RETREAT: JOHANNESBURG
JANUARY 10 - 17, 2027
In the Beginning…
In the beginning, there was space.
And that made everything possible.
In the beginning, there was breath.
And with each exhale, something came alive.
In the beginning, there was intention.
A pause before the making.
In the beginning, there was remembering.
A return to what women have always known.
In the beginning, there was gathering.
Women came together, and creation began.
In the beginning, there was becoming.
And what was imagined, began to take form.
In the beginning, there was rest.
Creation did not rush – it unfolded.
the art of Creation is a seven-day writing retreat for women, inspired by the oldest creation story: six days of creating, and one sacred day of rest.
Hosted at genKati House, the art of Creation is a return to the original knowing women have always carried: that creation does not begin with productivity —it begins with stillness, intention, and presence. Here, we honor the deep truth that women create life, and that same creative intelligence lives in everything we make: the words we write, the food we prepare, the clothes we stitch, the rituals we pass down, the ideas we shape into form.
the Art of Creation is a creative writing retreat for women who want to make, not perform. This retreat centers women as creators—of art, ritual, scent, words, and meaning. Each day gently invites you into a different form of making, reminding us that creativity doesn’t live only on the page. Every act becomes a meditation. Every object becomes a story.
Women create best when they are rested and nourished. We have intentionally curated a space to write, make, and remember that creativity is not separate from how we live—it is how we live. Over seven days, participants are invited to slow down and reconnect themselves as creators, learning directly from South African women artisans through hands-on experiences such as tea blending, scent creation, beadwork and cooking. Each creative practice becomes a doorway—into memory, intuition, and story.
Woven throughout the retreat is a guided writing experience that allows women to reflect, integrate, and give language to what they are making and becoming. This is not a performance-driven writing workshop. It is a gentle, supportive container for women who want to write from the body, the senses, and lived experience. Whether it’s finishing an existing work or beginning something new, the week becomes a womb to nourish, hold and ultimately birth your story— at its own pace, in its own time.
This retreat is for:
· Women who are curious about writing as a personal, spiritual, or creative practice
· Women who are established writers looking to get back to self
· Women who know there is something inside them waiting to be created
· Women rebuilding their relationship to creativity
· Women at a threshold - ending one chapter, beginning another
· Women who know they have something to create, but need space to listen first
· Women who are done creating in isolation—and ready to create in community that honors rest, unfolding, and becoming.
seven days. a sacred rhythm of making and rest.
Each day gently opens into a different form of creation, echoing the rhythm of the world being formed—not rushed, not perfected, but intentional
Day 1 — She Imagined
Creation begins with vision, desire, possibility.
We open by slowing down and listening for what wants to be made. Through gentle writing prompts, women imagine the world they are entering—its textures, values, and emotional landscape. Tea becomes our first ritual, as participants begin crafting a personal tea blend, learning how intention and imagination set the tone for everything that follows.
Day 2 — She Gathered
Collecting ideas, materials, memories, stories.
This day is devoted to gathering—objects, ingredients, memories, and fragments of story. Women are introduced to beadmaking, selecting colors and textures that reflect their inner world. Writing focuses on collecting story elements: characters, settings, symbols, and inherited memories that will shape each woman’s creative universe.
Day 3 — She Shaped
Hands on. Making, blending, forming.
With hands fully engaged, creation moves into form. Participants bake bread together, learning about patience, touch, and transformation. Writing focuses on working with raw material on a page (ie. Scenes, characters, and ideas) and forming them into structure. Attention is placed on texture, rhythm, and pacing: how a story rises, rests, stretches, and holds.
Day 4 — She Breathed Life
Infusion of meaning, intention, spirit.
This is the day of essence. Women create their own perfumes, blending scent as memory, mood, and story. Writing invites participants to breathe life into their work—deepening voice, intention, and emotional truth. What was formed now begins to feel alive.
Day 5 — She Refined
Adjusting, fermenting, trusting time.
Creation slows again. Writing centers revision—not as correction, but as care. Participants learn to trust timing, subtlety, and the quiet intelligence of refinement.
Day 6 — She Witnessed
Seeing what has been made. Naming it good.
This is a day of reflection and recognition. Women visit and reflect the country’s history at the Apartheid Museum and the Soweto Township. Sewing becomes the central practice—assembling pieces into something whole, wearable, and complete. Participants stitch, fit, and finish, witnessing how individual elements come together. Writing focuses on naming and claiming what has emerged, allowing story and meaning to be seen clearly. What was imagined has taken form.
Day 7 — She Rested
Rest as completion. Rest as sacred.
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a week of creation…
OPEN TO A MAXIMUM OF SIX WOMEN
What’s Included?
Single Occupancy Suite with En Suite Facilities
Meals, Beverages, & Snacks (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner)
Daily Creative Workshops, Excursions, and Guided Creation Sessions
Ground Transportation & Airport Transfer
Wander Woman Gift Bag
What’s Not Included?
Roundtrip Flight (Airfare) to O.R. Tambo Airport, Johannesburg (JNB)
Travel Insurance
Alcoholic Beverages
Payment Processing Fees
Let’s Create!
$2650 (Double Occupancy)
$2800 (Single Occupancy)
Nonrefundable Deposit $400 *5% discount if paid in full
Booking Options: Select Full Payment Option to create your space and save. A Partial Payment Option is available with a $250 deposit and monthly installments.
Cancellation Policy: The retreat is 50% refundable less deposit if cancelled 90 days before first day of retreat. If cancelled within 90 days, all costs are non-refundable. There are no refunds for itinerary changes due to weather or unforeseen circumstances beyond our control.
The Wander Woman Retreat have partnered with the genKati House, the first Black and Woman Owned luxury boutique guesthouse in Johannesburg, South Africa to curate a series of retreats for 2026. Nestled in the Sandton suburb of Johannesburg, the genKati House is a boutique guesthouse and community space rooted in rest and grounded in community. Creative Kim Williams has curated a luxurious sanctuary that offers a unique blend of modern comfort and African hospitality, providing a serene retreat amidst the vibrant city life.
Kim Williams, creative facilitator
Kim is a storyteller, producer and the founder of the Wander Experience and genKati House, a women-centered, boutique guesthouse and creative space rooted in rest and grounded in community.
With over two decades of experience in the entertainment industry as a writer and producer, Kim has built a career around shaping story across film, television, publishing and digital media. In recent years, her work has expanded across the African continent, where she has taught storytelling, facilitated creative workshops, and supported creatives in reconnecting with their voice, vision, and lived experience.
At the heart of Kim’s work is a deep belief that story is not only something we tell—but something we live, carry, and create from authentic voice. Her creative work and facilitation style are shaped by her own devotion to creating without constraint and honoring the voice that emerges when women feel safe, seen, and supported.
As the founder of genKati House and the Wander Woman Retreat, Kim is in her own season of bloom—devoted to curating safe, beautiful environments where women can rest, gather, and create from fullness rather than exhaustion. the art of Creation retreat reflects the foundation of her life’s work: honoring women as creators, holding space for becoming, and remembering that creativity flourishes best when it is nurtured.