Well, switching to a weekly schedule does not seem to have
improved my ability to keep track of my place in the line of potatoes! I was supposed to contribute back in the
second week of June, I believe, but missed my turn. Since then, I have been waiting for a chance
to sneak in and add my own reflections about our April retreat at the Anderson
Center
I concur wholeheartedly with all that has already been
written about the communal vibe of support and creativity that permeated our
five days together. Every conversation
seemed to inspire me, and I realized this is something I am NOT getting enough
of in my normal daily life: time with other writers and artists. I have quite a few creative friends,
naturally, but by this point in our lives we are fairly spread out around the
country, with only a couple living close enough for regular visits. Though email and smart phones make staying
“connected” easier than ever before, it cannot replicate being in the same room
with another person, feeding off each other’s energy. My critique group accomplishes this, but the
retreat showed me how much I value just “hanging out” with others who share my
passion for art. This realization has
prompted me to renew my commitment to attend local writing events (of which
there are many here on Whidbey Island ) with the hope of
cultivating new acquaintances and expanding my social network.
As for the value of the Saturday critique session with the
other nine members of this blog, what can I say? Before the retreat, for most of last winter,
I’d been mulling an idea for a picture book; I loved the idea, but figuring out
“how” to write it had me stumped. After
10 minutes of feedback/input from my fellow spuds, however, I gained so many
new ideas and options for developing the story that I am still riding the wave
of inspiration, over two months later! During
breaks from other projects I have written several drafts of the story, whereas
before the retreat I had only a few pages of notes.
Perhaps most importantly for me, the time spent in that old
farmhouse with my fellow spuds boosted my confidence and gave me the drive to
forge ahead on several projects. For
that gift, I am eternally grateful to each and every one of them.
(The picture above was taken in the sculpture park adjacent
the house where we stayed. The turtle
was one of the sculptures in the park that inspired me, too.)
