warehouse in the heart of the historic district. Cost not included. 

 

Day 6 - Reflections and Learning




Group Breakfast.

Final Workshop. Reflections & Learning from our week in Charleston. 

 

Get on our Itinerary!

Give us your email and we will send you details of our 2023 Charleston Retreat when dates are finalized

Nancy Sharp is an award-winning author and sought-after speaker and trainer who helps people cultivate greater resilience by telling and owning the stories that have shaped who they are and who they want to become. Nancy received an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Goucher College and certification to teach Guided Autobiography through The Birren Center for Autobiographical Studies.  She teaches Guided Autobiography and workshops on writing ethical wills to hundreds of students nationwide. Nancy authored the memoir Both Sides Now: A True Story of Love, Loss, and Bold Living and the children’s book Because the Sky is Everywhere. Her work has been published in several essay anthologies, and articles, essays, columns, and letters by her have appeared in The New York Times, Katie Couric's Wake-Up Call, Woman’s Day, The Huffington Post, journals for the American Academy of Psychotherapists, and elsewhere. Nancy has guest lectured at the Lighthouse Writers Workshop, Regis University's MFA Program, The New School, and Marshall University.
“When we own our stories, we own our lives,” says Nancy.  
 



 
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Check out our growing community


”

I have discovered how to express myself more confidently with Nancy's guidance, encouragement, and support.  She truly brings out the best in her students."


-Terry Rubin 


”

Working with Nancy has impacted my life.  And I know I'm not alone. Her guidance and teaching is some of the best I've experienced."


-Lisa Culhane 


”

I feel like I'm developing a new muscle.  Storytelling.  And I can't wait to use it."


-Phyllis Hanfling 

Frequently Asked Questions