Souvenirs from an art retreat

I just returned from a 1500-mile trek to the desert to learn from a woman I met on the internet. What could go wrong?

Nothing! It was a rewarding opportunity to learn some important truths about my Artist Soul. Today, I’m sharing with you a few souvenirs from my trip to Taos, New Mexico with Connie Solera and 20 other artists.

#1: I am not alone.

Creating art is a solitary endeavor. Not counting the inner critics and old art teachers who live rent-free in my head, there is usually no one else with me when I’m painting. Even outside my creative space, there are precious few people in my real life who want to hear about the ins and outs of my creative process. Most people know what they like and know what they don’t like, and that’s the end of their curiosity about art. To be fair, non-artists are deeply involved in a variety of other activities that I’m not terribly interested in.

Painting in Taos was very nourishing to my Artist Soul. Creating in a community of artists who showed up in Taos because they also believe that creating art is worth the time and effort validated my own choice to make the trip. They made it easier to say “Yeah, this is worthwhile!” in a culture that undervalues the impact of the arts.

#2: My Artist Soul was hungry.

As the retreat opened, we were asked what called us to Taos and about our relationship with our Artist’s Soul. It wasn’t Taos herself who called me, although she is incredibly lovely. It was the opportunity to set aside time to feed my Artist Soul. She was hungry for more than the delicious Mexican food we were served there. For a long while, she’s been waiting for me to spend more time with her, to make her a priority and shut out those distractions that life insists are urgent.

Many of us feel the tyranny of the urgent over the tending of the important. I saw it in my mom who always intended to get around to painting more, but life’s noise can be so much louder than the soul’s quiet invitation.

She did run out of time. I don’t want to. I’ve committed to setting aside the time for my creative practice. When you set aside a time and place to create, you send the message to yourself that this is sacred time, this is holy space. And you show up for yourself because you are worth it!

No one else is going to give you permission to do that. No one else is going to ask you if you’ve fed your Artist’s Soul recently. You need to be that person for yourself. There is a reason your creative practice keeps knocking on the door. It’s time to open that door and welcome her in.

#3: Focus on the one thing.

What is your “one thing?” What lights you up? What brings you joy? Do more of that.

Anytime someone asks me that question, my answer is that I want to paint more. Creating fills me up like a delicious dinner. When I don’t make it into my creative space, I get a little crabby. I start to resent other people who are living their lives with gusto. That resentment serves as a warning sign that I’m not tending to my own needs.

You don’t have to travel across the country to focus on the one thing that will fill your Artist's Soul. But it did help! No disruptions. No distractions. No errands to run. No meals to cook. No laundry to wash. This vacation from my real life allowed me to spend hours and hours honoring what lights me up.

Now that I’m back to the laundry piles and the meal prep, I need to be very intentional about scheduling my creative practice on my calendar. I need to block out time so that I can keep focusing on my one thing. This will be a challenge. There will be resistance, but as Steven Pressfield offers, resistance is a compass pointing you in the direction that you must go. I must go to my creative space; my paints are calling me.

Now that I’m home, it’s not realistic to plan to spend 8 to 10 hours a day painting, but a few solid chunks of time per week may work. To keep myself accountable, I promise to report back to you how this calendar blocking is going in my next post.

Need someone to hold you accountable? Just let me know what you are promising yourself and I’ll follow up with a little message to see how you’re doing!

#4: Keep saying “yes”

Are you comfortable saying “yes” to the unknown? Traveling by myself to a place I’ve never been before to spend a week with lots of people I didn’t know at all, several I knew from the internet, and one I knew in person made me a little wobbly. But being open to new possibilities has a way of making you feel more alive. Doing the same ol’ same ol’ and living life on auto-pilot will bring you the same results you’ve always received. Saying yes to new possibilities is expansive and life-giving. Your Artist Soul loves the excitement of taking risks and exploring the mysterious. Being open to the unexpected allows you to drop out of your head space and let your intuition take the lead. And though you might not know the outcome or the destination, your intuition is a trustworthy guide who knows just what your Artist Soul is craving.

What could that look like? Use a new medium or try that color you usually avoid. In Taos, I used a lot of red oxide, probably as a reflection of the desert around me. Try a different kind of cuisine or listen to music that is new to you. Connie offered the chance to try out tantric chanting of mantras dedicated to the divine goddess. It was an exhilarating way to call in her protection, courage and strength.

Resolute

I’m calling this one “Resolute.”

Ready to try something new? Try out our next session of Creative Resistance called “Doodling Your Way to Calmness.” On Saturday, August 14th at 11:00 eastern, we will be coming together in creative community to explore simple doodling as a meditative tool to resist sinking into a pool of news-triggered despair.

Your Artist Soul will thank you!

Keep something beautiful in your heart!

Mary