Storme Arden reflects on her Hideout residency

Nova Scotia-based writer and artist Storme Arden joined us at The Hideout this past spring to work on a memoir detailing a decade of health challenges. We caught up with Storme recently to ask about her residency experience and to see if Storme had advice for other writers, creatives, and wellness practitioners thinking about applying for a Hideout residency.

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Tell us a bit about the project you worked on during your week at The Hideout.

My project is essentially a memoir covering almost a decade of one illness morphing into another increasing in severity along the way. Celiac disease became multiple myeloma which required a stem cell or bone marrow transplant; it wipes out one’s immune system completely. This vulnerable state led to contracting a deadly virus: Guillain Barré Syndrome. The latter put me in the ICU intubated, hallucinating and completely paralyzed except for my eyes. The Covid-19 virus arrived within months of getting out of the hospital putting an end to maintenance chemotherapy. We turned our world further upside-down by upping stakes in 2020 and moving from St. Martins NB to Windsor NS not realizing we were leaving behind a community for isolation. PTSD hit at that point.

Needing to make sense of all of this and to extract something beneficial and creative from these experiences, I began writing. I applied what I knew from my experience as a visual artist and a lifelong love of reading to my new found form of expression. Along the way, I’ve learned what this sometimes life-threatening journey has really been about. I am finally nearing the end of a long process. The residency arrived at the end of a five-month intensive mentorship. I didn’t realize how much of a rest I needed until I arrived in the peace and quiet of the Hideout.

What did you enjoy most about your residency week at The Hideout?

I enjoyed the quiet most of all. We live on a busy highway in Nova Scotia surrounded by neighbours. The darkness was the second thing I greatly appreciated. I don’t get to see the stars and moon enough where we are despite not being in a city or town. I have to admit my third favourite aspect of the Hideout was the rich library of books. I read three adult books and at least three children’s books. I found a book very relevant to themes in my manuscript on the last morning there and Josh & Trevor were kind enough to let me borrow it and mail it back.

Why are residencies and retreats so vital for writers and creatives?

Creativity requires intense focus, concentration and persistence. Breaks are restorative especially in an environment outside of your regular life and home where there are always things that need one’s attention and labour. It’s helpful to have a change of scenery, stimulating to see new things and places and restful to get away from my house-to-do list. One can only draw from the well so long before it needs refilling.

Any tips for folks thinking about applying for a residency?

I had expectations about how much work I would accomplish during the residency. Josh and Trevor individually reassured me they didn’t have those expectations of me and that a rest can be as useful as pages written. Upon arriving home, new connections and ideas surfaced which were made possible by the time spent at the Hideout and the input from that experience. Stay open to the process. Listen for the nudges and hints. Enjoy what is offered and what is right in front of you.

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Storme Arden is a visual artist and writer working on a memoir entitled Stormy Weather: Getting Happy the Hard Way. She chronicles the ups and downs of living with refractory celiac disease, multiple myeloma and severe osteoporosis. Cancer treatment, including a stem cell transplant, landed her in the ICU. She woke fully paralyzed, hallucinating, intubated and on life support due to the rare virus, Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Needing a serious change of scenery, she and her partner left the cozy fishing village of St. Martins, NB in 2020 at the height of the pandemic to return to NS where they’d met as art students 30 years before. Despite suffering from PTSD, Arden found facing her mortality had resolved her lifelong struggle with depression.

Maritime writers awarded Susan Buchanan Hideout scholarships

Hideout residencies designed for writers, wellness practitioners

PEI writer Julie Bull and Nova Scotia-based writer Storme Arden have been named 2024 Susan Buchanan Hideout scholarship winners. The scholarships will provide each writer the opportunity to attend a one-week self-directed residency at The Hideout.

“We received a record number of scholarship applications for this year’s Hideout residencies,” says Hideout co-owner Joshua Lewis. “The residency program has been flourishing and we’re so excited to support Julie and Storme and their exceptional projects.”

The Hideout residencies provide a low-cost opportunity for writers, wellness practitioners, and other artists to remove themselves from responsibilities and dedicate themselves fully to their creative and personal practice. The scholarships were renamed in 2024 to mark the five-year anniversary of the residency program.

