Finding Inspiration: The Power of Retreats and Workshops

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Creativity demands fuel, and finding that spark often requires stepping outside our familiar routines. In this energetic and heartfelt episode, Tracy shares her excitement about attending the upcoming Rebloom creative retreat in Milton, Kentucky—the first of several inspirational events she plans to experience this year as she transitions from her full-time job into expanded creative entrepreneurship.

The conversation explores the various ways we can seek inspiration—from local Chamber of Commerce lunch-and-learns to weekend workshops, multi-day retreats, and even international creative excursions. Tracy emphasizes that regardless of format, these experiences share a common purpose: they give us permission to try something new without fear of judgment. This willingness to step beyond our comfort zones becomes the foundation for both personal and professional growth.

With palpable enthusiasm (you can literally "hear her smiling"), Tracy discusses how creative pursuits energize rather than deplete her. She shares exciting plans for summer art camps for children in July and reflects on the broader importance of creative education. In a world where many schools minimize arts programs, fostering creativity becomes even more crucial—not just for future artists but for anyone seeking to develop innovative thinking skills applicable to any career path.

What types of creative retreats spark your inspiration? Are you more drawn to local workshops or destination events? Do you prefer learning alongside friends or meeting new connections? Share your experiences and join the conversation about how intentional inspiration-seeking can transform your creative journey!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hey y'all.
It's Tracy, Happy to be herewith you today.
This is the last episode ofApril and it is going to be May
next week.
It's gonna be May Cannotbelieve it and it is time for
the first conference that I'mgoing to be attending this year

(00:26):
Rebloom in Milton, kentucky area.
Lori Sieber and her group putthis together and I am really
excited to be going.
I am going to be rooming withsome great friends and seeing
some friends that I have metthrough Art Biz Jam and get to

(00:49):
experience some creativeinspiration, and so today's
topic is, you know, doing thatfor yourself and for your
business and how to seek outdifferent ways to get revived
and revitalized and inspired.

(01:09):
There are so many different waysto do that on a local level or
a national level and gosh likeeven international.
There are retreats that you cango on, there are workshops that
you can attend, there areseminars that you can attend.
There are seminars that you canbe part of.
I know our Canton RegionalChamber of Commerce has been

(01:31):
doing lunch and learns.
I love those.
They're all art related andthey have been such great
experiences, and I think thatthat's something that other
chambers or other organizationsmust offer in areas that you are
in, even local colleges andcompanies that bring in speakers

(01:54):
in classes just something thatyou can attend to meet other
people that have interests thatare similar to yours, and doing
things like in a classroom,event area type of space like
mine.
I love offering what someoneknows how to do to the community

(02:18):
, and it's just such a wonderfulexperience getting to see
somebody's process.
Everybody has their own way ofdoing something and I don't care
if you are classically trained,if you are self-taught, if it
is something that you havestudied for years and years and
years and you're sharing thatknowledge.

(02:39):
Sharing what you do in anycapacity is inspiring because it
opens the eyes of the peopleattending in ways that you can't
imagine, and I am learning thaton a daily basis just by
sharing things that I love, whatI do, how I do it.

(03:00):
It doesn't matter if it isconsidered right or wrong.
It's the way you're doing it,and that gives somebody
permission to try, and trying isthe very first step on any
creative path or really any path, professionally, business-wise.
Taking the fear out of steppingout of your comfort zone and

(03:20):
trying something new is huge,and so it doesn't matter what it
is.
Please give yourself permissionto try, and if you aren't
walking away from a conferenceor a discussion with that in
mind, then I don't know that itis empowering or worth the time

(03:44):
that you've taken, because thatshould be part of any discussion
that you're having.
That's supposed to bemotivating.
I hope that you come away withbeing inspired some way, shape
or form through something thatyou're attending.
I mean even with podcasts, evenwith discussing something
that's on your heart andlistening to it, even if it is

(04:05):
your true crime ones.
When you're coming away withsomething to think about or
you're inspired to, you know,look at something in a new light
or talk about it with someone.
It's a way to connect withothers.
It's why we are joining, youknow, book clubs.
It's why that moment that youhave a discussion with friends

(04:28):
or family at dinner turns intosomething that you learn
something through.
It's a way to keep your mindopen and, you know, receiving
new ways to look at things andthink about things.
It's why we have communication.
It's why we seek out findingpeople that like the same things

(04:49):
that we do.
It's a way to enjoy that andlearn from one another.
So I love sharing and learningand finding these different
retreats.
That's important to me.

