Why You Should Try an Art Retreat

If you’ve never experienced an art retreat, this can be a fantastic way to boost your creativity and reset your creative practice. I recently returned from an art retreat and many people had questions about my experience. Today I’ll share with you what I learned and why an art retreat might be the perfect experience for you.

What is an Art Retreat?

Most simply, an art retreat is a chance to get out of your regular environment and take time to create art. These can be structured, instructive classes, or just a quiet place for you to get away and work on your art.

A lot of professional artists do residencies where they can explore new ideas, work on new concepts, and look with fresh eyes at their creative process by working in a different location.  

If you are new to the creative process, something like a residency or a block of time away to create may seem like too much. It can feel daunting to know what to work on and how to make good use of the time. This is where a structured art retreat might be perfect for you.

Choosing a Place for an Art Retreat

The art retreat I attended was at the Sorrento Center in British Columbia, Canada. I had previously taken classes from the instructor, Kathie MacDuff, so I had a good feeling for the content. When choosing a location, make sure to research the facility as well as the teacher to make sure that it’s a good fit.

From previous experiences taking workshops where I haven’t enjoyed the instructor or the content, it’s important to do your research. Make sure the art retreat has a teacher with a style that you like, both in instruction and art style. Otherwise, it could end up being a very long week!

The Sorrento Center is a retreat center that has programs that go all summer. Some of them are art related, but they also offer a large range of courses for people of different interests. These types of facilities are excellent because they are meant for art retreats and the instructors are aware that they have a range of skill levels in their class.

My Experience at an Art Retreat

As the Sorrento Center is in the Shuswap region, which is an area full of lakes, forests, orchards, and wineries, it was a beautiful place for an art retreat.

Sorrento Center has programming throughout the day, but it is completely optional what you decide to participate in. The art classes were 3 hours in the morning. These were structured classes talking about art techniques and the creative process. But the studio was open to students all day, so at any time in the morning, afternoon, or evening you could come work on art. The studio had large windows looking outdoors, so it was a beautiful and calming place for creative inspiration.  

There were also so many other things to do at the center, it was hard to just focus on art! I participated in morning yoga, there was a beautiful private beach where you could go swimming and have a picnic. Outside of the center there was many other things to see and do. I visited a cidery, went golfing and even played music when I wasn’t spending time creating art.  

What I also loved about the retreat was getting to know the other people within my class. We would visit on the deck in the evenings, and I loved building connection and community with others. One of the best parts about the art retreat was that not only did I create art, but I met and made connections with other creatives.

The Challenge

One of the most challenging things about the art retreat was not being distracted by all the other fun things to do and create art! I found it difficult to find the balance between wanting to be outside and enjoying nature and spending time in the studio. I think I would probably go out for a couple weeks on my next art retreat. Just to give myself the time to find more balance between fun, sunshine, community, and creative time!

Why Should You go on an Art Retreat?

Why should you go on an art retreat? Why would you want to spend time away from home instead of just creating in your own studio?

Time Away

Time away from our familiar environment can give us a different perspective. I found by seeing different landscapes, plants, and nature, it changed what I created. I had different source material to work from.

The time away can also help us create art. We often have good intentions, but there are so many things competing for our time during the year. By being in a class and away from daily demands it can help us start a creative habit that hopefully we can continue once we return home.

Learn a New Skill

It’s always good to improve our skills and learn new skills. The class I participated in was for gel printing, which I already know a lot about. But I picked up new techniques and new approaches to add to my creative practice. Just seeing a different perspective can help us gain and improve our skills.

If you are new to creativity, classes can be helpful as the curriculum can act as a guide. Instead of staring at the blank page in your journal thinking “now what?”, instead you have a direction to try. From there you can create your own work and add your own style to the creative process.

Slowing Down

Slowing down to take time to do art can sometimes be a challenge. An art retreat is a good way to force us to slow down and embrace the process. Every morning I would start my day with yoga class. Spending time outside under the huge trees connecting with nature made me so aware how rushed my life had become.

I not only spent time in the art studio. I also went down to the beach, waded in the waves collection rocks, taking photos, and found inspiration in slowing down.

Making New Friends

One of the best parts of an art retreat is connecting and making new friends. Over the last few years, a lot of my creative journaling classes were online. When I went to Sorrento, I was able to meet a lot of my classmates in person for the first time!

I really enjoyed establishing stronger friendships, spending time together and not feeling as alone in the artistic process. By sharing our work, by seeing what others do in their journals, this bring so much connection and inspiration!

Alternatives to Art Retreats

Art retreats are so fun, but they can be a bit of a commitment. Staying for a week, either in a lodge or camping can require a lot of planning and expense. What if you want to have your own little art retreat for a few hours? Try finding a spot that inspires you, bring a coffee and spend a bit of time creating.

I have a lot of places that I love to create in. There are parks around my city, some favorite places in downtown Calgary and even my garden where I love to draw and sketch. Your art retreat could be a lunch hour, it could be an afternoon on a weekend where you can sit and create. It’s about giving yourself permission to pause, to reflect and to work on your creativity.

Final Thoughts

The hardest part of an art retreat or a mini retreat at home is giving yourself the permission to create. To take the time to slow down, to rest, to forget about obligations and observe the world around you. If you do, you’ll find out things about yourself and improve in your art skills in so many ways!

Do you have a favorite place that you like to create? Have you ever tried and art retreat before? I’d love for you to share in the comments about your experiences!