Finding Inspiration: The Power of Retreats and Workshops

Creativity demands fuel, and finding that spark often requires stepping outside our familiar routines. In this energetic and heartfelt episode, Tracy shares her excitement about attending the upcoming Rebloom creative retreat in Milton, Kentucky—the first of several inspirational events she plans to experience this year as she transitions from her full-time job into expanded creative entrepreneurship.

The conversation explores the various ways we can seek inspiration—from local Chamber of Commerce lunch-and-learns to weekend workshops, multi-day retreats, and even international creative excursions. Tracy emphasizes that regardless of format, these experiences share a common purpose: they give us permission to try something new without fear of judgment. This willingness to step beyond our comfort zones becomes the foundation for both personal and professional growth.

With palpable enthusiasm (you can literally "hear her smiling"), Tracy discusses how creative pursuits energize rather than deplete her. She shares exciting plans for summer art camps for children in July and reflects on the broader importance of creative education. In a world where many schools minimize arts programs, fostering creativity becomes even more crucial—not just for future artists but for anyone seeking to develop innovative thinking skills applicable to any career path.

What types of creative retreats spark your inspiration? Are you more drawn to local workshops or destination events? Do you prefer learning alongside friends or meeting new connections? Share your experiences and join the conversation about how intentional inspiration-seeking can transform your creative journey!

Rebloom information 

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction and Rebloom Conference
• 1:09 Finding Inspiration Through Various Events
• 2:15 Permission to Try Something New
• 4:30 Personal Excitement and Energy
• 7:14 Exploring Retreat Options
• 9:36 Summer Art Camps and Closing

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:06

Hey y'all. It's Tracy, Happy to be here with you today. This is the last episode of April and it is going to be May next week. It's gonna be May Cannot believe it and it is time for the first conference that I'm going to be attending this year Rebloom in Milton, kentucky area. Lori Sieber and her group put this together and I am really excited to be going. I am going to be rooming with some great friends and seeing some friends that I have met through Art Biz Jam and get to experience some creative inspiration, and so today's topic is, you know, doing that for yourself and for your business and how to seek out different ways to get revived and revitalized and inspired.

Speaker 1: 1:09

There are so many different ways to do that on a local level or a national level and gosh like even international. There are retreats that you can go on, there are workshops that you can attend, there are seminars that you can attend. There are seminars that you can be part of. I know our Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce has been doing lunch and learns. I love those. They're all art related and they have been such great experiences, and I think that that's something that other chambers or other organizations must offer in areas that you are in, even local colleges and companies that bring in speakers in classes just something that you can attend to meet other people that have interests that are similar to yours, and doing things like in a classroom, event area type of space like mine. I love offering what someone knows how to do to the community, and it's just such a wonderful experience getting to see somebody's process. Everybody has their own way of doing something and I don't care if you are classically trained, if you are self-taught, if it is something that you have studied for years and years and years and you're sharing that knowledge. Sharing what you do in any capacity is inspiring because it opens the eyes of the people attending in ways that you can't imagine, and I am learning that on a daily basis just by sharing things that I love, what I do, how I do it. It doesn't matter if it is considered right or wrong. It's the way you're doing it, and that gives somebody permission to try, and trying is the very first step on any creative path or really any path, professionally, business-wise. Taking the fear out of stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new is huge, and so it doesn't matter what it is. Please give yourself permission to try, and if you aren't walking away from a conference or a discussion with that in mind, then I don't know that it is empowering or worth the time that you've taken, because that should be part of any discussion that you're having. That's supposed to be motivating.

Speaker 1: 3:52

I hope that you come away with being inspired some way, shape or form through something that you're attending. I mean even with podcasts, even with discussing something that's on your heart and listening to it, even if it is your true crime ones. When you're coming away with something to think about or you're inspired to, you know, look at something in a new light or talk about it with someone. It's a way to connect with others. It's why we are joining, you know, book clubs. It's why that moment that you have a discussion with friends or family at dinner turns into something that you learn something through. It's a way to keep your mind open and, you know, receiving new ways to look at things and think about things. It's why we have communication. It's why we seek out finding people that like the same things that we do. It's a way to enjoy that and learn from one another. So I love sharing and learning and finding these different retreats. That's important to me.

