Hello, lovelies! I kicked off February in the best way possible—by escaping on a retreat with my university friends for a much-needed dose of quality time and creative magic! We dubbed it the “Creatively Wild Weekend” and it was an absolute blast! Between all the fun, laughter, and slightly ridiculous amounts of food, we actually got SO MUCH done! Holidays were planned, paintings were made, pictures were sorted, picture books were plotted, and of course—books were read!
For me, the weekend was an incredible balance of productivity and relaxation. I managed to revise the first chapter of my historical fantasy heist novel (and even scribbled down some ideas for a potential prologue—gah, so excited), wrote *two* blog posts, and planned out my writing schedule for February and March. Oh, and I read the second book in Terry Pratchett’s DISCWORLD series, which was just as delightfully quirky and hilarious as I had hoped.
Even though most of my friends aren’t writers, the retreat was still an incredibly inspiring and motivating experience. Just being in a space where everyone was working on their creative passions—whether it was illustrating, songwriting, or designing—made my own creative gears turn faster. Here’s why weekends like this are pure gold for the creative soul:
✨ Friends make everything better! Obviously 😉 Spending time with people who uplift, support, and challenge you in the best ways is simply awesome (or, as one of my friends would put it: AWESOMESAUCE).
✨ Fresh perspectives = fresh inspiration! My friends have such different ways of thinking about creativity. Whether it’s an illustrator’s approach to storytelling or a songwriter’s method of capturing emotion, their insights sparked new thoughts and ideas for my own writing.
✨ Sharing the ups and downs: there’s something comforting about swapping stories of creative struggles and victories.
✨ Stepping outside the writing bubble: being around non-writers gave me the mental space to recharge without the pressure of constant writing talk. Sometimes, stepping away helps bring fresh clarity! Also: the hiking, the biking, and the bestest THAI FOOD (OMG!!) really helped.
✨ Their passion fueled mine! Seeing my friends so dedicated to their projects was EXACTLY the push I needed. It helped me jump the hurdle I’d been facing with my first chapter and finally tackle some long-overdue tasks.
✨ Food, laughter, and good vibes: seriously, we consumed an INDECENT amount of food (did I mention we had THAI FOOD, heck yes!). But more importantly, we fed our souls with stories, laughter, and genuine connection. And isn’t that what creativity is all about?
All in all, this weekend was the perfect reminder of how much creative energy comes from simply surrounding yourself with inspiring people. I feel refreshed, motivated, and READY to tackle all the writing and storytelling adventures ahead!
Have you ever had a retreat or weekend like this? I highly recommend💛