Creative Enchantment

 

Last night, I returned from a month away at my artist residency at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Even now, the enchantment of a residency is still with me, buzzing around me. How can I describe it? It’s kind of like spending the summer at camp--where you meet wonderful new friends and you swim and learn how to make lanyards and you sit around the campfire and laugh and cry over the scary stories.

In the case of an artists residency, there are no scary stories, but rather nightly artist talks and writers readings. Oh, and composers playing music. Singing. Walks. Intense conversations. Heartfelt revelations. During the day when you’re working, things are relatively quiet, but as you walk down the path to the studios, you can feel the buzz of the artist worker bees. It’s energizing and inspiring. Pictured above, are the chairs under the tree where we generally take our boxed lunches. And talk.

But, sometimes you don’t take your lunch with the group. You are too immersed in your project and you lunch alone in your studio because you want to stay in that creative dream space, deeply immersed in a state of enchantment.

Once you’ve experienced living in a place made up entirely of creatives, it’s hard to imagine a world without this sense of camaraderie along with the freedom to be completely yourself.

Creative Friends--find a place where you surround yourself with people who care deeply about the holy act of bringing beauty into this world. You can find your creative space in your own backyard. At a local cafe or library or knitting club. You can find your creative space in your own heart, among your people. Truly, you don’t have to go to an artist residency—however, if you can, I highly recommend it.

With love and gratitude,

Jamie