Join me in beautiful Tuscany

Hello friends

The Life Boat will be taking a short break for the next couple of weeks. I am going on retreat, heading to a Scottish island even smaller than the one I call home. There will be no smartphones, no internet, no emails, just plenty of silence, home-grown food, early mornings on the meditation cushion, quiet walks along the seashore, and time to reflect, rebalance and regather my energies. Short retreats like this have been part of my life for many years, usually once a year, although COVID broke the rhythm and this is my first in a while.

I’ve often been asked if I’d consider hosting a retreat myself, specifically a creative retreat for artists and writers. I’ve seriously considered it. After all, I live in a beautiful place. But, in the end, I felt it would be too much to organise on my own; finding the right space, booking the catering, administering the bookings and payments, dealing with transfers and local transportation, making sure everyone has all their practical needs met, and that’s before we even get to the creative sessions. It all felt just a bit daunting.

But a little while ago I was approached by Jane Reeves of Vita Bella Retreats and asked if I’d consider running a retreat with her in Italy. I was hesitant at first, but curious to know more. When we met and spoke on a video call I was impressed by her ethos, her integrity, her warmth and professionalism, and, of course, the glorious retreat location in rural Tuscany. We felt we had an alignment of values and that together we could create a really beautiful experience. I realised that, with Jane and her experienced team handling all the practicalities, I could focus on what I do best.

I wanted to offer something that would be of value to others, something that would light me up with genuine enthusiasm to share. I asked myself, what would I love to spend a week exploring together with a group of like-minded people? What is the leverage point where I can make the most difference to people, where I can be of most service?

And it came down to this: I strongly believe that creativity is a life-enriching practice and that this aspect of practice is more fundamental than any outcome that may result from it. Creativity is our human birthright. It is how we make meaning from the dizzying rush of life-as-it-happens. It’s where we can press gently against our growth edge, follow our curiosity and hunches, and learn about the world and ourselves as part of it. Creative practice is something I’ve always put at the centre of my own life. Having a regular creative practice has carried me through hard times and good.

But it’s not always a smooth path. Creativity’s place in our lives evolves as our responsibilities and capacities change. Our relationship with our creativity can go off kilter. Anxiety, self-judgement and frustration can build up around it. Sometimes we need the help and support of others to find our way forward. I’ve learned a thing or two along the way about how to navigate these twists and turns and I love to share what I’ve learned to help others.

This is the thought process that led me to design this small group retreat, Creativity as a Life Enriching Practice, next Spring, among the beautiful vineyards of the Fattoria del Colle in Tuscany.

This retreat is designed to offer you the space to reflect on what creativity means to you, understand the challenges to sustaining a regular creative practice, and to refresh and refocus your commitment to showing up for it. I hope you’ll join me! Find out more and book your spot below.

CREATIVE RETREAT IN TUSCANY

For any questions about the retreat location, travel logistics and practical arrangements please email Jane’s wonderful colleague Sarah at info@vitabellaretreats.com

In the meantime, you are welcome to join our creative co-working session every Wednesday from 3 pm to 4.30 pm UK time. It’s very simple. We say hello, share what we’ll be doing for our hour together, then leave our cameras on and work together in quiet companionship, before signing off with a quick check-in chat. That’s it! If you miss a session or can’t make it live, a recording is usually made available to paid subscribers. You can find them in the paid subscriber chat HERE.

Please note that after this there will be no Life Raft for the next two weeks. We set sail together again on Wednesday September 2nd.

Bye for now!

Sam