A little over a month ago, I found myself standing on the grounds of Ardoch House, on the incredible shores of Loch Lomond, hugging Isabelle Knight—a mentor from the preceding 12 months. Having been confined to a virtual 3" square on our computers all that time, meeting her personally was an incredible, beautiful, and emotional moment.
Isabelle's 6-week Build Your Author Brand course delved deeply into who I am as an author, why I want to write, and who my target audience is. It was exactly what I needed at the time and, as a result, I created an author story, a professional website, and most importantly confidence in myself that it was all possible.
Isabelle has over 20 years of experience in publicity and has worked personally with big names including the BBC and J.K. Rowling. However, her modesty and professionalism in the cause of helping fledgling authors find their wings in an enormous industry, is second to none.
During the 6-week course, I met and got to know several other authors on the same journey. One of which is the amazing American YA author, Meg Kramer. Meg and I released our books within weeks of each other in October 2023 and she has been a constant support and source of encouragement through my author journey. Despite living on opposite sides of the world, Meg and I found a connection, and at Ardoch, we discovered we had even more in common than we thought, sharing stories, laughs, and tears along the way.
During a week-long retreat at Ardoch, wonderful experiences ensued including a thought-provoking mindful session with Isabelle on where we saw ourselves as authors now, and in the future. This session ended with meditation, which was unexpected and the deepest I have ever been. In the most powerful, enjoyable, and happy way, it was massively emotional. The experience propelled me through the remainder of the week - and beyond - with a different outlook on life, knowing that I have support from everything and everyone in the universe, past and present.
We enjoyed a marketing session with Aryn which clarified various issues I had been having with social media platforms and marketing in general (Many pennies dropped during that session!!); a YogaNidra session with the calming soul of Annie Bonsall and to top off the week, we enjoyed a speed boat excursion on Loch Lomond (Which was more fun for some than others, but all taken in good spirit!) and three of us visited the incredible ruins of Buchanan Castle, which was a perfect finish to an emotional, spiritual and tranquil week forming memories and lifelong friendships.
I intended to power through lots of work while at Loch Lomond, getting to know other authors and gaining knowledge along the way. However, I discovered very early on that the purpose of being at Ardoch was not to work on my writing but to work on me. As a person. As an author.
In a week of peace and tranquility, I seamlessly dropped into a relaxed mindset surrounded by like-minded people confirming the most important work you can ever do is on yourself.
The Author Retreat was a turning point in my author journey, concreting my future view and focus. I am so grateful to Isabelle for inviting me and can't recommend the experience enough to any authors who may want to take themselves and their books to the next level.
Thank you for reading this blog. I look forward to sharing with you again soon.
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