Winner of multiple Island literary awards, as well as a PEI Book Award, Susan Buchanan was a well-loved and deeply admired Island writer and disability rights activist who ran a bed and breakfast called Evening Primrose at The Hideout property in North Tryon with her life partner Jeanne Sullivan.

Lewis says it was important to acknowledge the spirit, passion, and creative legacy of Susan through the Hideout scholarship program. “Although we never had the privilege to meet her, we know Susan was a fierce fighter and such a bright creative spark. We can think of no more deserving recipients of the inaugural Susan Buchanan scholarships than Julie and Storme.”

Julie Bull (they/them) is a recovering academic turned artist. They earned their PhD in 2019 and promptly ran away from academia to pursue their creative curiosities. Julie is a poly-disciplinary artist, poet, writer, spoken-word enthusiast, painter, maker, researcher, ethicist, and educator who stirs things up with some unlikely integrations, influences, and imagination. Since 2020, they have published three books of poetry, exhibited two solo and several group art exhibitions, and have created, curated, and performed at dozens of events across Epekwitk. Julie’s journey from the head to the he(art) has been a process and practice of healing through unraveling and re-weaving. As a queer, non-binary Inuk artist from NunatuKavut, Julie’s art is filled with playful and purposeful practices that explore the complexities and contradictions of the liminal space.

Storme Arden is a visual artist and writer working on a memoir entitled Stormy Weather: Getting Happy the Hard Way. She chronicles the ups and downs of living with refractory celiac disease, multiple myeloma and severe osteoporosis. Cancer treatment, including a stem cell transplant, landed her in the ICU. She woke fully paralyzed, hallucinating, intubated and on life support due to the rare virus, Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Needing a serious change of scenery, she and her partner left the cozy fishing village of St. Martins, NB in 2020 at the height of the pandemic to return to NS where they’d met as art students 30 years before. Despite suffering from PTSD, Arden found facing her mortality had resolved her lifelong struggle with depression.

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About The Hideout Residency Program

Located on PEI’s South Shore, The Hideout is a vacation and retreat property co-founded by author Trevor Corkum and therapist Joshua Lewis. The Hideout residency program provides low-cost opportunities for writers, artists, and wellness practitioners from across Canada and the world to spend a week focused on their practice. Each year, up to two full Susan Buchanan Hideout scholarships are awarded. Hideout scholars join a line-up of invited artists, a national writer-in-residence, and writers and practitioners chosen through a general application process.

Looking back: Hideout resident Deidra Dallas on getting away from it all

To celebrate the fifth year anniversary of The Hideout residency program, we caught up with a number of previous Hideout residents to learn more about their writing projects and their advice for those considering a residency at The Hideout.

Hideout Resident DEidra Dallas Visits the Goats at Island Hill Farm in Hampshire, PEI.

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Inspired by her love of PEI and Anne of Green Gables, Deidra Dallas returned to Prince Edward Island in 2023 for a weeklong residency at The Hideout, working on her novel-in-progress, The Goat.

Tell us a bit about the project you worked on during your week at The Hideout.

I worked on my novel The Goat: A Novel in 2 Acts, a humorous novel that incorporates elements of playwriting as well as traditional narrative elements to tell the story of Beatrice Smalls, a 32-year-old woman who moves back to her small West Texas hometown after the death of her father. Beatrice takes on the role of high school theatre teacher, and throughout the school year she falls a little bit in love with her new students, a lotta bit in love with the local agricultural teacher, and learns why living with your mother after the age of 18 is a terrible idea. Also, she adopts a goat. Chaos ensues. 

What did you enjoy most about your residency week?

That it wasn't home! I got to get away from all of my responsibilities and obligations and put my writing at the forefront of my mind and to-do list. My favorite part of my residency, though, was that I was on PEI, my absolute favorite place on earth. I got to spend time on the Island visiting places that inspire me (like Green Gables and the L.M. Montgomery homestead) and places that gave me much needed experiences that will help develop my novel (like Island Hill Farm, a local goat farm). And there's something magical about being in nature without worrying about whether or not you should be mowing the grass that really helps me to refocus my creative energy. 

Why are residencies and retreats so vital for writers?

Writing is such hard work mentally and emotionally, and it's especially hard to give it the commitment it needs when you have other mental, emotional, and physical draws on your time and energy. Getting to put everything else aside and focus on your craft is vital to anyone who wants to take their writing seriously. Residencies and retreats allow you to reset yourself and recommit to the big ideas swirling around inside your brain. 

