The Artistic Process: A Deep Dive Into the Roots of Creativity with James Inabinet

Starting at 3pm Friday, November 18, 2022, until 3pm Sunday, November 20, 2022 participants will have full access to the grounds of The Lodge at Sweetwater Studios, nightly shared or private accommodation in one of our Eco-Luxury Glamping tents, and all meals for this three-day, two-night retreat.

This exciting deep dive into the creative process will take participants on a journey through Mihaly Robert Csikszentmihalyi's philosophy of the "creativity sequence": immersion - incubation - insight - elaboration. 

Csikszentmihalyi was a Hungarian-American psychologist who recognized and named the psychological concept of "flow", a highly focused mental state conducive to productivity.

This retreat will use time in nature, guided meditation, group discussion, and personal creation time to learn and practice  the "creativity sequence" philosophy with your weekend guide, James Inabinet. 

Participants of this retreat will leave with: 

• Techniques for evoking imagination and intuition in the service of art, any kind of art, even the art of creating oneself.
• An understanding of the process of creation - why one is creating what they are creating.
• Tangible skills for taking a vague idea and turning it into a work of art - making it possible!

Tentative Schedule:

::: Friday :::

3PM  Check-in

4PM  Orientation: The What and Why of the Weekend

5PM  Evoking Experience: Perception as the Pathway to Creating Art

6PM  Dinner

7PM  Sharing Council Ceremony and Bon Fire

            free time

::: Saturday :::

8AM  Breakfast

9AM  Anhinga Meditation: Pulling the Airy “Idea” Out of the Waters of the Soul

1030AM  Sharing Council Ceremony [optional]

1130AM  Immersion Sequence: Finding Meaning in the Chaos of Experience

1PM  Lunch

2PM  Incubation Sequence: Developing Intuition and Imagination Through Rest

            afternoon available for "elaboration", or personal creative time

5PM  Sharing Council Ceremony [optional]

6PM  Dinner

7PM  Free Time & Bon Fire

::: Sunday :::

8AM  Breakfast

9AM  Begin Elaboration: Turning Ideas into Art

            Using Whippoorwill Meditation to move from the “airy” idea to a manifested artifact

11AM  Final Sharing Council Ceremony

12PM  Lunch

             personal creative or free time

3PM Check-Out

About Your Guide:

James Inabinet, PhD.

Ecologist.  Eco-Philosopher.  Education Consultant.  Weaver.

                Ma in Earth Literacy [2007].  St. Mary of the Woods College

                PhD in Philosophy and Religion with a concentration in Philosophy, Cosmology, Consciousness [2011]  California Institute of Integral Studies

"My focus of research and work begins with ecology, especially explorations into the dynamics of the nature-human relationship as it pertains to the psycho-spiritual link between human and nature–and what that means.  It is through that link, I believe, that humans might finally recognize nature as the ultimate “locus of flourishing.” Beyond mere survival, the birthright of all living beings is to flourish; the question is how?  

My research includes seeking pathways to universal flourishing, how humans might live better on earth, as integral and functional parts of an ecosystem, as partners with neighboring animals, plants, other humans, and the place itself.

My other focus pertains to “nature as muse,” including direct explorations into the intersection between nature immersion and art creation.  Part and parcel of this research is the development of specific techniques to aid artists with deep engagement with nature in order to access feelings/insights uncovered in the process.  From this, nature-inspired works of art may arise.  Nature is also a source of inspiration, which begins with communion, not just with nature itself but nature as it is “coming into being.”  Such communion is a viable pathway to wholeness, healing, and inspired and translational art, especially the ultimate art form: the art of becoming fully human."

Weekend rates starting at $385 per person, all-inclusive

All attendees booking a Shared Hilltop Glamping Tent or our 2 or 4-person Deluxe Island Tents will be assigned another retreat attendee as a roommate.

Roommate requests or private options are available.