It’s been quite a ride these past 18 months. Starting last March, with Covid shutdowns, then the community uprising following the murder of George Floyd, to the displacement from my studio in the Ivy Arts building, through four months of multiple exhibitions and online artist talks, and then full-time care-giving responsibilities. By August 2021, I was TIRED.

When an invitation came from Arteles in Finland for an alumni residency, I knew I needed to go somewhere to reset. And then the pandemic spiked again, and I felt uncomfortable traveling so far. Friends generously offered me their cabins as alternatives. I discovered many hermitages for contemplation, prayer, and regeneration, yet most were closed to protect the community. I realized what I needed was a simple space, with opportunities for outdoor activities, solitude, and time devoted to creative work.

Naming things can help focus and define my mind, and at first, I was calling this a residency. That didn’t feel right, as most artist residencies are in community with other creatives. I felt I needed a period of solitude (listen to this podcast on Solitude from On Being) and that name didn’t fit any longer.

I started calling this time a retreat. Merriam Webster defines retreat as: 1. a) : an act or process of withdrawing from what is difficult, dangerous, disagreeable. and 2. : a place of privacy or safety, refuge. YES.

Another friend referred to my time away as a sabbatical, as in the academic term for a paid time of rest, travel and research. Allowing farmland to rest very seventh year, and referencing the Sabbath, or day of rest and worship, are also definitions. YES, that too.

 So I packed some clothes, art supplies, and my mountain bike and set off for the north woods on Tuesday, September 7.

 I had 3 main goals:

1. To renew my creative practice after months of post-trauma languishing.

2. To rest, and reconnect with my Self and my identity as an artist.

3. To begin developing the next body of work.

Now that I’ve returned to ‘normal life’ its time to reflect and integrate. In my next posts, I’ll go more in depth about how I accomplished these goals, and a lot more.