Any tips for folks thinking about applying for a residency?

I suggest looking at places that you know you'd like to visit to help make your list of potential residencies (like PEI or Wales or Providence, Rhode Island--all places I've done writing retreats!). And then look at the financials. Money can be a big deterrent, so finding a way to get the most bang for your buck and making it a bit of a working vacation--the work being your writing!--is always something that helps me make the decision. And most importantly--just do it! If you are serious about writing, make time for your writing, and residencies are some of the best ways to prioritize yourself and your art.

Deidra Dallas is a freelance editor and quilter living in Ballinger, Texas. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University in 2022 and has been published in Go World Travel where she wrote about a solo trip to Prince Edward Island in the middle of winter. In her free time, she assists with the Ballinger High School band, travels as much as she is able, and follows her niece and nephews around to all of their respective sporting and artistic events. 

Meet Vanessa Bradley, 2021 Hideout residency scholar

Vanessa Bradley is one of two full scholarship winners to our 2021 Hideout residency program. Vanessa joined us at The Hideout in June. We had the chance to speak to Vanessa more about her writing, why residencies are so important, and her time at the Hideout.

Vanessa R. Bradley (she/her) loves reading and writing, but specifically fantasy novels and poetry. She is currently working on a new novel about magic and cemeteries that takes place on Prince Edward Island, as well as a collection of poetry about the meaning of flowers. She and her wife moved from South Carolina to PEI mid-pandemic and have both thoroughly fallen in love with this incredible Island. She has been published with Tilted House, Blank Spaces Magazine, and On Loan from the Cosmos. You can find her on Instagram @v.r.bradley and on Twitter @vanessarbradley.

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Tell us more about your own interests and preoccupations as a writer. And how does writing fit into the rest of your life?

I write poetry and fiction, and the fiction that I write tends toward fantasy. As a writer, my interests are always growing and changing. I have always felt that you can see the change in my style in my poetry, and the growth in my writing and worldbuilding in my novels. Writing has always been a really central aspect of my life, and something I've fought to fit in, even when things are "too busy to write." Even when I'm in a writing slump, I still describe myself as a writer.

Why are residencies and retreats important for writers?

Residencies and retreats are essential for writers (and not everyone has the privilege to have them!). They offer an opportunity to dig deeper into writing, to take time that we do not normally get in the day-to-day grind, and to learn more about themselves and about their process. Digging out time during a busy day to write can often feel like a waste of time (when you could be doing the dishes that have been sitting for weeks!), and I found that my writing residency really reminded me of the importance of writing for myself and for my mental health.

Can you share more about the project you worked on during your time at the Hideout?

I worked on a novel that I was only about three chapters into when I arrived at the Hideout. I have had the idea for a story like this for years, but it didn't come into fruition until I moved to PEI, and then the pieces began to fall into place. It is a fantasy novel that takes place on the island, where the main character has started a new life as she has left her old, oppressive position working with the organization that oversees magical use in the United States. While she's on the island, her old life catches up with her. The story has cemeteries and bone magic and it focuses on the power of community.

What were the highlights of your time at The Hideout?

The time that I had to consider my novel and my characters was such a highlight. I had been a bit stuck with the plot, and by day three I realized I had to give it a huge overhaul. I took the time to dig into what I wanted to do, what I wanted my themes to be, and what I felt the story was missing. Now that I have those (rearranged) bones of the plot, I feel so much more confident in my writing in my day-to-day. I also had the time to edit what I already had to fit into the new route I wanted my novel to take, and I was able to continue writing with a renewed sense of excitement. Other highlights included: sitting on the porch and journaling to start my day, the gorgeous sunsets, the hospitality of Trevor and Joshua, and the fact that I could nap whenever I wanted and write late into the night.

Any tips for other writers considering their first residency experience?

Two tips: 1) Don't judge yourself and 2) trust in the process. It's so easy to feel like you are not "doing enough," but you are doing just what you need. Most mornings, I didn't write, but rather I stared out into the fields and drank several cups of tea. That thinking time is also such an important part of the process, which doesn't always involve typing away for hours on end. Let the process come to you, if that's your thing, and it will reveal itself.