(05:10):
These different retreats that'simportant to me and as I am
wrapping up my last eight weeksat my full-time job and
exploring what I can do toexpand my horizons and expand
what I know and learn fromothers and inspire others, I am
super excited about it.
I just it just lights me up andI can't wait to do more of that

(05:31):
and share more of that, bringback those things that I have
learned and share them in mycommunity in ways that it will
empower others.
It just makes me so happy.
I mean I hope that you hearthat in my voice.
I was talking to someone on thephone this week and they just
stopped and like I can hear yousmiling and I'm like I want to

(05:55):
make that a sticker.
I hope you can.
I hope that you can hear mesmile through my voice and my
excitement for all thingscreative, because I truly, truly
, am just absolutely fueled bywhat I'm doing.
It gives me the energy that Ineed to get through my day and I

(06:20):
get asked a lot do you sleep?
I do, I do sleep.
I may not require as much sleepas somebody else, I don't know.
That's just the way that I'mmade up.
I mean, my little dog is overthere doing a little sneezing,
if you can hear.
It is just part of my makeup,it's just part of who I am.

(06:42):
I just have high energy and Iam just excited about the
direction everything is going in.
And, as difficult as it hasbeen, and the obstacles that I
am facing and continue to faceand try to work through, I still

(07:02):
am inspired to continue doingthis, and so I just can't wait
to find ways to keep that goingthroughout the year by attending
different retreats, and I wouldlove to know some of your
favorite retreats.
Where do you like to explore?
What groups do you follow?

(07:24):
What kinds of learning do youlike to do?
What's of learning do you liketo do?
What's the environment?
Do you like to go on weekendretreats, one or two day
workshops?
Is it something that you planto travel and do you know?
What is it that you findappealing?
Is it an international thing?

(07:45):
Is it a national thing?
This one, I'm going to drive toit, you know.
Do you want to have a one tanktrip?
Do you want it to be a group ofpeople that you don't know?
Are you more comfortable doingsomething with people that you
already know and you can justlike bring them along.
Everybody learns in their ownway and it's okay.

(08:09):
And if you need help gettingthrough a new experience, you
know, reach out, talk through it, it'll be.
It'll be worthwhile.
The time that you invest in itwill be worthwhile, especially
if it's something you're lookingforward to or if it's something
that you've never done before.
Try.

(08:29):
I think you just need to try,and so yes, rebloom, I will put
the information about theretreat in the show notes.
I know they had some one dayevents.
So if you were in that area theIndiana, cincinnati, kentucky
area and you want to attend oneof the workshops, I think, or

(08:51):
one of the one day things, thoseare available.
So it's kind of cool thatthey've broken that out too.
So if you're more local to thatarea and can't commit for the
whole, you know, three or fourdays, you can still attend and
participate and meet people thatare creative and, you know,
find joy in the same things thatyou do.

(09:12):
But I also am looking forwardto having my own retreats and
having my own events.
I have kids art camps the entiremonth of July and I am so
excited about those and they arebooking up.
I mean, like my primary age oneis half full.
So I am so excited to interactwith the kiddos and get them

(09:35):
doing different activities everyday of the week and then
there'll be working on one mainactivity for the whole week that
at the end of the week they'llget to finalize and take
different things home and justhave them explore art and talk
about art and just experience itoutside of like a classroom, a

(09:59):
school environment, because Icannot imagine how these
teachers are getting thisbeautiful artwork done in the
limited amount of time that theyhave and the pressure that is
on them for that.
It's just mind boggling to me.
And so and some schools don'teven offer art.

(10:20):
So I just feel so bad for theeducation system.
I'm not belittling but notvaluing the art curriculum as
they should, and I just you know, I'm glad that I am here to do
you know more and help fosterthat love of art and creativity

(10:42):
and explain how it can help inany career path that you choose
Thinking creatively, exploringcreatively, not being afraid to
be creative, finding your voice,finding your style that goes
hand in hand with any kind ofcareer that you choose, and

(11:02):
knowing that it's okay to beindividualistic and not conform
to the exact thing way item paththat you are given.
It's okay.
So I just want to continue topromote that.
So all about the creativeevents, and I'm excited to hear

(11:31):
ones that you like and you love,so maybe I could put those on
my list, my wishlist to attend.
So thanks for listening in.
It's great to be here with youand I look forward to sharing
all about that trip.
So my friend will be watchingthe store.
I thank her for that because Ihave an event that week and so
she's going to be there to helpthem set up.

(11:52):
So I'm really thankful thatshe's going to watch the store
for me.
So take care, I will talk toyou later and enjoy the rest of
your April, because the nexttime I see you it's gonna be May
.
Bye, bye.