Speaker 1: 5:10

These different retreats that's important to me and as I am wrapping up my last eight weeks at my full-time job and exploring what I can do to expand my horizons and expand what I know and learn from others and inspire others, I am super excited about it. I just it just lights me up and I can't wait to do more of that and share more of that, bring back those things that I have learned and share them in my community in ways that it will empower others. It just makes me so happy. I mean I hope that you hear that in my voice. I was talking to someone on the phone this week and they just stopped and like I can hear you smiling and I'm like I want to make that a sticker. I hope you can. I hope that you can hear me smile through my voice and my excitement for all things creative, because I truly, truly, am just absolutely fueled by what I'm doing. It gives me the energy that I need to get through my day and I get asked a lot do you sleep? I do, I do sleep. I may not require as much sleep as somebody else, I don't know. That's just the way that I'm made up. I mean, my little dog is over there doing a little sneezing, if you can hear. It is just part of my makeup, it's just part of who I am. I just have high energy and I am just excited about the direction everything is going in. And, as difficult as it has been, and the obstacles that I am facing and continue to face and try to work through, I still am inspired to continue doing this, and so I just can't wait to find ways to keep that going throughout the year by attending different retreats, and I would love to know some of your favorite retreats.

Speaker 1: 7:19

Where do you like to explore? What groups do you follow? What kinds of learning do you like to do? What's of learning do you like to do? What's the environment? Do you like to go on weekend retreats, one or two day workshops? Is it something that you plan to travel and do you know? What is it that you find appealing? Is it an international thing? Is it a national thing? This one, I'm going to drive to it, you know. Do you want to have a one tank trip? Do you want it to be a group of people that you don't know? Are you more comfortable doing something with people that you already know and you can just like bring them along. Everybody learns in their own way and it's okay.

Speaker 1: 8:09

And if you need help getting through a new experience, you know, reach out, talk through it, it'll be. It'll be worthwhile. The time that you invest in it will be worthwhile, especially if it's something you're looking forward to or if it's something that you've never done before. Try. I think you just need to try, and so yes, rebloom, I will put the information about the retreat in the show notes. I know they had some one day events. So if you were in that area the Indiana, cincinnati, kentucky area and you want to attend one of the workshops, I think, or one of the one day things, those are available. So it's kind of cool that they've broken that out too. So if you're more local to that area and can't commit for the whole, you know, three or four days, you can still attend and participate and meet people that are creative and, you know, find joy in the same things that you do. But I also am looking forward to having my own retreats and having my own events.

Speaker 1: 9:19

I have kids art camps the entire month of July and I am so excited about those and they are booking up. I mean, like my primary age one is half full. So I am so excited to interact with the kiddos and get them doing different activities every day of the week and then there'll be working on one main activity for the whole week that at the end of the week they'll get to finalize and take different things home and just have them explore art and talk about art and just experience it outside of like a classroom, a school environment, because I cannot imagine how these teachers are getting this beautiful artwork done in the limited amount of time that they have and the pressure that is on them for that. It's just mind boggling to me. And so and some schools don't even offer art. So I just feel so bad for the education system.

Speaker 1: 10:26

I'm not belittling but not valuing the art curriculum as they should, and I just you know, I'm glad that I am here to do you know more and help foster that love of art and creativity and explain how it can help in any career path that you choose Thinking creatively, exploring creatively, not being afraid to be creative, finding your voice, finding your style that goes hand in hand with any kind of career that you choose, and knowing that it's okay to be individualistic and not conform to the exact thing way item path that you are given. It's okay. So I just want to continue to promote that. So all about the creative events, and I'm excited to hear ones that you like and you love, so maybe I could put those on my list, my wishlist to attend.

Speaker 1: 11:38

So thanks for listening in. It's great to be here with you and I look forward to sharing all about that trip. So my friend will be watching the store. I thank her for that because I have an event that week and so she's going to be there to help them set up. So I'm really thankful that she's going to watch the store for me. So take care, I will talk to you later and enjoy the rest of your April, because the next time I see you it's gonna be May. Bye, bye.