Last weekend, I spent my time at a creative retreat where about two dozen participants painted, knit, coloured, scrapbooked, and wrote (that was me, writing this week’s blog posts). Oh, and there was a lot of eating (thank you to the Kempenfelt Conference Center in Innisfil!) This retreat was hosted by a friend of mine’s company: Creative Crafting Retreats (www.creativecraftingretreats.com).
If you think that was a quiet weekend, you would be mistaken. It’s been a long time since I laughed so much in one weekend. My Mom and I sat with a Mother/Daughter combo from Sudbury and I think that the jokes that came up will last a lifetime (Are cats assholes? Are kids sociopaths? How to straighten ribbon with a hair straightener.)
Through contests, prizes, and flash quizzes, we all got to know each other pretty well. I may not have gotten all of the creative tasks I wanted to do done, but I got so much more than that. I got to know smart women with big hearts, who create things for their families as well as for themselves. Either way, we engage in a joyous hobby and for that period of time, we become so focused on the creative process that all of the noise of everyday life falls away.
I got into scrapbooking several years ago as a way to spend more time with my Mom. I never knew it would spawn related hobbies such as colouring, calligraphy, and writing. There is something powerful about creativity in community. Most of the time with creative hobbies, we carry them out alone. In community, we share ideas and gain insight into the motivations behind these hobbies – in others and within ourselves.
The women at this retreat not only shared creative and crafting ideas, but personal stories. Although we often asked each other about what we do for a living, we never talked long about that. Conversations invariably quickly turned to passion projects. To families, friends, and matters of the heart. There must be something about how creating something with your hands opens up conversations on a deep, personal, and fulfilling level.
How do you make time for yourself, for reflection, and self-care? Feel free to reach out in the comments or by using the contact page of my website.
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