Perched / Weekend Retreat
We went on a Women’s Retreat last weekend. It’s surprising how easy it is to plan a retreat when there are only five of you. Everyone sprang into action, each taking on a meal, or preparing snacks. Fiona gathered up some thoughts and activities from The Artists Way. Tonya threw Zoolander. Everyone remembered their swimsuits. It was easy, and womanly, and well…great!
Being with these women so effortlessly reminded me of my first big event as an ordained minister at the big church – a women’s retreat for 50-80 people. We had to have a planning committee and a host of consecutively running workshop and activities –everything from yoga to hiking, manicures to role models. Even then people told me it was “too girlie” or “not intimate enough.” I worked the whole time with out a minute of retreat-like rest. This time I read in silence, slept until noon, and enjoyed making a simple yummy pasta dinner. It’s such a blessing, not to be big. I just can’t imagine life any other way.
Even though the threat of migraines kept me away from the red wine and out of the hot tub, I still had a great time collaging, knitting, and reading feminist magazines. We talked about shame and the way being forced to be silent about something give that thing power over us (abortion, abuse). We talked about husbands, and what it’s been like to marry while young and Christian. We talked about bad eighties hairdos, hilarious oversees massage mishaps, and our desire to understand our mothers. We drank lemoncello and vodka cocktails. We ate chocolate cake and dried white peaches from Trader Joes’ and noshed on Tonya’s incredible guacamole. What can I say? It was nice.
One of my favorite things was the exercise Fiona brought us from the Artists’ Way. I love answering questions like these and seeing what they reveal about my past and my present. Here they are for you to play with. Just answer them spur-of-the-moment and off the top of your head. If you feel like it, post one or two of the answers that surprised you the most. (Go ahead, post long comments, I don’t mind. Screw blog netiquette!) Have fun being your creative self!
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My favorite childhood toy was…
My favorite game to play as a child was…
The movie I most liked as a child was…
I don’t do it much but I enjoy…
If I could lighten up I would…
If it weren’t too late I would…
My favorite musical instrument is…
The amount of money I spend on entertainment each month is…
If I weren’t so stingy with my inner artist I’d buy her…
Taking time for myself is…
I’m afraid that if I start dreaming….
I secretly enjoy reading….
If I had a perfect childhood I’d have grown up to be….
If it didn’t sound so crazy I’d….
My parents think artists are…
My God thinks artists are…
My most cheer me up music is….
My favorite way to dress is…
What art forms do you practice now…
What art forms would you like to learn…
My favorite childhood toy was…??? too busy reading books (nerd-child)
My favorite game to play as a child was…pretend.
The movie I most liked as a child was…”trouble with angels” with hailey mills
I don’t do it much but I enjoy…painting pottery.
If I could lighten up I would…blow up, have temper tantrums.
If it weren’t too late I would…study to become a film maker.
My favorite musical instrument is…the cello.
The amount of money I spend on entertainment each month is…$35.
If I weren’t so stingy with my inner artist I’d buy her…new watercolor paints & an easel, fat watercolor paper and colored watercolor pencils, japanese handmade papers for collaging.
Taking time for myself is…impossible!
I’m afraid that if I start dreaming….i’ll run away and join the circus.
I secretly enjoy reading….trashy celebrity magazines.
If I had a perfect childhood I’d have grown up to be…journalist for npr.
If it didn’t sound so crazy I’d….move to new york city.
My parents think artists are…wonderful.
My God thinks artists are…prophets.
My most cheer me up music is….sloan’s “the rest of my life”
My favorite way to dress is…comfy, earthy, sexy.
What art forms do you practice now…writing, illustration, collage
What art forms would you like to learn…making pottery, filmmaking, screenplay writing
My favorite childhood toy was… a kayak I got for Christmas
My favorite game to play as a child was… Uno. anything but imaginative games. I got really frustrated with kids that had imaginary friends.
The movie I most liked as a child was… Star Wars
I don’t do it much but I enjoy… going out to live music shows
If I could lighten up I would… dance more
If it weren’t too late I would… practice guitar 8hrs a day like those rockers in my high school did, so I’d have some skills now
My favorite musical instrument is… wow, tough one. acoustic guitar/fender strat/the bodhran
The amount of money I spend on entertainment each month is… not nearly as much as i’d like
If I weren’t so stingy with my inner artist I’d buy her…a digital SLR camera
Taking time for myself is… a rare luxury in my phase of life. DRAT.
I’m afraid that if I start dreaming…. I’ll get even more flaky than I find myself now
I secretly enjoy reading….The Stranger’s personal ads
If I had a perfect childhood I’d have grown up to be….a space shuttle astronaut.
If it didn’t sound so crazy I’d….really begin to plan that around the world sailing -> around the world motorcycling -> around the world camping trip
My parents think artists are… just fine
My God thinks artists are… underutilized in the church
My most cheer me up music is…. hippy jam bands
My favorite way to dress is… t-shirt and shorts or jeans depending on weather
What art forms do you practice now… music, photography, writing
What art forms would you like to learn…music, photography, sculpture, charcoal, filmmaking
My favorite childhood toy was…. A set of plastic figures from the cartoon “Top Cat”
My favorite game to play as a child was…. Trying to play Scrabble with my Dad.
The movie I most liked as a child was…. “Sooner.” (An odd choice, I know, but then I guess I’m an odd duck.
I don’t do it much but I enjoy…. Canoeing in the Boundary Waters Wilderness
If I could lighten up I would…. Yes, I would. Period.
If it weren’t too late I would…. Convert to Roman Catholicism and become a Trappist monk.
My favorite musical instrument is…. Piano
The amount of money I spend on entertainment each month is…. Most months it’s zero. I’m too busy reading or something.
If I weren’t so stingy with my inner artist I’d buy her…. A Zen rock garden
Taking time for myself is…. What I most like to do, to be honest. (selfish jerk)
I’m afraid that if I start dreaming…. I’ll be very disappointed.
I secretly enjoy reading…. If I answered this it wouldn’t be a secret anymore.
If I had a perfect childhood I’d have grown up to be…. I have no freakin’s idea. Probably who I am. What’s a “perfect” childhood anyway?
If it didn’t sound so crazy I’d…. Convert to Roman Catholicism and become a Trappist monk.
My parents think artists are…. kinda weird.
My God thinks artists are…. beautiful.
My most cheer me up music is…. Bach, Beethhoven, or Mozart.
My favorite way to dress is…. jeans and t-shirt, 24/7, 365.
What art forms do you practice now…. Writing, that’s all.
What art forms would you like to learn…. To write better, more creatively.
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