Art Retreats and Why You Should Go
As the end of the school year of my last year teaching was wrapping up I spotted a post on my favorite designer's Instagram, a color and pattern retreat in France. Pattern plus Elizabeth Olwen plus France equals my dream trip. I first learned how to create digital repeating patterns from Elizabeth in her Skillshare class and have been following her ever since I fell in love with her fabric designs. France is kind of my happy place, I studied in the south of France in college and have been thinking about returning ever since. As I pulled up the post on Instagram I turned to my husband and say, “Check this out, my favorite artist in France, how fun would that be?” He then surprised me with his response “So you’re going to go right?”. This was a little unfathomable as I was just about to quit my job and it seemed like a poor choice to book a trip to France when my future was so unpredictable. Luckily, I ignored my rationality and booked the trip with my husband's support.
A year later, I was on a plane heading to France for a fantastic adventure that I wouldn’t trade for the world. If you are considering attending a creative retreat, I say do it! Here are some reasons why . . .
2. Hone your Skills
Having the opportunity to learn from one of my favorite artists was so surreal! It was so great to see her process and get a chance to pick her brain, ask questions, and get a peek behind the curtain of her life. I loved Elizabeth’s creative exercises and learned some great things about how I want to improve my own creative process and tips about the business. When do you get the chance to create art side by side with a successful artist? Elizabeth was so sweet, insightful, and inspiring and I am so thankful for her generosity and willingness to share.
2. Dedicated Creative Time
Although I am always creating at home, there is rarely a time when my mind isn’t distracted by home chores, other things on my to-do list, etc. Having a week where my only job was to create was such a gift. On a retreat, you don’t have to worry about food, planning, caring for others, etc. It really allowed me to reflect, take time to tap into my intuition and welcome inspiration. During this time I started two full pattern collections and I know I wouldn’t have made that progress if I was at home.
3. Inspiration
There is something magical about being in a new place and allowing yourself to be inspired by that place. Of course, France is gorgeous and everywhere you turned there was beautiful scenery, pretty flowers, amazing food, and the sounds of chirping birds. I took so many photos that will surely inspire my artwork for a while. We had several excursions that sparked inspiration from the elaborately patterned cathedral in Albi to the blooming flowers at the botanical garden. The surprise visit to the ceramics festival and wine tasting transported you to another world where your imagination could run wild with possibilities.
4. Meet New People
I will admit this aspect of the retreat was not at the forefront of my mind as I am an introvert and often have trouble in big groups of people I don’t know. To my surprise, this was not much of a problem and I was quickly overwhelmed with how wonderful the people I was staying with were. Every one of them was inspiring in their own way and it brought me so much joy to share a creative space with them. As a group, we showed support and encouragement for each other’s work and created a safe place for people to be vulnerable. I didn’t realize how powerful it could be to be in a space with amazing creative women. I have been looking for creative communities this year and it was so nice to experience that in this group of people.
Overall, my experience could only be described as magical. It definitely felt otherworldly, I don’t know if it was the atmosphere that Elizabeth created, the combination of personalities, the beautiful location, or some unseen force that brought us all together. These people and this trip will always be special to me.
If you are considering attending a retreat like this, I say do it! It seems to be a trend popping up and there are many to choose from. Here is a good starting place to look: Uptrek
If you have attended a retreat I would love to hear about your experience!
Aren’t familiar with Elizabeth Olwen’s work? Check her out, it’s impossible to look at her work without smiling.
Here is my France-inspired pattern collection . . .
Thank you!
-Amberleigh