Stephanie Guimond

I don't use words like “life-altering” often, but when it comes to Squam Art Workshops, it's the first thing that comes to mind.

I hate building things up, especially expectations, but I can't deny the turning point that came about when I attended my first S.A.W. in 2008.

I knew I was ready for something. I craved creative community and had been swooning over upcoming retreats in Europe and on the West coast, but they just weren't in the cards for me at the time. Then came S.A.W. – a brand new creative retreat right here on the East coast, practically in my own back yard! There were no excuses. Even having to drive through Montreal by myself to get there, something that terrified me, wouldn't stop me from going (though goodness knows I scoured the map for plausible detours).

So one sunny Wednesday morning in September I set out in my little Honda Civic with a mug full of coffee, a grin on my face and feeling just a wee bit anxious (wee bit, HA!).

I didn't know anyone going and I didn't know what to expect. In hindsight that was probably a good thing since there's no way I could have imagined what was coming...

I spent the next four days sharing a cabin with five wonderful women including one woman who, I discovered that first day, lives about 15 minutes away and has since become one of my dearest friends. I connected with kindred spirits who get me and get what I dream of doing; many of them have become friends with whom I still connect today. I picked up a paint brush for the first time since kindergarten and haven't put it down since. I witnessed expansion and discovered creative possibility. I learned from patient teachers who shared their wisdom abundantly.

That was year One. I've been three more times since.

Each year brings its own experiences, connections and epiphanies. Each year reinforces what began that first year and speaks to my life where it lies at the moment. Each year brings happy reunions, learning and transformation – sometimes subtle, sometimes just as grandiose as the first year, but usually in a more gentle way.

And how can I forget the laughter, the food, the lake and the loons? Or the magic of Rockywold-Deephaven Camps and the woods of New Hampshire? There's so much more than what I have space to share here.

No sirree. I don't use words like “life-altering” often, but when it comes to Squam Art Workshops, it's the first thing that comes to mind.

 www.creativelivingexperiment.com