Megan M.
Squam changed my life. Yep it’s cliché, trite, and you may not believe me… but if you have attended, I think you may.
I am a mother, a corporate career woman, the wife of a chef/restaurant owner, a self-perfectionist, self-doubter, and completely type A (ya think?). My days start at 5:15 heading to the office and I didn’t think outside of myself and my routine until 8:15 once the short people were asleep and even then it is laundry, cleaning, bills, planning… the list is long and unending.
Three years ago my best friend attended Squam. She returned with creations, stories, a sense of accomplishment, and beaming with stories to tell; I was more than jealous. This was when I started plotting my attendance and escape from my life. Fast forward 6 months and my 42 year old brother passed away of lung cancer and a week later I found out I was pregnant with my second child. This was when I knew I HAD to go; for me and for my brother who lived life as a “doer” not a watcher. I needed to DO and do it with a big ole pregnant belly!
I arrived and didn’t know what to expect, waddled my way into registration and was overwhelmed. I moved through dining, the beautiful woods, gatherings, classes, the warm people, and the endless flow of creativity. Seeing this community of unique women, with such warmth, compassion for others, and also pushing themselves outside of their comfort zone and trying new things was and is inspiring. I realized what I had been missing. Me. I was not here to escape my life. I was here to live my life.
I now look for daily ways to live in the creative moment and not compartmentalize who I am all the time. Being creative makes me happy, especially when my job and life are not creativity tangible on a daily basis. I realized I shouldn’t be living for escapes from myself and life (you always bring yourself along anyway). I saw myself as strong and supportive for others but that tends to stop when it comes to me. Letting out my creativity and allowing myself to LIVE creative gives me more confidence and combats the perfectionist; living more in the moment.
I now look forward to my annual creative reinforcement, sipping wine on the dock, laughing with old friends and meeting new, pushing my own limits of creativity, laughing at my mistakes, and feeling proud at all my accomplishments. Squam in my world reminds me to be a “doer”, honor my own creativity, and live in the moment. It changed my life.
Three years ago my best friend attended Squam. She returned with creations, stories, a sense of accomplishment, and beaming with stories to tell; I was more than jealous. This was when I started plotting my attendance and escape from my life. Fast forward 6 months and my 42 year old brother passed away of lung cancer and a week later I found out I was pregnant with my second child. This was when I knew I HAD to go; for me and for my brother who lived life as a “doer” not a watcher. I needed to DO and do it with a big ole pregnant belly!
I arrived and didn’t know what to expect, waddled my way into registration and was overwhelmed. I moved through dining, the beautiful woods, gatherings, classes, the warm people, and the endless flow of creativity. Seeing this community of unique women, with such warmth, compassion for others, and also pushing themselves outside of their comfort zone and trying new things was and is inspiring. I realized what I had been missing. Me. I was not here to escape my life. I was here to live my life.
I now look for daily ways to live in the creative moment and not compartmentalize who I am all the time. Being creative makes me happy, especially when my job and life are not creativity tangible on a daily basis. I realized I shouldn’t be living for escapes from myself and life (you always bring yourself along anyway). I saw myself as strong and supportive for others but that tends to stop when it comes to me. Letting out my creativity and allowing myself to LIVE creative gives me more confidence and combats the perfectionist; living more in the moment.
I now look forward to my annual creative reinforcement, sipping wine on the dock, laughing with old friends and meeting new, pushing my own limits of creativity, laughing at my mistakes, and feeling proud at all my accomplishments. Squam in my world reminds me to be a “doer”, honor my own creativity, and live in the moment. It changed my life.
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