The focus of this experiential retreat, to be held at The Summit at Haw River State Park (just north of Greensboro, NC) the last weekend in October, is to stimulate and stretch our already vibrant, but all too often dormant, underused, and underfed creative selves. I am hard-pressed to think of anything more flat-out enjoyable than spending a couple days in a beautiful setting, exploring many of the “ways in” to creative flow, with a small group of people who are willing to play and are keen to connect with their own creative genius.
Plain motel-style rooms will be available for check-in as early as 3:00 Friday 10/28, and we will meet as a group at 5:00 for brief introductions before a 6:00 supper. We will then repair to our workshop space for a couple of hours to get serious about playing right away! (All meals are served in the Park''s dining hall, a short distance from our rooms.)Saturday will be a full day and evening, with time for quiet contemplation and reflection, solitude as well as socializing (and free "studio" time after supper, or perhaps a bonfire!). Maybe you’ll take walks or meditate, play catch with a baseball or Frisbee, write in a journal, or simply rest -- whatever fosters your “keeping the channels open.” The planned activities will be experiential (more doing than discussing) and multi-modal – we will move, make sound with our voices (and other things), dabble in paint, pastels, colored pencils and paper; glue and scissors may be employed! (Music almost certainly.) We will play as a group and as individuals in a shared space, and perhaps in pairs or groups of three.
Sunday after breakfast, we''ll take some time to process and integrate our experiences, and set some intentions about how we will support ourselves to keep generating creative flow upon our return to the “real world.” People can take off just before or after lunch, or use the afternoon till 5:00 for more independent creative play, walking, journaling, spending a little time with each other.
I will be supplying a variety of media and materials, but you are encouraged to bring anything you''d like to play with: a particular journal or type of paper, collage elements, pens or pencils, paper, die cuts, stickers, ribbon, fabric, markers, needle and thread. NO ART EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY AND NO ACTIVITY COMPULSORY! The only requirements are a willingness to fool around in good company and try things out that appeal to you.
For more information about me, my background, experience, and training, or if you have questions about the retreat, please don''t hesitate to email me: charissecoleman1@gmail.com.