Ignoring the Pouts and Stares Not Working? Retreat!

This week is a magical week for me.  And I don’t even have to wave a magical wand.

Instead, I am waving my purple pen, the color of ink I use when I am writing my book.  See, I am on a writer’s retreat in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts  this week, and while dedicated skiers are trying to get in those last few trips down the mountain, I am working on my manuscript.

You may wonder why I’ve gone away to write when I don’t have kids or an outside job to distract me?

Good question.  Here’s my answer.

First, you know that if you stay in your living space, whether it’s a 300-square foot apartment or a 3000-square foot house, there is always something staring you in the face waiting for you to give time and attention to it…like the laundry, or the dishes, or the dirty floor, etc.

And, sure, you can tell yourself you are NOT going to do them, you absolutely will NOT just take ten minutes, you’re going to write or paint or whatever.  But they stare at you.  And stare at you.  It’s so-o-o unnerving and distracting.  Don’t believe me?  Try writing a great love scene when a pile of his and hers dirty laundry is staring at you.  Shudder!

Plus, if you work from a home office or studio, your work has a tendency to sit and pout when you decide not to give time and energy to it.  (Actually, it usually tries the menacing frown first but when that doesn’t work…it resorts to pouting.) You start to feel bad. You feel…irresponsible.  So you tell yourself you are just going to take care of this email or this call or post this one promotional piece, and soon…soon your work has seduced you into spending hours if not the entire day with it.  And then your creativity pouts…with good reason.

If you have family or a spouse or significant other, even the most understanding and supportive ones begin to wonder if you are ever going to come out of your imaginary world to do something with them…like come to bed.

Going on a retreat for your creativity—or for your life or your business—is a wonderful thing also because getting out of your familiar environment provides perspective and a break in the routine.

And, being on a retreat from all the responsibilities and distractions allows you—or at least me—to get quiet inside.  To listen to and to observe my creative rhythms and to hear the voice of my Muse.

Going on a retreat creates space for my creative soul to breathe again…to come out of the closet where I shoved it when I wanted to convince myself or others that I was taking care of business.

Finally released into the light of day again, blinking but smiling, my creative soul says, “Finally!  I was starting to go numb in there.  Did you bring your purple pen?  Good, I have this idea about what you can do with Bardir when he kidnaps Samara…!”

Is it time for you to retreat?

Save