Hi there! I’m Leigh Shulman,
the founder of The Future is Red and your retreat leader!
I can actually remember the very first time I sat down to write. I was about 12, flooded with raging hormones and super pissed at my parents (basically like all twelve year olds) but instead of acting out, I pulled out a pen and paper and put my feelings on the page. I was hooked!
In college, I discovered that I loved teaching creative writing, almost as I loved the writing itself. I went on to earn a MA in Creative Writing and Education from the City College of NY. I dreamt of spending my days writing, teaching, and exploring the world.
But life doesn’t quite work like that.
I actually ended up working as a web producer for MTV. While I really liked what I did, it was an insanely stressful job and I found it nearly IMPOSSIBLE to find the time to write. Then, when my first daughter Lila was born, my writing grinded to a halt.
If you have kids, I’m sure you get it. I was tired, irritable, and super distracted, not exactly fertile ground for inspiration. Plus, I was worried that no one wanted to hear what I had to say anymore, that I didn’t have any more creativity to give. It got to the point where every area of my life took priority over my writing. As I lost sight of my goals and passion, my confidence nearly disappeared.
If you have kids, I’m sure you get it. I was tired, irritable, and super distracted, not exactly fertile ground for inspiration. Plus, I was worried that no one wanted to hear what I had to say anymore, that I didn’t have any more creativity to give. It got to the point where every area of my life took priority over my writing. As I lost sight of my goals and passion, my confidence nearly disappeared.
Want to find out if this retreat is a good fit for you?
I wrote this in my journal
when Lila was one-year-old.
If I keep going the way I’ve been going,
I will never do the things I want to do.
I will never travel. I will never write.
I will never create what I want in my life.
#truth
Fortunately, I turned that ship around. My family and I sold everything we owned and traveled the world for three years! We lived in Europe, Panama, and finally settled in Argentina. During this time I taught writing wherever we ventured, and I found ways to work writing back in my life. My confidence blossomed, my inspiration grew, and my work benefited in quality and quantity. I had never felt like more of a badass.
Fast forward 10 years. My work has been featured in The New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Guardian, The Establishment, Guernica, Mashable and many other publications. I’ve published 2 books that I’m incredibly proud of and have taught at at Barnard College, CUNY, Yeshiva University, the Brooklyn Academy of Music plus countless other programs.
I seriously, couldn’t be happier.
And now, I spend my time coaching women 1:1 and at amazing retreats because I want to help more women feel confident with their writing, finish their masterpieces and build professional careers!
This is why I’m so excited about Pen Paper Paradise. I want to prove to you, without a doubt, that you are strong, wonderful and creative. I want to show you why that you can write and absolutely must share what you have to say with the world.
Is Pen Paper Paradise the place for me to write my book?
Want To Hear From Writers Who’ve Been To Paradise?
Leigh is my greatest cheerleader. She’s helped reignite my long-fizzled passion for writing a novel; now Leigh has already helped me find my way to a great story. The questions she asks about plot, characters and even the smallest scenic details encourage me to focus on the world I’m creating, clarify my intentions, and push myself as a writer. Having her in my editorial corner boosts my confidence and keeps me moving forward
I met my first, most important writing goal soon after returning from Nicaragua: I sent a thoroughly edited and polished version of the piece I wrote in Nicaragua to my writer’s group.
There’s no way I would have accomplished this without Leigh’s support and encouragement to loosen up, to set goals, to keep goals, to finish and to let go, regardless of how much one’s house (Mine!) needs to be cleaned and how many other things there are to do and that need to get done!
See You There?