I know I’ve emphasized many times here how important making time to get away is for your life and especially for your creativity. But sometimes time, money, family and health prevent traveling to idyllic locales such as the one here in the Catskills where I am holding my retreat. So, you have to get creative about your creativity retreat.
To do this successfully, you need to schedule the retreat as if you were actually going away on one. You have to put it on the calendar. It can’t remain a wish in your head and heart. Treat your need for a retreat as seriously as you treat attending your child’s school concert or making that appointment with your dentist, otherwise it will never happen. Something “more important” will always come up. Think of it as a creative health appointment.
Then look for ways to get out of your home, studio or office for a change of feeling and perspective.
Here are 4 quick, easy and inexpensive ways to take a creative retreat:
- Make a spa retreat in your bathroom. Sometimes the only place you can find any peace and privacy, especially for moms, is in your bathroom, so take advantage of it. Weave time in the bathroom in with your meals and your family’s schedule. A nice long soak in the tub while you read, write, draw, compose or just daydream can work wonders, just keep adding hot water. Before getting in the tub, bring in flowers, music, and a glass of something bubbly to sip while you relax and you won’t need Calgon. Don’t limit the retreat to just the bath. Spend time pampering your body while you daydream. Give your hair one of those oil treatments. Or get out the buffer and polish for a pedicure or manicure while you do brainstorming or problem-solving on your project.
- Visit your nearest park. Whether heading to an urban park or state park, pack a picnic. (More bubbly?) Find yourself a table or bench, or spread a blanket in a scenic spot. Lie back and watch the clouds drift by, fall asleep to the sound of kids playing ball while you dream about the next scene in your novel, or just soak in the moments through all of your senses. Then, give yourself to your creative work.
- Move from eatery to eatery. Make a list of your favorite neighborhood eateries. Start with one in the morning for coffee or tea. Watch the people, listen to conversations. See what pops into your mind about your current project. Then move to the next eatery for lunch. Journal. Listen. Observe. Repeat for dinner. These don’t have to be expensive eateries. Just places that take you out of your home and away from the daily demands. Write, draw, think, daydream.
- Retreat with a friend. This is a great way to do a retreat. Make your retreat plans with a friend, figure out ways to prepare meals beforehand or eat out so no one is spending time cooking and cleaning, plan out the time for creating and then show up. One time, retreat at your friend’s house, the next time at yours.
You can use the retreat time to just get quiet inside and listen for your Muse, or you can try some creative activities outside of your normal ones, like finger painting, or snapping scenic photos, or writing limericks, or you can focus on your current creative project.
The idea is to give yourself the gift of time away…time to play.
Your Muse will thank you.