Wayward Retreats

@waywardretreats.bsky.social

A creative retreat for those pursuing their artistic calling as a vocation. Waywardretreats.com

Shing really said it. I love showing people around the house, pointing out art by alum retreaters, projects we helped Lauren complete, or relaying lore around certain items in the house. The lineage feels alive, and now we're a part of it. It makes the house feel like it's haunted by loving spirits.

shing yin khor@shing.bsky.social · last yr.

One of the most special things to me about Wayward is we go to an island where one of our organizers lives, in a house that their family built - we eat food from her garden, there is Wayward art on the walls. There is a lineage of connectedness with land and space. Apps open now! waywardretreats.com

We're fortunate that our host is a director of the Quadra Island Salmon Enhancement Society. She's taught me so much about the salmon, and I've even had a chance to help her improve their run in a dry season.

The back of our host Lauren as she rows a canoe. Her hoodie features art of salmon and text that says Quadra Salmon

So much of what happens at the retreat feels impossible to explain. We craft opportunities for surprise, delight and play that our retreaters take and run with. The results are unique each time, but there's always magic and laughter involved.

A retreater crouches in front a strange assemblage of artists with a painted sign reading "the portal potty" on topA retreater holds out their hands and an empty jar as another person wearing kitchen gloves, a fern, and sunglasses offers them something from behind a curtain.A retreater tosses something under their raised reg as other retreaters watch on.A painted green poster with green froggy eyes reads "FROGS: a new ritual theatrical experience by Andrew Lloyd Webfoot"

Our June session was full of frogs, huckleberries, oysters, birthdays, ravens, music, typewriter poems, shadow puppets, and the magic of so many different kinds of incredible artists who each brought their own unique perspective to the island.

A group of artists sitting on stone steps, many caught mid-laugh or making faces reminiscent of a frogTwo artists walking through a forest, looking up at the treesAn artist sits down at a wooden desk to experiment with an old typewriterTwo artists sit on porch steps to work on squeezing a big pile of lemons while a third opens a bottle of ink while perusing a field guide to amphibians

It'a been a week since I've come back from this art retreat, and I can't overstate what a magical and healing experience it was. I'll be thinking about it for a very long time. Art friends, next time applications open, I heartily recommend Wayward~ 💖

Wayward Retreats@waywardretreats.bsky.social · 2y ago

Another Wayward Retreat session has come to a close! We're still feeling the warm glow of this community of incredible artists. Each one showed up ready to dig into their own creative depths as well as get silly with us, and our gratitude to them is profound.

A group of artists gathered beside a lake

Another Wayward Retreat session has come to a close! We're still feeling the warm glow of this community of incredible artists. Each one showed up ready to dig into their own creative depths as well as get silly with us, and our gratitude to them is profound.

A group of artists gathered beside a lakeSame group of artists, now posed like total goobers

Painters, writers, dancers, sculptors, composers— all kinds of artists need a place where they can reconnect with their creative voice. Whether you’re feeling stuck or lost on your path or know exactly where you’re going, we have something for you. Applications open now.

Nine retreaters stand in a line on a rocky beach, looking out over the water toward wooded shores and a small island in the bay.

We call the morning hours “solo work time,” but discussion and collaboration are always welcome. Cross-pollination of thoughts from artists of different media & backgrounds has led to inspiring results, often years after the retreat. Applications for the 2024 Retreat are open!

Two retreaters lean together to discuss notebooks of illustration and writingA retreater works on a laptop on an outdoor couch shared by a black labrador dog.Retreats laugh and talk around lunch on a wooden outdoor table.A retreater works to perfect the guitar that she made out of driftwood that she found on a nearby beach. Seriously.

A lot of our produce at the retreat comes from Lauren’s garden, which is as vibrant and nourishing as we always hope our week will be. She illustrated last year’s version for us, including a little field guide of a border.

A very densely- detailed illustrated map of the garden at the Wayward Retreat house, with enlarged local plants and animals around the border.

For every Wayward session, we pick a theme. These themes weave throughout the week, inspiring how we think of everything from meditations to collaboration projects, craft projects, and even cocktails! Our theme for the 2024 session will be FORGE…

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