Andrea Mckeen

I got back from Squam on Sunday and have been in an inspired, smiley haze since. Fall 2011 was year 3 for me and it was every bit as sweet and wonderful as the first year I set my boots down on those dirt covered paths. People are starting to ask which year was the best and which did I like the most. An impossible question but I am starting to reflect on the answer myself.

I realized that the experience of Squam Art Workshops hasn't changed. There are still kind, supportive, non-judgemental creatives roaming all around, ready to help you through a block or two. There are still extraordinary (kick-ass might say it better) teachers filled with knowledge of every kind about sinking into a creative life. Still, there are fellow artists and dreamers who are content to sit up in the cabins late at night, stoking the fire, filling the glasses, and laughing until it hurts your stomach in a way you haven't felt since you were a kid.

So what is the difference from year to year? The difference is in the person attending. I was coming to SAW as such a different creative person 3 years ago. Anxious, a bit lost and feeling like the creative muse may have left for good, I was terrified that first year. The second year, I knew I would be arriving to support and calm and the beauty of Rockywold-Deephaven and felt a real excitement to get back.

This year it felt like Christmas. A familiar and happily anticipated celebration that I look forward to all year long. A celebration of creative people, time in nature and of the support and recognition that seems so scarce during our busy lives at home. The world moves so fast and this haven is a gift meant to let us sink in and savor . Feeling grateful. Thanks Elizabeth :):)