Mixing Business and Pleasure

My husband had a business trip to San Diego and asked me if I wanted to tag along.

San Diego?

Of course!

We decided to extend the tip a few days and make a vacation out of it. We fit a lot in and had such a great time.

And then it was time for him to go to work and what's a girl to do with all that free time?

Create of course!

I found an awesome Expressive Art Studio online before I even boarded the plane. I signed up for classes and even arranged to rent the studio for a little one on one time with paints. 

On the first day I arrived a bit early and decided to hang out at Santo's,  the local coffee shop. It was such a cute place and I really got myself in the right frame of mind while relaxing on the patio. 

 And the coffee was delicious!

Then it was time to play! It was such a fun space filled with color and tons of art supplies! I felt like a kid in a candy store!

The first day we played with collage. Working with color, image and texture we created pieces that reflected how we were feeling in the moment. 

  

Day two began with my private studio time. I taped up a large piece of paper to the wall...oooh the possibilities!

The tempera paints were especially vibrant and I just went to town. What pure joy it was to just play. There are a few little monsters that decided to show up. I welcomed them and let them speak their peace. 

She had a whole room just for sand play. I had never done anything like this before so I decided to spend a little time in there. 

The process was meditative and relaxing. It reminded me of my mosaic days a bit. No pressure though, just playing in the sand. 

I headed across the street for a bit of lunch and reflection time. 

Then it was time for Painting Aerobics. A wonderful bunch of women, paint, paper and some fun music. It was time to let my paintbrush dance. 

It was such a fun experience. No thought, no worries, just dancing around and splashing paint. 

The whole trip was great and my little art retreat was amazing. 

As women we need to refuel ourselves and fill our well. A creative retreat is absolutely perfect because tapping into the creative energy flow shifts you out of the everyday. It brings you to a place of infinite possibility and allows you to play in wonder. 

You don't have to go anywhere to give yourself the gift of a creative retreat. 

You can bring some crayons and paper outside and sit in the sun and color. 

You can play with magazines and cut and paste into a journal. 

You can play in the sand at your local beach and make patterns. 

But, if you're in San Diego or just passing through, you should definitely stop by and visit Tish for a little fun!