There is a rhythm beneath the noise of daily life—a quiet pulse that calls us back to presence, to beauty, to the wellspring of our creative soul. In this four-day retreat, we’ll step gently into sacred time to create A Book of Hours for the Creative Life—a handmade, heartfelt devotional to your own creative life that honors the sacredness of time and the mystery of inner unfolding.
Drawing inspiration from the illuminated prayer books of old, our modern-day Book of Hours becomes a vessel of devotion to the holy practice of paying attention. Each hour of the day offers a threshold: the hush of morning, the spaciousness of midday, the golden hush of evening, and the fertile dark of night. Through layered collage, soulful mark-making, image, word, and sacred pause, we’ll give shape to these moments and the meanings they hold. Each hour becomes a threshold into deeper presence and artistic devotion, helping you reconnect with the sacredness of your creative gifts.
You will have a choice as to whether to make SoulCollage® cards to represent each of our themes, or whether to collage and paint directly on to the pages of your accordion book.
This is not a retreat of rushing to complete a project. It is a sanctuary time of rhythm and reverence—a time to walk slowly, create intuitively, and return to what matters most in your creative and spiritual life. You will have opportunities to walk the labyrinth, wander the path through the woods, and listen for the voice of your creative muse in the outdoor glass chapel.
Infused with color, texture, poetry, and personal meaning, your finished book will be both artifact and altar - :a dependable companion for the seasons ahead, and a reminder of the sacredness of your creative life.
Whether you are new to creative expression or a seasoned artist, this retreat offers a gentle structure and a nurturing space to kindle inspiration, deepen spiritual practice, and return home with a luminous, handcrafted book to companion your ongoing journey.
“What if we measured time not by the ticking of the clock, but by the opening of petals, the drift of clouds, the hush of twilight?”
Your Creative Kit will contain
A 5.5x8 inch 70 page art journal (A5 size) to house your Book of Hours
A book of images and quotations created especially for this retreat
A stencil to draw guidelines, pencil and eraser
Tabs for your book
Glue stick
There will be an abundance of images available for you to create your collages, as well as scissors (but feel free to bring your own if you have a favorite pair), watercolors and other inspirations for your book.
If you’d like to start thinking about and preparing for this retreat, I invite you to start becoming aware of writings, quotations, and images that are speaking to you in this moment. It might be a good idea to start adding these inspirations into a box and journal that you can bring with you to the retreat. You might already have a place where you record words and phrases that are meaningful to you. Please bring these journals and resources with you to the retreat. I will have plenty of inspiration and images for you at the retreat, but starting to pay attention to what you might like to add to your own unique Book of Hours will deepen your personal experience.. You are also welcome to bring your own photographs or drawings to add to your Book of Hours
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.”
VENUE
This retreat will be held at the beautiful St Francis Springs Prayer Center. 477 Grogan Road, Stoneville, NC, which is about 30 miles north of Greensboro, NC. The closest airport is Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO). The Center is situate on 140 acres of peaceful wooded land and has a labyrinth based on the Chartres pattern as well as a five-circuit classical labyrinth in the woods.
You can arrive at the Retreat Center any time after 3 pm on Sunday to check-in to your room, and we will officially start after dinner which is served at 6 pm. We will end after lunch on the last day. Lunch is served at 12.30 pm.
“The mystical possibilities of every moment are revealed to us in our intentional pauses.”
COST
The cost of this five day, four night retreat which includes accommodation in a single room with private bathroom, all meals, snacks and an abundance of art supplies including your own personal art supply kit is $1,395.00 per person. If you would prefer to share a room with a friend, the cost is $1,125.00 per person. Please let Catherine know the name of your roommate.
Payment is as follows:
A non-refundable admin fee/deposit of $145 is required to register for the retreat. REGISTER HERE
The balance of $1,250 for a single room or $980 for a shared room is due on or before January 9th, 2026.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Should it be necessary for you to cancel your participation in this retreat you will be refunded the retreat costs less the non-refundable deposit and any accommodation fees already due and paid to the retreat center (the retreat center requires confirmation and payment two months ahead of the start of the retreat), provided your cancellation is made more than four weeks prior to the start of the retreat. You are also welcome to find someone to take your place in the retreat. If you do not wish to self-insure, it is highly recommended that you take out a travel insurance policy to cover your cancellation due to unexpected events such as flight cancellations and illness.
Should Catherine need to cancel this retreat for any reason, you will be refunded all amounts paid to Catherine for this retreat. Catherine will send registrants a full refund of all monies paid within seven days of notification of cancellation, and accepts no additional liability for travel costs or any other additional costs incurred by participants.