Reflections from the Retreat March 2026

Are you creative? I wonder how you respond to that question. What if I was to ask, are you are a painter or a writer or some other form of artist? We are reluctant to own those names even when we have had a book published or held an art exhibition. Human nature seems to minimise our accomplishments and the goal posts keep moving in our minds, with ever increasing self-expectations, despite our ongoing progress. When we do anything artistically, whether it is writing, drawing, drama or another creative art, we can be stifled by our own concerns. Is it good enough? What will people think? Who am I, to think I can spend time and money on this? Will my creation reflect what I hoped to convey?

I remember the fear I had of writing my first blog and the thought of it being online for anyone…yes anyone… to read it. I’ve now been writing these blogs for a few years now. I am less concerned about who might read them and what they will think. But my internal editor is always there making sure I don‘t say anything too offensive or too exposing. I still wonder what people will think of them. Even now as I write this blog, I can feel the battle within me - of wanting to get the words to sound right and the grammar to be correct and at the same time to allow the creativity, of what I want to convey, to just flow. Writing is an interesting process, as it is with painting or drawing. I often start with a theme but then I don‘t know which way it will go or what I will end up creating. That’s the magic of creativity – to allow the creative flow free reign, without censorship or editing that could hinder what may be created.

When I ran art therapy groups, I would begin the session reminding people that they didn’t have to be artistic. It wasn’t about creating a work of art but about using art materials in a therapeutic way. However, people often came with a general concern about the outcome and the standard at which they would create. It was sometimes harder for those who had some skills in this area, to let go of the internal critic and to use the materials therapeutically and not focus on creating a product. However, there were the classic icebreakers of using your non dominant hand or drawing with your eyes shut to help people to get something on the paper. We don’t need to be in an art therapy group though to allow art to be therapeutic. Creativity can help us to express things that are perhaps just outside of our awareness as those who regularly journal or doodle might know. Creating without planning, more right brain activity than left brain, can produce things which could help us to make connections and give insights. These insights may come more easily through creativity than through talking and can then be remembered through the creative piece.

A key concept in Celtic traditions is ‘Awen’ which is something Celtic bards and storytellers would seek to develop their artistry. Awen is a Welsh word made up of ‘aw’ meaning fluid or flowing and ‘en’ meaning spirit, so Awen is a flowing spirit, a creative spirit or inspiration. It’s interesting how there are familiar strands in different indigenous traditions. This concept of Awen is very similar to the Yoruba understanding of Oshun which I wrote about in a previous blog. I’ve also written about flow before and I find it a helpful image to think of creativity as flow, like running water that finds its way through the obstacles.

Over the last few months, I have been turning the large garage into the Creative Space for the retreat house. It has been the most enjoyable room to prepare – partly because I decided not to decorate it and instead, we will cover the walls with art, as we create in this space. But it was also fun to set it up because I was opening boxes that had been in storage for years and boxes donated to me. So it was a lot of unpacking and discovering what was there – things totally new to me and things long forgotten. As someone who likes order and labels, I have enjoyed arranging items into sections: sorting different coloured fabrics into boxes of labelled colours, collecting varieties of paper into different boxes, sorting paint brushes, sharpening pencil crayons, categorising tile cut offs and untangling balls of wool, ribbons and threads. As I write this, I’m aware how the unpacking of boxes and sorting them onto shelves is a good analogy for creativity. There are unknown treasures hidden inside us and the boxes have to be opened and unpacked before being put on show, expressing what is within. I hope to start a community creative group later this year and to cover the grey concrete walls with our colourful creations. This way the space will also be an art gallery that will inspire others to create.

I'm looking forward to using the space myself to develop my own creativity. Yet I fear that what I create won’t be good enough. I want to jump from beginner to master artist without the messy, amateurish pictures that disappoint and fall flat. So instead of asking ‘am I creative’ or ‘am I a painter or writer’, what if I ask ‘do I want to play around with words or paints?’ What if I take away the need to be an accomplished artist and turn it into experimenting and play? As I sorted out the boxes and discovered various craft materials, I felt a growing pull to be creative. I need to listen to that pull and give it the time it deserves.

Yet if I think about it, the last three years has been about creating. I have been creating a retreat space for others to come and to be. Over the last week I have enjoyed choosing places to hang paintings and to put up the macrame plant holders I made over the last year. I remember how nervous I felt painting the first room and to get it right, even using a small paintbrush to even up the bottom of the wall. I wanted to make it look good and if I’m honest, to make it look perfect. But now I’ve just painted a labyrinth on the courtyard and green leaves on the garage doors – they aren’t perfect but perhaps they are more creative! My ‘awen’ has become more free flowing.

Perhaps it’s the influence of living in a more laid back and accepting culture. It is easy to see the creative flow in Grenada with houses painted in various colours, along with wall murals and local crafts. Music is a huge part of the culture with various singing competitions such as the annual Soca and calypso competitions and multiple karaoke events. The landscape inspires creativity and, in a culture, where people are more likely to encourage than criticise, creativity flourishes. As I’ve got to know people here, each one is creative in different ways: some paint, one makes mosaics, another writes poetry, others get creative in the kitchen and some write songs.

It seems that we all have a creative flow within us and that having a creative outlet is good for our health. It’s not necessarily about creating a product for others to see but more about expressing ourselves, as part of our wellbeing. Creativity is often something we think we will do in the future, when we have time or have more money. But what if we see it as part of looking after who we are - part of our spiritual and personal growth. It can be a way for us to understand ourselves better, to connect with our own inner wisdom and be therapeutic without it being formal art therapy. It can also be a way of connecting with the ultimate Creator, the source of our creativity. I hope that as people come into the Creative Space they will be open to follow their intuition to see what art mediums and colours they feel drawn to and to experiment with art. When I first came here, I felt motivated to draw the wildlife and landscapes around me. It was a way for me to sit with the beauty and the vibrant colours of this island. I remember at one time I persisted in sketching the rolling waves trying to capture the moment they turned. I drew what drew my attention, helping me to connect more with the land and sea that are my neighbours.

A few years ago, the recently installed Grenada government developed the ‘Grenada Office of Creative Affairs’ to promote and support creative entrepreneurs and businesses. Hummingbird Retreat is now registered with this governmental department as a creative organisation. It is encouraging to see the creative energy coming from this government department as they provide networking events and promote creativity across the island.

Some of you may feel that you need some help in connecting with your own creativity, and a popular book to help with this, is The Artist’s Way. The author, Julia Cameron, encourages us to name the excuses that we make to avoid our innate creativity and to give ourselves regular play dates with art. The book offers a week-by-week process to help us to reconnect with our creativity. I have valued her wise words:

“Remember that in order to recover as an artist, you must be willing to be a bad artist. Give yourself permission to be a beginner. By being willing to be a bad artist, you have a chance to be an artist, and perhaps, over time, a very good one…..Remember that if you have made a truly rotten piece of art, it may be a necessary stepping-stone to your next work. Art matures spasmodically and requires ugly duckling growth stages.”

So, let me ask you again, are you creative? Whether you think you are or not, there is a creative flow within all of us…so I’m off to find a paint brush to play with paints, in our Creative Space. What will you create?