France, Creativity, and Coming Back to Life

I’ve just returned home from fifteen unforgettable days in Paris and in the Dordogne region of southwestern France, teaching a workshop hosted by the amazing Perigord Retreats.

A little backstory:

Over three years ago, I had a phone conversation with Harrison, the owner of Perigord Retreats, about coming to teach in France. It was so thrilling (and a bit anxiety-inducing) to consider the possibility of teaching internationally. I’ve always been one to “do things that scare you,” and this was too good a chance to pass up. I said yes with my heart in my throat, and pinched myself – could it really be happening?

Then, the ball dropped, and I was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after that conversation. I immediately set art aside and put my head down to get through many treatments. It was a difficult time.

After 18 months of aggressive therapies, the date for the retreat grew near. I was still so excited, but also so depleted health-wise. Could I do this? Do I remember how to paint? Am I still an artist? I’ve never seen this landscape; how will I paint it? What if I can’t do it?

And then,

The golden stone villages. The poppy fields spilling across the countryside. Ancient churches tucked into winding medieval streets. The smell of fresh bread drifting through market squares each morning. Long outdoor dinners beneath glowing evening skies. Sketchbooks balanced on café tables. Laughter echoing through tiny alleyways after a full day of painting together.

It’s difficult to explain what happens when art, beauty, friendship, and place all come together at once. This retreat was originally planned as a pastel painting workshop, but it became so much more than that.

Together we painted en plein air in pastel and watercolor, sketched in pen and ink, wandered through ancient villages, watched the changing light move across limestone buildings, and filled our days with color, conversation, and shared experience. Some mornings began quietly with coffee and sketchbooks. Other days led us through bustling markets, poppy fields, cliffside villages, and breathtaking overlooks that looked untouched by time.

It was one of the best experiences of my life. If you find yourself with the opportunity or the desire for something new, I can’t recommend Perigord Retreats enough. Want to go back with me? Stay tuned!

As artists, we often talk about “finding inspiration,” but I think what many of us are truly longing for is attentiveness and connection. We want to see deeply again. To feel awake to beauty again. To remember that creativity is not merely productivity, it is profoundly human. We want to connect through authenticity and the deep love of creativity, in all its many forms.

Perfection is not the goal.

This past year held more challenges and changes than I expected, and somewhere along the way, I lost some of that sense of wonder myself. But during this retreat, surrounded by such extraordinary beauty and such kindhearted people, I felt something begin to return.

My joy came back, and along with it my wonder, my ideas, my enthusiasm, my delight, my fun side. My silly side. My whimsy! And maybe most importantly, my gratitude.

Our little group became deeply meaningful to one another over those days. We painted, laughed, encouraged one another, shared stories over long dinners, and experienced moments that felt restorative in ways I don’t yet have words for.

I came home with a dusty pastel box, paint-stained sketchbooks, thousands of photographs, and a full heart (and quite a few treasured souvenirs). I also came home with renewed clarity about the kind of experiences I want to continue creating, not simply art instruction, but places where creativity, beauty, friendship, rest, exploration, and personal renewal intertwine.

And yes… I’m already planning to return. Dates announced soon!

Thank you to our absolutely lovely hosts who became friends along the way. The personalized attention, care, exquisite prepared foods and wines, the private tours, and beautiful picnics. We all felt like princesses!