The (Digital) Midsummer Creative Retreat Starts Thursday!

A seasonal series of creative prompts and reflection.

Sit here, drink some coffee, write in your notebook…

Hello friends,

A quick note to remind you that the Isles of Curiosity and Wonder Midsummer Creative Retreat starts this Thursday June 20th, on the summer solstice.

This will be a five-day series of daily newsletters with prompts and reflections (and fun imaginary island things!). Consider it a little bit of a seasonal kick off, a way to refocus your attention, and to settle into some creative summer energy.

What do you need to take part?

Mostly just yourself. These creative offerings aren’t prescriptive in nature, they are more of a jumping off point. I offer some prompts and reflections, and you can use them however you see fit. For these five days, you may want to spend every day writing, or maybe you want to draw. Or maybe you just want to sit and stare at the clouds for a few minutes while you let your imagination wander. That’s all up to you.

This retreat is experimental in nature. It’s on an imaginary island after all. You are welcome to participate in it however you see fit, but if you really want to dive in, here are a few things to keep in mind.

—> Take the time

Carve it out, sculpt it, mold it, make it fit somewhere into your day. I don’t know what kind of time you have over the course of these five days: 5 minutes, 15 minutes, half an hour, an hour? You decide what works for you, but honor your own creative process by honoring your time.

An island as an in-between place, one that runs by its own rules and its own time. Think of this retreat in the same way: you get to make those rules. Can’t start on Thursday? That’s fine too. You can save these prompts and do them in a 5-day period that suits you.

—> Gather your supplies

A pen or pencil and something to write on is a good start. Scraps of paper work great. Maybe you want some other creative supplies, like watercolors, colored pencils, a bunch of old magazines, or whatever other creative supply you can find that says to you “this would be fun to use!”

Above all: bring your imagination.

—> Make some space

What’s beautiful about in-person retreats is that you usually get to step into an entirely different reality for a few days. In those moments, it’s easy to feel like a space is creative, because it’s not your own! The trick about self-imposed retreats is figuring out where you’re going to give yourself a little corner to retreat to in the midst of your everyday life. Find somewhere that your supplies can stay out for five days. Somewhere you can sit and write comfortably, somewhere that feels like it can be yours for a few days. Could be the kitchen table, the couch, your porch… it can be anywhere, all you have to do is claim it as your creative corner. Don’t have a corner? Make your notebook your corner. After all, we carry our studios with us.

—> Find some accountability

What’s fun about these digital retreats is that we know other people are participating alongside us. But digital connections can only do so much, and this one will be even better if you can do it with a friend. Why not see if someone wants to do this with you? After all, “would you like to come to an imaginary island with me for a few days?” is a very tempting invitation, and you can share your process with each other along the way.

If you’re already a free or paid subscriber to Creative Fuel then you’re good to go. Paid subscribers will get the perk of having an audio version as well.

If a friend passed this along to you and you want to sign up, you can do so here.

Any questions? Just drop them in the comments below.

I look forward to seeing you back here on Thursday!

-Anna

ps: if you’re interested, Isles of Curiosity and Wonder art is available here.

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