A guide to hosting your own Creative Retreat
Art takes time, & you deserve to take it
Most art is made in stolen moments.
Sunday afternoons when responsibilities have taken pause. 20 minutes here and there. That’s how so many brilliant things are created. It’s how I created for a solid decade before I finally quit my job for the last time. I remember spending lunch breaks working on illustrations and crafting together instagram posts.
Still now, with my art being my money-maker, actual creative time can very easily take a backseat to the long-list of busywork that comes along with entrepreneurship. To evolve as artists, it’s crucial that we set aside big, juicy chunks of time to sink deep into the ideas that we’ve been collecting and adding to the overcrowded “One Day” shelves of our mind.
An Argument For Regular Creative Retreats
Hosting Creative Retreats for myself is something that has been pivotal to my own artistic evolution. It’s an opportunity to not only to knuckle down and make huge strides on a specific project, but also to play - to explore ideas with no expectations of them becoming something solid or even sellable any time soon. That last part is where the real creativity happens. It’s trial-and-error. It’s relishing in the joy of experiencing art making. Getting your hands dirty. Filling entire notebooks with scribbles. It’s thinking about a billion things at once, drunk on inspiration, allowing them to muddle in your mind and birth something fresh - something entirely yours.
Keep stealing your moments to create. Absolutely. You don’t need to wait until your calendar is cleared to make your art. Those 20 minutes here and there are how you actively choose to live as an artist, regardless of circumstances (remember: the reality of art-making is mostly exceptionally mundane, anyway).
Every now and then, though, we owe ourselves a little indulgence.
Devoting a weekend or a whole month, to soak in your ideas gives you the space to feel into a new season of self-expression, or complete a project that’s been itching for your attention. With oodles of time, distractions distanced, and all the usual busyness of every day life on hold, it’s finally time for you to create.
Here a few things I’ve learnt about hosting my own Creative Retreats as a full-time artist and also back when I worked 50+ hours a week. I’ll be breaking each of these down below so that you know exactly what to do to schedule in your own retreat.
Setting Your Intention & Choosing Projects
Finding Your Rhythm (aka wasting time & getting drunk on inspiration)
Designing Your Daily Schedule For Productivity & Indulgence
Allowing Procrastination & Shifting Into Your Zone Of Genius
Travelling To Create & How To Choose Your Ideal Destination
Transforming Your Home Into A Luxury Creative Paradise
How To Actually Make It Happen