Alyson Stanfield, author of I’d Rather Be In The Studio and Art Biz Blog, is also a proponent of creative retreats. Hop over to her blog where she share her thoughts on the subject.
Don’t be surprised if Alyson’s article has you thinking about a creative retreat of your own.
Although there are all sorts of reasons for taking time away, creative renewal is one of the most popular.Whether you can swing a few months or a few days, running away with your Muse from time to time can be a great investment.
Here are a few suggestions that get high marks from Muses.
Cottages at Hedgebrook is a retreat center for women writers on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound. Hedgebrook offers a peaceful setting for writers, published or not.
Resident writers stay for one week to three months in individual fairy tale cottages, are given room and board with the only requirement being that they spend the time being the best writers they can be.
Artists Residency Program of the Woodstock Guild offers summer residencies to craftspeople, writers, musicians, dancers and film, video and visual artists. Applications are closed for 2010, but if you wish to investigate, you might get a jump on 2011.
Your Own Billionaire’s Retreat. For years, Bill Gates has taken himself away for a week-long reading retreat. You don’t have to be a billionaire to do the same.
You know that stack of books you never quite get around to exploring? All you need is a quiet place and the intention of finishing the best books in your pile.
A reading respite is also a great idea that you can adopt before you have the time and money for a longer sabbatical.
Bellagio Center is a retreat nestled in the Italian Alps where the Rockefeller Foundation welcomes scientists, policy makers and scholars from around the world who are working on significant projects to solve global problems.
The center, a 17th century building surrounded by 50 acres of parks and gardens, offers free room and board to those who are chosen.
Change the Scenery. Take yourself away to a cabin in the mountains or a lake cottage or ocean bungalow. The key here is to give yourself as big a change of scenery as possible.
If you live in Denver, for instance, consider time away on the prairies of Kansas rather than a familiar Rocky Mountain retreat.
Or rent a motorhome and park it in a lovely setting. This is also ideal if you’re doing research on a subject like the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright which is scattered throughout the country.
Don’t wait until you can spare a big chunk of time. Making creative excursions a regular activity will enrich your life and fan your creative spirit. Even a day or two can be as refreshing as a spa visit.
Have you taken your Muse on a getaway? If so, I’d love to know where you went and what rewards came of it.
Wow, Barbara. You found an old post of mine–but a good one! Glad you reminded me of it as I’ve cleaned it up (the image wasn’t downloading properly). Also, it reminded me that it would be good for me to plan another one of those retreats. Maybe to the same place. In the meantime, local coffee shops are a great getaway for me. Thank you!
I’m not even sure how I found it, Alyson, but thought it was a perfect fit. I think someone on Twitter had a link to it.