RENEWAL ~ Poetry, Art & Community

A ten-week creative retreat series
with Margaret Hartsook and Lisa Kagan

As we move from the darkest time of the year towards the return of the light, this weekly retreat series offers you the chance to step away from the demands of daily life and to connect more deeply with yourself and your own process of renewal. Through our art and writing exploration we will consider what combination of elements supports us to restore, grow, and thrive as we build resilience during these tumultuous times.

With a focus on the concept “better together,” we will delve into themes of community, kinship, companionship, and the role of compassion and kindness in forging strong and lasting connections. We will also explore the concept of “synergy” and the different ways that multiple elements come together to create something greater than the sum of their individual parts. We witness this in nature every spring as the combination of rain, sun, seeds, and pollinators contribute to the first spring blossoms.

Our weekly projects will utilize a variety of mixed media techniques including painting, drawing, collage, and sculpture. Featured projects for this series include designing a set of companion cards, sculpting your own spirit creature with natural materials, and creating poetry weathergrams. In the Studio of the Imagination, we offer you the opportunity to kindle your creative spark and cultivate new ways of enriching your imagination while nourishing yourself in the supportive, uplifting company of other women.

This program offers space for creative expression for women of all ages and backgrounds. All women are welcome, including cisgender, transgender, and those whose gender identity aligns with womanhood. No writing or art experience is necessary. All art materials, as well as snacks and drinks, will be provided.

Radiance, Mixed Media by Lisa Kagan

Dates & Times:
Mondays 6:30pm-9pm on January 26, February 2, 16, 23 (skipping 2/9), March 2, 9, 16 (skipping 3/23 & 3/30), April 6, 13, 20

Location: Studio of the Imagination at Margaret’s home in SE Portland, the Creston neighborhood.

Registration & Payment:
Online registration for this retreat series is available here:
https://events.humanitix.com/renwal-poetry-art-and-community

This program has two payment options.

Option 1: Payment for the full amount of $540.00 can be made at the time of sign-up. Online payment is available for this option.

Option 2: Payment can be made in two installments. The first payment of $270.00 is due at the time of sign-up. The second payment of $270.00 is due by March 2, 2026. We only accept checks for Option 2, as partial payment is not available for our online payment for this program.

If you have any questions or would prefer to pay by check, please contact Lisa at: Lisa@FamilyHeirloomArts.com or at 503.347.1391. Due to the limited number of participants we can accommodate, early registration is recommended.

This program is offered through Touchstone Retreats. Learn more at: https://familyheirloomarts.com/touchstone-retreats/

* Image credit for feature image at the top of the page: Oregon Spring (image detail), Silk Painting by Margaret Hartsook

About the 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
303-682-1073
margarethartsook@yahoo.com
mhartsook.com

Lisa Kagan is a writer, artist, creative facilitator, and personal historian. Her business, Family Heirloom Arts, is dedicated to helping individuals and families celebrate their life stories and significant life milestones through conducting oral history interviews and creating illustrated heirloom books. She offers art and writing retreats throughout the Pacific Northwest. Lisa 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). Lisa is a co-founder of Touchstone Retreats.

Contact:
Lisa Kagan
503.347.1391
Lisa@FamilyHeirloomArts.com
familyheirloomarts.com

Touchstone Health & Safety Policy
• We ask that all retreat participants do a self-evaluation before coming each week and that they remain at home if they have any symptoms of illness.

Touchstone Retreats Cancellation Policy
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 start of the program. 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 you have a COVID related situation arise, and you need to cancel please contact Lisa Kagan at Lisa@FamilyHeirloomArts.com or 503.347.1391.

Gratitude, Pen & Ink by Lisa Kagan