This is a post by our Senior Editor, Rachel Kempton.
If you’re anything like us, constantly juggling work, family life, and other commitments, finding time to nurture your creative spirit can be a real challenge. All too often the time we set aside for ourselves – to dream, to create, and to pursue our passion projects – is the first thing to ‘go’ when we are prioritising, and re-prioritising, our daily to-do lists. And yet this time is so incredibly precious, not just because it’s time spent doing what we love, but because it’s vital for our overall health and wellbeing.
Earlier this year Beth and I decided that there was only one thing for it – a creative retreat! So in April we flew 3,410 miles to Philadelphia to attend the Sweet Paul Makerie, an extraordinary two-day event packed with modern crafting workshops, world-renowned teachers, fabulous meals, inspiring speakers, and an awesome community. It was just the thing to reignite the creative spirit in us!
Some of the Makerie’s inspiring teachers with host Paul Lowe Einlyng of Sweet Paul Magazine (L-R: Christine Schmidt, Crystal Sloane and Lotta Jansdotter)
Day 1 at Terrain
A delicious breakfast on arrival
After a warm welcome from Sweet Paul himself, we joined the lovely Matthew Robbins, who runs his own events design and planning firm and features regularly in the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings, to learn how to create four beautiful tables for special celebrations and intimate, everyday gatherings.
My favourite was the ‘mixed metallic table’, which saw us make gold leafed bud vases from recycled bottles, and gorgeous boutonnieres as dinner napkin embellishments.
A sparkling success: our mixed metallic table
I also loved working on the ‘spring table’. The flowers has the most wonderful scent and we had so much fun covering the table with moss! We all agreed that we’d never have thought of decorating a table this way but it really is an easy and affordable way to bring the outdoors in.
Matthew enjoying some messy play!
To complete the look we all designed our own vintage inspired seed packet escort cards and burlap bag for favours using ink, leaves and rubber stamps.
Time for lunch and we couldn’t resist having a sneaky peak at the dining room…
After a spot of post-lunch retail therapy at Terrain, we headed to our next workshop with the super-talented Christine Schimdt from Yellow Owl Workshop, to learn how to design and carve our own stamps.
We got down with compositions and pattern repeats, learnt how to turn ideas into prints and left with a compulsion to block print every plain surface!
I got lost in my own little world creating stamps to enhance my stationery collection
Time for a break and pre-dinner cocktails and nibbles around the open fire was exactly what was required! As I was chatting to new-found friends from all over the world I started thinking about why surrounding ourselves with like-minded people, who share the similar interests and values, is so beneficial. There’s an energy, a buzz and a feeling of belonging that comes with being part of a community like this. Magic happens when we share in creativity because we show our genuine selves which creates a happy, warm and non-judgmental environment which nurtures our souls and inspires us to relax and have fun trying new things.
After fabulous food and a glass (or two!) of wine we all listened with intent as Genevieve Gorder, one of America’s favourite interior designers, and Sweet Paul interviewed each other about what inspired them to leave their Scandinavian roots to pursue their passions. It’s always so inspiring to hear people talk about how they have designed their lives to do what they love.
All in all it was a magical day in a magical setting, and a valuable reminder of why making time to create is good for the soul.
Day 2 at URBN Campus – Anthropologie Headquarters
Feeling inspired…
The entrance to URBN blew us away with its giant hanging plants, stunning shimmering mosaic wall, and beautiful seating area.
And then we reached the library… WOW!
I can only dream of having a space like this at home, brimming with beautiful books and inspirational magazines.
After breakfast and a coffee it was time for our first class of the day – watercolour correspondence with Anna DeMarco Mills and Meredith Langer.
Our teachers, Meredith and Anna. You can read our interview with Anna here and look out for an interview with Meredith, coming soon!
Anna showed us how to use simple watercolor techniques, including using abstract shapes and custom stencils, to create our own gorgeous stationery.
Then Meredith took over and taught us some traditional beginner nib and ink techniques, as well as tricks for free hand lettering using different pens. It was fun being a beginner!
There was real satisfaction in writing out each letter of the alphabet again and again until you got the hang of how to use a font. I found myself totally engaged and absorbed in the process; it was almost meditative.
After more delicious food we headed to Lotta Jansdotter‘s workshop to get stencilling.
You can read our interview with Lotta here
Lotta introduced us to the exciting world of colour and design. We began by looking at colours we were drawn to and created simple mood boards to inspire our future projects. The we made simple stencils and printed them on fabric swatches to see how different colours work together.
Then time to design and cut our own stencil to print matching bags! We used a fine marker pen to draw our designs onto durable plastic (which can be wiped clean with soapy water and used again), and cut them out with a carving tool and stencil them on to fabric using a stencil sponge.
Why is it important to make time to make?
There were so many things that made this creative retreat special for me, but above all giving myself permission to spend two whole days not thinking about anything except making beautiful things with my hands, was utter bliss. I came away feeling positive and re-energised, and with a renewed sense of commitment to make more time to be creative in my every day life. I learnt so many new skills and techniques, and discovered a love of flowers and nature that has already seen me lose hours in the garden creating a little outdoor oasis for my family.
This is how I felt at the end of the workshop, reflecting on this special time:
I can’t wait to see how else my new found knowledge and skills will enrich my life. Making this time to do this for myself has made my whole world much bigger and brighter.
We can’t always take two full days out from our busy schedules but we can all carve out a little more time in our daily lives if we choose to make ourselves a priority from time to time. This week we invite you to spend an hour doing something creative. Silence the voice that tells you it’s a waste of time – it’s absolutely not! Bake a cake, make a card, write a poem or a short story, switch on that sewing machine, paint, draw, pick up your knitting, or make something for someone you love. The important thing is that you find somewhere peaceful, where you can sit without being interrupted, and create, create, create!
How do you feel? Why should you make more time for creativity? And how can you make it part of your every day life? How can put a creative or beautiful twist on the normal, routine parts of your day?
