A Beginner’s Guide: Creative Retreats

What is a creative retreat?

Retreat- a quiet or secluded place in which one can rest and relax.

A creative retreat is all about stepping away from your busy life and immersing yourself in a new place that stimulates creativity. They usually consist of a small group of likeminded individuals that convene in an off-the-beaten-path destination to mix and mingle over creative projects, free time and bonding opportunities.

Workshop retreat: This is typically a weekend long retreat that focuses on a single skill through scheduled activities.

Weeklong retreat: Weeklong retreats offer more variety of activities, give plenty of opportunity for free time and are usually more relaxed than a workshop retreat.

Pre-arranged retreat- These retreats may offer one or more scheduled activities per day that you must be signed up for in advance. You’re able to choose your activities based on what you want to learn/do while attending the retreat.

Open retreats- These retreats are a little more relaxed. They may offer one or more scheduled activities per day that you can choose to attend as you like.

Choosing Your Retreat

Life’s been hectic and stressful! Everyone depends on you! You really need a break! So, you’ve been daydreaming about getting away for a while. You need to recharge, rest and get your happy back but you just don’t know where to start. How about a creative retreat!

This simple guide will help you choose the perfect one.

The first step:

Before making any decisions make a list of exactly what you hope to experience at your retreat —what is most important to you?

Here are just a few examples:

Great food prepared by someone else

No alcohol

Good and plentiful coffee or tea

Plenty of space for free time

Comfortable accommodations

Off the grid locations

Plenty of social time to make new friends

Plenty of time alone to recover from an excess of socialization

A variety of creative activities to rekindle your creativity

1. Your Budget

By far the most important thing to consider when planning any trip is money. This will help determine your destination and the level of luxury you can afford. If traveling abroad is out of your budget check local retreats, it may be much more cost effective to stay in the area. Doing your research can lead to great finds and help save you some money.

2. The Location

Location is super important. Are you looking for something local or are you wanting to travel and get as far away as possible? Narrowing this down with what you want/like will help. Do you want to wake up to the sunrise on the beach, to the hum of the jungle or in the silence of the desert?

Pro Tip: Consider the kind of food your destination offers, if it’s a little out of your comfort zone and you’re not willing to be adventurous you might want to reconsider the location.

3. Style of Retreat

Think about what kind of retreat experience you want to have, the one you’ve been dreaming of. Then go look for it!

Retreats come in a variety of choices. They can be super luxurious or incredibly down to earth. Make sure you consider the type of accommodations they offer, whether it’s private rooms, double rooms or a dorm.

Sometimes retreats are just a weekend while others last a week or longer. It’s a good idea to decided how much time you have available and how long you’re willing to be away from your day-to-day life.

4. Type of Retreat

Since there are so many types of retreats out there, you have to know what type of retreat you want and the reason why you want to go, so give this a lot of thought before you start researching. Your reasons will affect what you want to get out of the experience.

Do you want a chilled out, relaxing, art retreat with lots of free time or a creative retreat with adventurous activities and a pre-planned schedule?

Maybe you want to let go of your daily stress and reconnect with your creativity through art therapy.

Are you looking to build friendships, or do you want lots of time alone?

Maybe you’re looking to build a skill or maybe you just want to get away and try something new for a change.

5. Best Time to Go

Obviously, the time of the year and weather can vary all over the world and can have a huge impact on the type of retreat you choose. If you’re traveling outside of your country, make sure to check out how the weather is in that region for that time of year!

Keep in mind, bad or unexpected weather can seriously affect your trip.

6. Alone or Together

Together:

Going with a friend, can sometimes get you a discount and shared accommodation is always cheaper! You can build lasting memories with your friend and grow closer through the experience. If you’re a shy person, having a friend you already know can also help you relax.

Keep in mind that with a friend you will have to rely on them to pay for their share. They will also probably want a say in the retreat planning and decision making.

Alone:

If alone doesn't bother you, you’ll have the chance to make tons of new friends, something you may shy away from if you bring your own. You’ll get to experience the trip on your own and see just how brave and adaptable you really are.

You can make all the decisions on your own and get the exact retreat you are looking for without compromising.

7. The Retreat Leaders

It’s super important to know who’s leading the retreat and to check them out before getting there. Make sure they are legit and have experience in the areas they are offering at the retreat.

You may even want to reach out with a simple hello or follow their social media. This helps ensure you vibe together. No one wants to spend a week with people you can’t stand, right?

8. The Little Details

There are dozens of little details that are incredibly important to consider when choosing your retreat and even though some many seem unimportant at the time they can absolutely make or break your experience.

It’s a good idea to consider things like diet when choosing a retreat. Are you vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free? Make sure these options are available.

Do you like sleeping in? Make sure to check the retreat schedule, you’re not going to want a retreat with activities at 6am every morning.

Do you want a structured schedule, or do you want join workshops as you please? Every retreat is different so it’s important to know what will be offered and when.

Do you want a little extra pampering or some extra special goodies during your retreat? Some hostesses take extra care to craft special goodie bags, extra gifts and tiny details to make your experience extraordinary. Take a look at all the tiny details.

Now that your in the know and are ready for your first retreat check out these awesome creative retreats by Creatively Misty.