Start a Creativity Camp and Artist's Retreat

Willa Cather said “What was any art but a mould in which to imprison for a moment the shining elusive element which is life itself – life hurrying past us and running away, too strong to stop, too sweet to lose.”

This weekend felt like I had fallen into a vat of heaven. It was such fun – so wondrous. And yet, so simple. It isn’t like I did anything singularly extraordinary – but the sum of the simple enjoyment of life added up.

I want these sorts of components to show up at the Creativity Camp….

Here is some of what I did:

1. Visited with a long-time friend, deep conversation followed with references to long past deep conversations.

2. Went on several walks, not lengthy walks, but facilitated movement in more ways than one.

3. Experienced creativity through photography, writing, performing arts… together with friend and separately.

4. Ate some seriously delicious food…and dined… dined… dined… took our time with eating the delicious food.

5. Shared the discoveries we had along the way during our time together. E.G. I shared my morning pages entry that spoke of her situation.

6. Asked each other REALLY good questions.

7. Allowed space for contemplation and alone time… together.

8. Definite spiritual vibe throughout everything we did.

for some reason the line from the Desiderata just popped into my head.

“Go placidly amidst the noise and haste and remember the peace there is in silence”....

It is something like that.

I would like the Creativity Camp to include silent retreats, solitude retreats as well as group retreats. It would also be great to have parent silent retreats while the children are cared for someplace on campus and the parents are silent from a distance, yet still close….

My arms are heating up. Love is here.

has been so inspiring during the past few days. It is giving me ideas and questions as I work to refine and dig deeper within this goal. For now, I mean to make entries regularly, to stay in “contact” with it as well as create “mini-experiences” which I will eventually integrate into the Creativity Camp.

I realize that word, haven, is awfully close to the word “heaven”... and I know that artists are highly creative souls who need recharging and are not-so-great (it can’t just be me!) at being sure to get some radical self care….

Chiarascuoro Creativity Camp/Artist Retreat aims to provide the space where it will happen..and for some it will be happening for the first time.

Part of the “haven” will include the multigenerational bent, which means children will see what it means for their parents and grandparents to nurture themselves, perhaps for the first time ever. This alone is wildly affirming and life changing.

Speaking of Soul Nurturing, I am going to go to sleep. I NEED IT!!

Mission: To provide a haven, a refuge, a physical space for artists and creative souls to replenish and rejuvenate their hearts, minds, bodies and spirits so that they can pour forth their uniqueness and positively impact the planet with their art.

I want to create an artist/corporate/private retreat in the bahamas, totally green enviorment, with an organic farm, trails for horse back riding and hiking in the hills, with private beaches on a undelevoped island. Offering holistic healing, bush medicine and relaxation techniques.

This was so Julie-esque today I have to share about it.

One of the things I do as a Life and Creativity Coach is to create products. I love coming up with new “stuff” to teach, to play with, to add to my ever changing and growing list of classes and programs.

I decided, oh, about a week ago to try out, just for fun, a short workshop type program done over the telephone (which is where I teach most of my classes, in teleclasses and teleseminars.)

I wasn’t sure what to call it, so I entitled it this long hyphenated name:

Create-a-Product-Camp-Workshop-Tele-Playshop…. but by today I was calling it “Camp Product”....

We had so much fun.

I had this whole campfire theme going on… I am going to see if I can gather a snippet for you to listen in to a bit of what we did. I had way too much fun… but my favorite quote came from one of my long-time return students who said,

“You have no idea how invigorated and
freeing it feels to do this.”

Ohmigawsh. I am listening to the audio. I actually have so much fun doing what I do…. I am laughing and carrying on, it is a blast. I am so blessed.

I am still pondering the question James asked me from the other day – and yesterday morning while I was in Orange County I dreamed about the Camp – and saw a clear vision of us gathering each morning in a Gratitude Circle.

It was very powerful – so much so that when I woke up, the room I was sleeping in was filled with radiant light… and I felt incredible joy and peace.

Definitely something I wish for in the Camp and Retreat.

I was standing outside my local Carrow’s this morning after eating a Power Breakfast (a secret delight of mine is going out for breakfast alone on occasion and reading the newspaper, drinking coffee and smiling to myself…)

I was looking out over Bakersfield from the hilltop location, feeling so… well… long overdue in leaving here… yet I also know I am committed until Katherine graduates from EBHS in early June 2010.

It made me think… this is the perfect time to start looking and perhaps, collaborate on Mini-Camps, short term camps and retreats prior to “the big thing”.....

It just felt good to actually have the space in my brain to open to ideas again.

Life is so good. I am so grateful.