I’m very much looking forward to writing and working alongside Georgette Jupe, aka Girl in Florence, this summer during our July 6–10 Art of Telling Your Story retreat.
Georgette is one of Italy’s most respected voices when it comes to personal storytelling, digital presence, and community building. A true thought leader, she’ll be guiding our writers through a workshop on:
“Building Your Brand: Does It Really Matter?”
We’ll explore the role of personal branding and social media. How to find your voice, connect with your audience, and understand the power of visibility. Whether you’re unsure where to begin or feel resistant to the idea of ‘self-promotion’, Georgette’s session will offer clarity, practical tools, and new ways of thinking.
She recently wrote a beautiful piece about our time writing together. I’m honoured to have shared that creative space with her. And thrilled to do it again this July.
Read Georgette’s Substack story below.
Lisa
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Some people are born storytellers — and Lisa Clifford is one of them. I met Lisa years ago when I was just starting to find my voice in Italy, and she’s been one of the rare people who always made me believe that telling your story — messy, beautiful, real — is not just important, it’s necessary. (I even wrote about how much she means to me here).
I know I’m not the only one who has struggled with self doubt which is why I’ve always found it incredibly inspiring to see the writing process through the lens of those who have been there before and can realistically talk about what you are looking to do: write a novel, memoir, short stories, substack etc. and how to reach the goals that have been lingering there in your mind for far too long.
Lisa knows what it means to stand at the edge of your story, wondering how to leap. Before founding The Art of Writing, she built a career as a sharp, fearless journalist — reporting for major networks in Australia and Italy — before bravely shifting into the messier, more personal world of memoirs, novels, and creative non-fiction.
She's been where so many writers find themselves: with a thousand ideas and no clear path forward. Lisa didn’t just carve out her own path; she built a global community where other writers could find theirs too.
With award-winning books like Death in the Mountains and Naples: A Way of Love, Lisa has proven that you can move from fact to feeling, from telling stories about the world to telling the story only you can tell.
The Art of Writing 2017 - yes, I was going through a “bangs” era.
And now, through The Art of Writing retreats, she’s created the kind of supportive, judgment-free space she once wished for herself — where beginner, emerging, and established writers alike are welcomed with open arms (and usually a good laugh). I was lucky enough to attend a few days of one her workshops back in 2017 and it was such a wonderful experience from beginning to end. People didn’t just leave with sharper writing skills — they left with new friends, extra courage, and the comforting reminder that they weren’t alone in the beautiful mess of figuring it all out.
On Thursday, July 10th, I’ll be running a workshop called "Building Your Brand: Does It Really Matter?" — a session close to my heart and one I hope you’ll enjoy too. I’ll be sharing how to find your unique voice, build your personal brand (without selling your soul), and connect meaningfully with your audience and why it matters.
It’s important to note that you don’t need to have a finished manuscript or even a fully fleshed-out idea — just a desire to write.
Previous attendees have been drafting memoir notes, halfway through writing historical romances, developing movie scripts, working on thrillers, fantasy novels, YA stories, sci-fi books, short story collections, book proposals, and even adapting academic essays into fiction. Some have published non-fiction and are learning how to tell more personal stories. Some are simply ready to turn long-held dreams into real pages.
Wherever you are in your writing journey, you belong here so nab one of the few spots left and see you this July!
