You may not know this, but I have a Fine Arts Degree.. Yep, I am a trained Artist. How about that!
The Husband is constantly ribbing me about it as I have not been Artistic, nor Creative for a long, long, long time.
In fact, the easel and canvas he bought me about 7 years ago are still unused! How terrible is that..
But every so often I really get the urge to ‘create’; to use the right side of my brain a little more, to delight in colour and expression and fluidity.
To get messy with paint, to sew more than a button, to make a ring, put clay on a wheel and produce a cup. To just CREATE.
Exploring our Creative side is just so therapeutic. It is calming, zen like. It clears the mind and all the cobwebs in your soul.
A bit like a good Yoga and Meditation session, being Creative makes you walk taller and a little on air.
Right now is the PERFECT time to get Creative.
Do you need to be Artistic? No! All you need is a person in the know, a guiding presence, a lack of judgement (on yourself!) and an ability to Just. Let. Go.
Does it always work out? No! There may be a disaster or two, but you know what they say about disasters? You can turn them into Gold… (They do say that don’t they??) But it is basically all about throwing caution to the creative wind and just having a go. You will love it – everyone always does…
So we here at Mai Journeys have designed some amazing Creative Retreats for 2020 and 2021.
These Retreats are generally two – or three – nights in fabulous accommodation, great food, some very nice wine, a couple of excursions thrown in and a small group of amazing women.
You will gather and eat, laugh, learn and create. It really is the most amazing combination.
FLEUR WOODS CREATIVE RETREAT
During the workshop sessions, you will be encouraged and supported to get creative with stitch and enjoy finding your unique creative style. You will learn Fleur’s favourite tips and tricks for stitch florals and use of colour, texture and contemporary mark making to create your own mini ‘stitched painting’. The sessions are relaxed, fun and inspiring – giving you an opportunity to connect with your creativity, celebrate your love of flora and enjoy the magic of gathering a group of kindred spirits.
MAI JOURNEYS & FLEUR WOODS CREATIVE RETREAT
There is this perception of embroidery being associated with a bunch of old ladies, but there’s actually an incredible amount of contemporary work happening both in NZ and further afield. And believe me, Fleur’s work is snapped up by galleries and art lovers everywhere as it is drop dead gorgeous!
MAI JOURNEYS & FLEUR WOODS CREATIVE RETREAT
Appleby House & Rabbit Island Huts
We will also visit Plant & Share‘s shop, workshop and gardens based on a property in Pigeon Valley, Nelson. At Plant & Share, the gorgeous Sharyn creates herbal based natural, organic skin care products that are nurturing for your skin, beautiful to look at and divine to smell. Only the finest and freshest herbs and plant base oils and butters are used. No artificial colourings, artificial fragrances, sodium laurel, sulphate, petrochemicals, mineral oils, parabens, or silicones are used. Sharyn is going to show us how to get creative with colour and we will formulate our own lipstick. How cool! You will learn the pros/cons of key colourants (oxides, plants, micas and dyes). You will make (and take) a lipstick in our own bamboo tube, and we will also (time permitting) get to make a nail polish to match our lipstick. And we may also try and make a body scrub to take home.. The gift that keeps on giving!
Plant and Share
Easy! Just email me for full itinerary and details at [email protected], OR have a look via the Tour Link on the website.
We have space for 2 MORE PEOPLE! So come, get your Creative on!!!
MAI JOURNEYS & FLEUR WOODS CREATIVE RETREAT
So stay curious everyone, and Creative!
Jemma and the Mai Journeys team…