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UPCOMING WORKSHOPS & RETREATS

YOUR STORY MATTERS: UNMUTE YOURSELF

Writing, Meditation, Guidance, Community, and Teachings with Ann Randolph

BEGINS JANUARY 13TH

WRITE YOUR LIFE RETREAT - SANTA FE, NM

With Award-Winning Writer/Performer Ann Randolph

May 4th - 11th, 2024

MY STORY

20 years ago I was working the graveyard shift at a homeless shelter for mentally ill women in Santa Monica. My paycheck every two weeks was $740. I took the job so I would have my days free to create and weekends off to perform. I thought I would be there only 6 months.

I worked there for 10 years. During that time, I wrote 5 solo shows, all of them produced with my credit card. Thank you VISA! I won fancy awards and critic’s praise, but I sunk deeper in debt from self-producing.

I couldn’t get the attention of producers and agents no matter how hard I tried. The worst part, I lied. I lied when I met people in the entertainment industry. I didn’t tell them where I worked because I wanted to be seen as “somebody”.

Finally, in my 10th year on the graveyard shift, with nothing to lose. I picked up a pen and wrote about the lies, my life at the shelter, and my fear that I could end up homeless too. When I finished writing the show, I felt a tremendous peace because I had finally revealed the part of myself I was desperately trying to hide, my own brokenness.

One night while performing this new show, I see Mel Brooks in the audience. I can barely contain myself. I am a huge fan! Immediately after the show, he comes backstage says, “Ann you’re a genius. I am going to produce you in NYC!” To the outside world, my life changed in that instant, but to me, it changed the minute I was able to share all of me on stage and not just the pretty parts.

The liberation of no longer hiding and telling the truth is the greatest gift I gave myself and what I continue to practice every day. It’s not easy and sometimes I still want to hide, but I know it’s the only way.

After the run in NYC, I knew I wanted to spread this truth-telling message. I started teaching a course I created called, Write Your Life. I had never created a course before, but I knew I believed in what I had learned.

My intention was for us to write our deepest shames, fears, losses, joys, and dreams on to the page and share them with one another in a circle of kindness.

It’s been 18 years since I taught my first course and I am honored to have guided thousands of people from every walk of life to write their stories. What I know for sure, YOUR STORY MATTERS.  

I continue to perform my solo shows all over the U.S and now include a writing workshop with each show. I love watching an audience become a beautiful community, holding space for one another to share their story.  It’s not just my story, it’s your story, it’s our story. 

For my fancy bio, click here.