8 Essentials Tips for Planning a Retreat
What I learned from hosting my first Paris Watercolor Retreat
I am fresh off of hosting my first ever Paris Watercolor Retreat. To recap it in 1 very long run-on sentence, it included: 5 attendees from America and Canada, 2 watercolor sessions with models, 3 watercolor illustrators sharing their processes and very different techniques, 5 French breakfasts huddled in a Parisian kitchen, 5 museum visits, 10 coffee breaks, a gazebo champagne toast while being circled by 2 hungry peacocks, 1 torrential downpour which turned a bunch of beautiful open air watercolors into abstract expressionism. All in all, laughs were had. Watercolor was learned. It was a success.
Although I am still far from being a retreat expert, I wanted to share a few things I thought about when the flash of inspiration struck me to manifest this whole thing a few months ago.
Raison d’etre. Hosting a retreat requires not just the organization but the interpersonal skills to facilitate a non-stop experience for a week. Why exactly are you doing this? Is it because you have a specific skill or expertise to share? Are you looking to develop a new way of monetizing your artistic work or knowledge? Do you think you can pull this off?
Who is this for? When you are writing a book proposal, you always need to identify the potential audience. Not everything can be for everybody, but identifying the above will make sure you allure the right kind of retreatees. I had to ask myself if it would be specific to watercolor, drawing or illustration? Since I found my voice as a young watercolorist in this city, I wanted to create an experience which taught technique while using Paris as a muse. Since I planned on teaching in English, I was cognizant of organizing the retreat over Memorial Day weekend to make it easier for Americans to attend.
What have you done before that you can adapt? I have been teaching drawing and illustration since 2018 so I know how to structure a full day of class with specific learning objectives. I also love entertaining, cooking and building safe spaces which naturally found their way into the retreat. How can you use other past experiences or skills to add value?
Make it your own. I’ve been studying retreats for some time. They always seemed to be in far-flung places and included all meals and accommodations. Why would I host a retreat in Provence if I don’t know it as well as Paris?I know Paris like the back of my hand and I could still rely on my kid being in school during the day. My final proposition was Monday-Friday of curated days. Attendees could book their own travel within their budgets. It just made more sense for me. There’s not just one way of doing something so find what works for you.
Find the place. Although I love my shared artist studio in Montreuil, I hesitated that it was a little too La Vie Boheme. It’s important to have a place where you can spread out and get your hands messy during an artist retreat. I rented the artist studio of a friend which added another historical and charming addition to the overall experience.
What’s the value proposition? Write out the business plan. What are your expenses? Research existing retreats and study their pricing. People are not just paying for the amenities but the proximity to you and your expertise.
Outsource help if need be. Maybe you can find a student to help you with running errands? Or outsource someone to handle the admin? There are also many platforms that can help you set up the logistics, payments and commercial side of organizing a retreat. Since I am not the only watercolor specialist, I invited two watercolor illustrator friends, Jane Black and Francesco Lo Iacono (see his portrait of me above!), to speak to my class about their creative processes, tools and techniques which added another angle to the retreat.
Follow through with the expectations. Like everything in this life, if you deliver what you promised, things will most likely go smoothly. I wrote up a detailed itinerary on the Retreat website and always looped back to make sure I was hitting my marks. I naturally had to shift things around because of the weather, but all in all, I stayed true to the original promise and purpose.
Much like my creative work and everything else in my life, the more of myself I put in the retreat, the more unique and valuable it became. Don’t feel like there’s one way to do it!
Dying to study watercolor in Paris with me? Stay tuned to this space for future watercolor retreats. Artisan will be publishing my forthcoming book on watercolor & storytelling early 2025 so organizing these small, bespoke moments is the perfect companion to what’s in the book.
Stay inspired, dear reader. And don’t drink the watercolor water. -jkw