Offerings

Writing Retreats
Coaching & Community

Welcoming writers at all stages of their craft and career — to nurture healthy and generative relationships to writing.

Approach

Inclusive, Anti-Racist & Embodied

I draw on 10+ years of experience as an educator and facilitator, along with a lifetime of writing. My offerings welcome writers at all stages of their craft and career to nurture healthy and generative relationships to our writing, while building community along the way.

“Not only is b. al-ism a skilled writer and teacher, but he creates multiple avenues for engagement that makes it clear everyone has a place in the world of writing.”

— 2022 Summer Retreat Participant

Writing Retreats

Joyful. Generative.
In Community.

My retreats are for emerging and established writers who want to develop a more joyful and generative writing practice in community with others.

During a retreat you will:

  • Create your own rituals and habits to improve writing flow
  • Learn to listen to your bodymind and follow creative impulses
  • Engage in prompts and reflections that increase joy in writing while addressing the anxieties it elicits

I will share interactive activities and prompts that I use in my own writing process, accessible to all abilities and capacities.

Get in Touch
Writing retreat with b. al-ism
Coaching with b. al-ism

Coaching

Support for Your Writing Goals

I will support you in your process and offer you tools and approaches to help you achieve your writing goals. I draw on my extensive experience as a talented editor, a social entrepreneur and successful grant writer to help you leverage your strengths, develop your skills and surmount your challenges.

Whether you want to:

  • Get published
  • Deepen your writing practice
  • Secure grants and residencies
  • Increase your author platform and audience

I have worked with writers, artists, and major cultural institutions across the world to secure prestigious international residencies and awards, develop social media content plans tailored to specific audiences, and nurture emerging projects.

“I had hit a wall with my projects, but the sessions, prompts, and resources b. al-ism curated helped me see my work in new ways and got me itching to get back to the page.”

— Coaching Client
Free Consultation

Community

You Don’t Have to Write Alone

Writing is a challenging pursuit — it’s often solitary and isolating, but it doesn’t have to be that way. I have always found incredible joy and creative fulfillment in creating work with and alongside others, and I am better when I am around similarly passionate and creative people.

I created a space in Discord that brings writers together online, and also offer tools and templates for people to develop their own in-person gatherings and workshops. This space is slower and more intimate than social media, allowing for mutual development and critique of work as we support our ongoing paths as writers.

Learn More
Community — b. al-ism

Testimonials

What Writers Are Saying

“b. al-ism’s writing workshop was engaging and energizing. I found the Heightening Emotion exercise valuable as a warm-up and a way to center on the compelling “story underneath the situation.” The Mapping exercises for Revision are helping me to demystify and even anticipate the later stages of writing. I appreciate the practical tips about the ritual act of sitting down to write and getting unblocked in the process.”

Tim H.

Writing Workshop

“I appreciated b. al-ism’s preparedness, nuanced questions, and inclusive approach for everyone’s voice to be heard in his workshop facilitation. He was organized and thoughtful in his prompts which encouraged me to consider the rhythm and flow of how sentences and words make sound together, and the possibilities for how they can form into a cohesive, gorgeous whole.”

Lauren C.

Live Online Workshop

“b. al-ism expertly navigated us through interesting and thoughtful discussions, movement, imagining, and reflection. It was hugely impactful for me. Working in international development with climate change affected communities, it was inspiring to approach the topic with a more creative, imaginative and emotional lens.”

Lotty C.

In-Person Workshop

“b. al-ism’s workshops have helped me get unstuck and get writing. His use of theatre exercises to stimulate both the mind and the body are the perfect antidote to getting unstuck, letting go of unhelpful ideas, and having the freedom to explore new ideas. It’s made writing a more dynamic and thoughtful process — it’s about exploring ideas, boiling them down to their essence, and then putting that into words on the page.”

Anthony N.

In-Person Workshop

“b. al-ism’s workshop was an illuminating experience — he seamlessly blended performance, writing and community building in the span of a single workshop. As a facilitator, he was incredible at both holding and commanding space and had created an environment where I felt both safe and challenged. I emerged with so much wonder and curiosity about my own relationship to writing and the world.”

Samira H.

In-Person Workshop

Statement of Inclusion & Anti-Racism

I am committed to enacting and maintaining an inclusive, anti-racist and accessible space that fosters creativity and joy.

Get in Touch

For inquiries about retreats, coaching, community, or residencies.