Chances are, if you're a creative artist, you're longing for more time to create. Even when we're lucky enough to be surrounded by our art on a regular basis, there's always more we feel we could be doing. And for many of us, the idea of freely expressing our creativity – whether it's for one day or ANY day, feels like a far-away dream.

What would you love most about having an Artist Retreat Day? For most of us it's the thought of getting away from our "normal routine", having our creativity sparked by new surroundings and having the luxury of "open time" to work on our creative projects.

An Artist Retreat Day also gives us the opportunity to step outside the day-to-day and look at the big picture of our creative dreams. It gives us freedom from obligation and responsibilities and the opportunity to be surrounded by other artists in a setting where we feel understood and accepted.

Here are the top 10 signs YOU might need an Artist Retreat Day.

1. You feel resentful about the success that other artists are enjoying.

2. You can't remember the last time you created something new.

3. You're bubbling over with new ideas and haven't had the time to develop any of them.

4. You've been staring at the same unfinished piece for longer than you can remember or care to admit.

5. You want to learn or improve a specific skill.

6. You have an approaching deadline for a contest entry, gallery submission or festival application.

7. You made a New Year's resolution about making more time for your creative work.

8. You feel like your flow of creativity is blocked.

9. You start to work on your creative projects but end up distracted by everyday life.

10. You always put yourself and your creativity LAST on the to do list.

© Linda Dessau, 2005

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To find out more about her "Artist Retreat Day Guidebook", visit http://www.artistretreatday.com

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