jules
VISUAL ARTISTS
Visual artists should find a creative community to better their artwork. I find community such an important aspect of my work as I have like-minded artists to bounce ideas off of and to critic my work. These things may seem small in all the aspects of your art business but they can push you forward by leaps and bounds. I have an amazing community in my local town but a couple of years ago I decided it was time to expand that community and find a non-local tribe. I wanted this for various reasons but one of the most important was to get valued opinions from different parts of the country and the world. I love to understand other artists’ creative process, where they create, their studio space, and of course, I love seeing what they create!
FINDING AN ARTISTS RETREAT
When I first searched for a creative retreat in 2020 I knew I wanted something different than a conference. I had been to several conferences, I wanted something built around community, something small, and something where we created in the same medium. I wanted to learn new ways and better ways to get to my end goal. All these things led me to Uptrek, they have a huge array of artist retreats! These retreats are not in the United States but all over the world. They are also artist retreats not artist residencies. I had a difficult time finding a retreat and not a residency. I also knew I did not want a residency program or residence program. I wanted something around a week and somewhere I had never been before. I also thought I had wanted something at one of our many national parks, but found out that going abroad would offer a completely different experience. While on my search Cat Coq sent out her newsletter and lo-and-behold, she had an artist retreat she and Logan Elliot were going to be hosting! I started checking things out and immediately knew this is what I had been looking for, so in August of 2021 I hopped on a jet plane and went to the retreat. Read more about it HERE.
10 BEST THINGS ABOUT SPAIN RETREAT
Now fast forward 1 year, okay a little less than that, and I found myself earning another retreat and also found myself in a different headspace. See I had lost my mom in 2020 and at the time of the previous retreat I was still suffering from pretty heavy depression. I did not connect as I had hoped, was too introverted, and had too much imposter syndrome. I am sure we can all relate to that. Talked to my husband, and our kiddos, and decided to do another retreat with Cat and Logan in Spain. This retreat was on a completely different level than the previous one. I don’t want to really compare the two as I got a ton out of both of them. I was just in a different place this time. Now let’s get to the good stuff, the 10 Best Things about the Andalucia, Spain Retreat, and Barcelona!
back home
Now to get my work space set to create loads of new art. I cannot wait to finish and share my original works created from the retreat, a creative project I am working on, and more. I wish I could say I could make this a regular retreat but with three kids, a husband, and a business to run that will not happen. If you get the opportunity to attend one go for it! Maybe gather some local artists and create your own retreat. I have thought about that as well. I have not found the perfect place to have it yet but I want to bring together a community of artists to spend 3-5 days learning from each other, creating art, exploring the outside world, and doing the important thing of engaging with others artists! I want to find someplace where we can explore the natural environment and see the natural beauty of nature and be inspired. My other goal would be to share our creative practice with each other and if we haven’t already, start a creative practice. The last goal would be for each of us to have uninterrupted time together to bond and create. We are all gifted artists and I think it is a wonderful thing to share that gift with each other.
final thoughts
This artist retreat was an amazing experience! I got to stay in a beautiful private room, meet wonderfully talented artists, connect on many levels with a community of artists, tour and see amazing places, be constantly inspired, and come home with a list of things to pursue and do. The hospitality at Lucia Yoga was the best I have ever experienced, I can not say enough good things about them. The conversations were real, deep, connecting, and great! I’m really glad I decided to go on the retreat, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a creative getaway. Check out Uptrek to check out their retreats, you can not go wrong. And if you want to attend a retreat with Cat and Logan, please do, I know they will be doing this retreat again in 2023. Thank you so much for organizing everything!
Happy Creating,
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