When you hear the words “Creative Retreat” what do they bring to mind? Perhaps you envision a cabin in the woods, light streaming through the windows and a fire crackling in the hearth.

On February 16 before I did anything else in my studio, I sat down and worked on a page in my sketchbook. Since then I’ve started every workday with sketchbook play and have only missed one non-work day because of a migraine.

Back in November I vowed to fall in love with winter. And I did, for a while.

Back in December Abby Glassenberg interviewed me for the Craft Industry Alliance Podcast. Our conversation aired this week.

I sit at my table with a steaming mug of earl grey beside me. The table is strewn with notebooks and lists and calendars. My pen is poised to write, but I’m having trouble adding anything to the page.

Bright sunshine and warm breezes. Clear blue skies and crisp snow. Cold, dark, wet days. This month I’ve tried to be present for it all.

November has been a gift. A strange month, but a gift, too.

You’ve quieted your mind and listened to the whispers. Your heart longs to learn something new, to be creative, to craft a different life.

Now what?

My heart raced and I held my breath. I felt a flutter in my stomach as I sat down with a set of watercolors, some paper and a brush to paint for the first time.

Last Friday I mentioned I was working on a new online class.

It was my focus for most of July, never far from my thoughts even when I wasn’t working on it.

It’s been a month since I shared my chat with Melanie April. What a month it’s been. In some ways it feels like that time has flown by and in others it feels like much more than a month has passed since then.

Regardless of the strangeness of time, I’m delighted to be sharing another Sips of Inspiration interview today. This month’s conversation is with Ruby Josephine Smith, a dancer, choreographer, podcast host…

I’m back with another interview, the second in my monthly Sips of Inspiration series.

Today I’m chatting with Melanie April Houten.

Hello, my friend. How are you doing? Are you hanging in there? Are you riding the rollercoaster of ups and downs that it seems so many of us are feeling?

This is a difficult time and it’s ok if you’re struggling. Let’s all resolve to go a bit easy on ourselves. To allow our feelings. To do what we need to do in this moment.

A couple weeks ago I announced I would be interviewing artists in a new monthly series. And today I’ve released the first installment!

I am so excited to finally be sharing a project I’ve been working on for a while. First in the dreaming stage, more recently in the DOing stage.

And today with an official announcement.

Back in January I wrote a list of intentions for the year. First in my journal. Then in my sketchbook. And again on a separate piece of paper that I hung in my studio. The very first intention on the list: “Live a holistically creative life”.

Back in November I deleted Instagram from my phone.

It was a snap decision. To take a break from social media and blogging until the new year. I’d been getting more and more uncomfortable on Instagram. Frustrated with it. The idea of taking time and space for me sounded pretty good.

A couple weeks ago I mentioned that I’m one of the presenters at the Loving Healing Creating Summit. And now the summit is about to begin!

The “live” summit runs for 13 days, from February 2 through February 14.

I just released a new class on Skillshare. My 20th class on the platform. It’s a little mind-boggling to think I’ve created that many classes.

I first started teaching on Skillshare three and a half years ago. I was already a member and had taken some classes on the platform, but had never thought of teaching there. Then they contacted me and invited me to teach.

We’re already more than half-way into January. How have things been going for you so far?

I’d been slowly accumulating a list of possible words for this year. Beautiful, poetic words. Any of them would have been a good guide for my year. I thought I’d decided on one until a couple weeks ago another popped int my head while I was in the shower.