The Pull of the Bath
A few weeks ago, I was in the bathroom helping my 6-year-old brush his teeth. It had been a beautiful, spring day, and as we were in the bathroom, the sun was setting, pouring in and giving the room a golden hour glow. I’m not one to take many baths – showers are more my thing. But at that moment, I just felt this pull to take a bath. So I grabbed my cross-stitch project, my book, and ran a bath. It was the most amazing escape, and I stayed in until the sun went down and it was getting too dark to see my project [1].
During that bath, I realized two things. First, we can totally have mini creative retreats even when we’re stuck at home. And second, the reason I usually dislike baths is because I don’t like the artificial light in a bathroom. The inspiration for this post was born! And yes, I did say I cross-stitched in the bath – you can absolutely make that work [1].
Creating Your Retreat
Now, as I write this, we are in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic. But there are also many other reasons you may not be leaving your home – when you have a baby, if you’re sick, if you have anxiety, if it’s the middle of winter and you’re snowed in, or if you can’t afford to go out for the day. And although I love the idea of going out of the home for a creative retreat, I actually quite like my house, and I’m such a homebody that I’d feel pretty awkward doing this in, say, a coffee shop or park [1].
So let’s dive into how to have a retreat at home. The first thing you need to do is decide the practical things like when and where. Yes, it’s at home, but where exactly in your home? I recommend somewhere with a chair and, if you’re doing it during the daytime, somewhere with lots of light. Walk around your home and find your perfect spot [1].
Then decide when you’ll do it. It doesn’t have to be at a specific time – I know that sometimes setting a schedule can hinder creativity. But you do need to decide on a certain time of day, whether it’s morning, afternoon, or evening. If you have kids, this retreat is probably going to be easier when they’re in bed. So you could try getting up an hour before them or doing the retreat in the evening when they’re asleep [1].
Carving Out Time and Space
I have a trick I’ve done – just lock yourself in your car! Just sit in your car and it’s heaven. No one needs to know you’re not actually driving anywhere. Obviously, only do this if you have someone watching the kids inside the house [1].
Or you could pretend you’re getting in the bath or shower and lock the door. This can be uncomfortable though. In fact, you could actually take a bath for your creative retreat, as I mentioned at the start of this post, if it involves doing something like reading that you can do in the tub. I even managed to cross-stitch in the bath [1]!
Once you have an idea of when and where, tell everyone in your home! Make sure they know you just need this time for yourself. I know feelings of guilt will start coming up, but the more you get into the habit of having creative retreats, the easier it gets to ask for the time because you’ll start to see the benefits – not just for you, but for your family too. I know after an hour of alone time, I come back to my kids happier and more present with them [1].
Gathering Your Supplies
Next, decide what you want to do on your creative retreat. If you know you want to work on one particular project, do that. Or if you’re multi-passionate like me, you might want to work on a few different things. It’s totally up to you and can be anything you want it to be – cross-stitching, knitting, reading, drawing, coloring, writing, meditating, journaling, blogging… anything at all! [1]
And even though we’re doing this at home, we’re going to act like we’re leaving and pack supplies. There are two reasons for this – it will feel more intentional, and you won’t have to leave the space you’re in to grab anything you might need or have forgotten. Some ideas of things to pack:
- Headphones (to block out noise)
- A notebook (for writing, brain dumping, or jotting down ideas)
- Your favorite pens
- Water and snacks
The more prepared you are, the more you’ll be able to fully immerse yourself in your retreat [1].
Making It a Habit
I hope these tips have shown you that you don’t need a whole weekend away to have a creative retreat – you can have one right at home. And this shouldn’t be a once-a-year event. This can be a weekly thing you do, like my Sunday mornings, or even a daily thing during those small gaps in your day [1].
For those daily retreats, I recommend setting up a corner in your home for yourself, like a sewing box next to your couch or supplies next to the kitchen table. Or you can make yourself a portable retreat bag filled with supplies that you can grab when you can [1].
So go forth and create your own bathroom retreat at home! Whether it’s a weekly indulgence or a daily 5-minute escape, carving out that time for yourself is so important. Your creativity, and your sanity, will thank you.
References
[1] Knowledge from https://hannahhandmakes.com/blogs/how-to-have-a-creative-retreat-at-home/
[2] Knowledge from https://courtneywarren.com/master-bathroom-retreat-reveal/
[3] Knowledge from https://nellhills.com/countryside-retreat-at-home-with-an-interior-stylist/
[4] Knowledge from https://thedesigntwins.com/relaxing-bathroom-retreat-create-luxurious-spa/
[5] Knowledge from https://www.lifeoncedarlane.com/a-luxury-spa-retreat-with-affordable-finds/
[6] Knowledge from https://mattpowerscustomhomes.com/luxury-bathroom-design-ideas/
[7] Knowledge from https://www.southernexposuremagazine.com/past_issues/designing-a-home-and-life-bathroom-retreat/article_5dffae9e-6a8a-11eb-91e2-438b830d65b5.html
[8] Knowledge from https://housefulofhandmade.com/diy-master-bathroom-retreat/