The Winter Creativity Summit with Allen Arnold is back!

This winter, take a magical journey through the wardrobe door of creativity with noted author and speaker Allen Arnold. In this interactive retreat, we’ll take a fresh look at the world of story and storytellers through the eyes of C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L’Engle, and Jesus.
 
The goal is to restore a sense of wonder, curiosity, freedom, and imagination to the stories we’re writing—and living—by exploring some of the key practices, insights, and stories of C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L’Engle, and Jesus. 
 
Allen will lead three all-new morning sessions filled with teaching, exercises, and Q&A. The afternoons will provide times for writing, rest, and smaller break-out sessions with Allen. This transformative, interactive retreat offers mythic and practical ways to get unstuck, ignite your heart and your art, and illuminate your creativity through a kindred fellowship of modern-day inklings.

The 2025 retreat takes us back to The Hideway, tucked in the beautiful forests outside Colorado Springs, CO. Experience cozy accommodations, lovely meals, and a view of Pikes Peak!

Lodging costs for in-person attendees are all-inclusive (4 night stay and 11 meals.) You can opt for a shared room or private accommodations—whatever suits your needs and budget. Details on pricing can be found on the registration form.  Please note that deposit payments for the retreat are non-refundable.

 

Our Instructor

Allen Arnold is a creativity coach, author, and speaker. As the founding publisher of one of the largest Christian Fiction imprints of the past several decades, he led the launch of more than 500 novels. Throughout his career, he has worked with numerous New York Times best-selling authors (both fiction and non-fiction) and offered his proven, counterintuitive insights to creatives of every stripe at events around the globe. He is the acclaimed author of three books on creativity and God: The Story of With, Chaos Can’t, and Waves of Creativity.

How does a gift registration purchase work?

When you click the above button, you will be redirected to a form to fill out with contact information that you, the gift giver, will provide. The form will provide you with a link to make the payment for the retreat.

Great news! If you purchase a gift retreat registration, you save $50 off the double occupancy price. All giftable rooms are double occupancy. If your recipient doesn’t have a roommate in mind who is also attending, we can assign one. (All attendees get their own beds)

The registration covers the cost of Allen’s fabulous teaching, all meals at the Hideaway, and room fees.

Once you have paid the registration fee, we will contact the gift giver with a coupon code, instructions on how to use it, and a printable certificate for you to present to the lucky recipient of this amazing gift of learning and relaxation.

Retreat Schedule

Monday:
4 pm: Check in at The Hideaway
6 pm: Dinner
7:30 PM: Introductory session Finding Your Story. Discover how the stories you’re  living and writing intertwine.
 
Tues/Weds/Thurs
8:00 am: Breakfast
9:00 am- noon: 

* Tuesday – The Creativity of Jesus: The Catalyst of All Creation

* Wednesday – The Creativity of C. S. Lewis: Not Safe, But Good

* Thursday – The Creativity of Madeleine L’Engle: Cosmos from Chaos

12:00 pm: Lunch
 
Afternoon free time to write/relax
 
 
4:00 – 6:00 pm:
Discussion together with daily themes:
Survival Practices for Creative Bohemians
* Survival Practice #1: Playing The Long Game 
* Survival Practice #2: Staying Wildly Curious 
* Survival Practice #3: Releasing All Expectations

6:15 pm: Dinner

Evenings, 7:30-9:00 pm:

Author Huddles-you’ll be divided into groups for discussion, reading pages (if you have some you want to read), and brainstorming. Allen will join one group each evening to participate in your discussion

Friday

9:00 am -Noon: Post-retreat intensive (add on ticket)

Checkout

Departure

Retreating at Home

For those of you selecting the online retreat option, we will gather for group discussion once per day on:

Wednesday, March 26, Thursday, March 27, and Friday, March 28

You will have access to teaching videos during the week of the live retreat, typically next morning after the talk was recorded. 

If you have time to watch the recordings before the discussion times begin, great! If you don’t, you’re still welcome to come to the Zoom calls we schedule. Links for those Zoom events will be sent to you via email in March.

New for 2025 - Post-Retreat Intensive

The Realm Maker Post-Retreat Intensive: Allen’s 11 Steps To Manuscript Mastery
 
In this bonus session, Allen reveals how to maximize your manuscript through an 11-step process he’s crafted to uncover your concept’s hidden potential, illuminate blind spots that sabotage a story, and pursue your creativity more actively with God. Allen combines his proven insights gleaned from publishing more than 500 novels as well as 30+ years helping writers for this 3-hour intensive designed to empower you with new ways to see your story (the one you’re writing and living), hands-on exercises, and a robust Q&A that will leave you refreshed, expectant, and ready for the next chapter!
 
Session will run from 9 am to Noon on Friday, March 21