Why build an Artist Retreat?
Life being hectic with two young kids, work and family life, I started dreaming about creating an Artist Retreat...a place that is removed from daily life.
A place to live creative dreams.
Artist's retreats can happen anywhere, they have been around as far back as Thoreau's cabin on Walden Pond. The main focus of an art retreat is to nurture creativity. Canoeing one day with my husband, two kids and dog, we came upon a place, a perfect place to explore, build, create and share with others. A vision for Hidden Creek was imagined; our aim to provide an inspiring sustainable shelter, where artists can learn and work in a peaceful setting.
After buying the land, with this intention in mind, I drew my mind map, in the form of a tree – the roots signifying the eco build (the healthy, green foundation of the physical building), and the branches signifying the objectives/potential for the retreat. As an artist myself, this is my dream of a retreat for artists, a place to support creative individuals in their effort to retreat from every day life and get inspired. This space will act as a retreat for art instructors to share their skills, and a gathering space for groups or individuals. The retreat will continue to be shaped by the land as it grows, as it's shared, as it flourishes.
Hidden
Away
Free of distractions
A place to empty the mind
A place to be still
A place to reconnect with yourself
A place to create
And tap into your dreams
What’s in a name?……Hidden Creek Art & Ecology Centre
Where does the water come from? Hidden Creek was chosen for the name of the retreat as there is water that runs through the property. Birds and plant life are plentiful. Ungulates, bears and coyote all travel through because of the water. The source of water is hidden, as is the retreat. It is isolated. You have to travel there by boat. The lake provides a buffer from the town, so you are removed yet still relatively close. Hidden while there and then hopefully exposed, both personally and in your creative work, when you leave.
