FINDING YOUR INNER TREASURES: A weekly creative (art-making) retreat series to renew and restore

“What in your life is calling you, when all the meetings are adjourned…the lists laid aside, and the wild Iris blooms itself in the dark forest? What still pulls on your soul?”
– Rumi

We invite you to join us in creative community as we enter into this autumn season. This in-person weekly “mini retreat” series is designed to be a gift to yourself as we gradually emerge from these last few years of isolation. Each weekly session is an invitation, through writing and art, to discover and rediscover your inner treasures and talismans that bring hope and resilience. We will explore a variety of mixed media techniques and materials such as painting, drawing, collage, image transfer, and simple ceramic sculpture. By the end of the group, you will have a personal treasure chest to inspire and sustain you throughout the darker days of winter. This weekly retreat series also offers you a chance to rekindle your creative spark, cultivate new ways of enriching yourself and your life in this next chapter, and nurture and nourish yourself in the supportive, uplifting company of other women.

This retreat offers space for creative expression for women of all ages and backgrounds. No writing or art experience is necessary. All art materials, as well as snacks and tea, will be provided.

Dates & Times:
This is an eight week series with facilitators Margaret Hartsook and Lisa Kagan. This series will be offered on Mondays from 6:30pm-9pm on October 3, 10, 17, 24 (no group October 31) and November 7, 14, 28 (no group November 21), and December 5

Location:
Margaret’s home art studio, in SE Portland, the Creston neighborhood.

Costs:
Program Fee: $375
Art Materials: $25
Total Cost: $400

Registration:
Payment is due at the time of sign up. For more information or to register for this program, please contact Lisa at: lisa@familyheirloomarts.com or 503.347.1391. Due to the limited number of participants we can accommodate, early registration is recommended. 

This program is offered as a collaboration between Portland Women Writers and Touchstone Retreats. Learn more at:
https://familyheirloomarts.com/touchstone-retreats/
www.pdxwomenwriters.com

About the Touchstone Retreats Facilitators:

Margaret Hartsook sees art making and writing as spiritual practices that can open the gates of creativity and self-expression. She believes we each have a unique creative language that can promote well-being, healing, meaning making and growth in our lives. Through de-mystifying the tools of visual art making, she guides individuals to explore and find their own unique expression. Trained in drawing and painting at California College of Art, Margaret completed her BFA at the University of Oregon and received a Master’s degree in Transpersonal Counseling & Psychology with an emphasis in Art Therapy from Naropa University. Margaret is currently working at Legacy Good Samaritan in the Cancer Institute as an Art Therapist. In addition to facilitating many art-based workshops she co-created the Art Therapy program for Pathways Hospice in Northern Colorado and established the Memories in the Making art program for the Alzheimer’s Association in Oregon.
Contact:
Margaret Hartsook
margarethartsook@yahoo.com
303-682-1073
mhartsook.com

Lisa Kagan is a writer, artist, educator and personal historian. Her business, Family Heirloom Arts, is dedicated to helping individuals and families celebrate their life stories and significant life milestones through the creation of illustrated heirloom books and custom art. Lisa offers art and writing workshops and retreats throughout the Pacific Northwest. Lisa is the co-founder of the Touchstone Retreats program and a facilitator through Portland Women Writers. She believes in the transformative nature of the creative process to heal, empower, challenge, inform, and awaken the human spirit. Lisa received her BA from Wesleyan University in Connecticut with a focus on writing and fine art. She has completed intensive studies in the arts at Skidmore College, the University of New Mexico, Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, and the Maine Photographic Workshops. Lisa has published two books of original art and poetry, Coming Home to Myself (2021) and Emergence (2009).

Contact:
Lisa Kagan
503.347.1391
Lisa@FamilyHeirloomArts.com

Learn more about Touchstone Retreats…

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Touchstone Retreats Vaccination Requirements

We require that all workshop participants and facilitators be fully COVID-19 vaccinated prior to participating in a Touchstone Retreats in-person retreat.

COVID-19 Retreat Policy:
• All participants signing up for an in-person retreat are required to email a photo of their vaccination card to the facilitator at the time of registration (please email to Lisa at lisa@familyheirloomarts.com).

• As of now, face coverings are optional at Touchstone Retreats programs. If this changes, participants will be notified ahead of time.

• We ask that all in-person retreat participants do a self-evaluation before coming to a retreat and that they remain at home if they have any symptoms.

We will continue to monitor guidance from the national Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) in regard to best practices for indoor gatherings of fully vaccinated adults and we will update our policies accordingly.

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Touchstone Retreats Cancellation Policy (for full day retreats)
Payment is fully refundable with one month’s cancellation notice. Participants will be charged for 25% of the total program fee with less than a month’s notice up to 14 days prior to the retreat. No refund is possible with less than a 14 day cancellation notice. Family emergency situations will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
If this retreat is cancelled due to the pandemic you will receive a full refund. If you have a COVID related situation arise and you need to cancel please contact Lisa at: lisa@familyheirloomarts.com or 503.347.1391.

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Here is what participants have to say about Touchstone Retreats:

“I recommend this retreat to women who are looking for a safe place to connect with their inner voice and creativity, and also to connect with kindred spirits. Life is such a hectic race through our to-do lists that we hardly ever disconnect not only from electronics, but from our self-talk to do more and be more. Taking time for reflection is so important. Participating in a retreat like this is a way to be kind to yourself through taking time to write and create.”
– Touchstone Retreats Participant