“In the act of creativity, the artist let's go of the self-control which she normally clings to and is open to riding the wind." – Madeleine L’Engle

retreat description

Every day we draw upon our innate creativity as mother- artists of faith. We respond to the beauty around us, translate messes as “part of the process”, and tap into our ability to uniquely respond to our families. While this is fruitful and life-giving, without proper rest and renewal, this continual outpouring leads us to overwhelm, exhaustion or burn out. By nurturing our rest we create space for the Holy Spirit to renew us, unleash our imaginations, and launch us into new places in our creative lives.

In response, we invite you to “ride the wind” and answer the call to true rest in your creative practice & motherhood journey. This is a chance to step away from daily life and allow for moments reflection, prayer, artmaking, and connection to other mother-artists, to restore and uplift you. The purposeful action of separation and restoration makes it possible to return more fully to our vocation and family. With few interruptions, this weekend is designed to gently guide you through a pause from daily life, help identify where rest is deficit and offer opportunities to intuitively experience the seven types of rest that we all need.

Wellspring: A Mother Artist Project is hosting a pop-up retreat in Collegeville, MN on Saturday & Sunday, November 5-6, 2022. To do so we will be guided by Wellspring co-founder, Mia Eckes, Artist and Cert. Kaizen Muse Creativity Coach. Woven through Saturday and Sunday is the invitation to collaborate in making an art installation that explores kinetic art. Mia will be utilizing this activity to prompt conversation and incorporate Visio Divina reflections. We understand that often there is a challenge to get to our creative work, therefore central to this retreat experience is the invitation to freely enjoy Open Studio making at any moment.

While on retreat, we will be taking a break from preparing our own food and nourish ourselves with healthy, beautiful meals prepared by local vendors. This includes a special group dinner at a favorite local establishment on Saturday evening. Yoga will be offered by a certified instructor on Saturday and hikes within the natural beauty of the woodland Arboretum are encouraged. Artists are asked to unplug from social media, nap, enjoy refreshments, rest in their room, and browse in the library, as needed.

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