Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting,
drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays,
reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get
money and fame, but to experience becoming, to
find out what’s inside you, to make your soul grow.
– Kurt Vonnegut
photo credit: Phoebe Wahl
Oh my.
Here in this part of the world, the warmth, ease and connectedness of Thanksgiving is hardly behind us (I still have leftovers in the fridge!) and the bustle of holiday preparations is already upon us.
For me, Thanksgiving is the most delicious of holidays, not simply because of the focus on food and gratitude, but because it is about sharing what I value most — your time, presence and attention — with the ones you love.
It is about gathering.
It is about the experience of being together.
No surprise then that researchers Leaf Van Boven and Thomas Gilovich wrote a paper all about the truth that doing things makes people happier than having things. (To Do or Have? That is the Question, 2003) No doubt you could find lots of proof for this– a quick google search popped up a NYT article from 2010 that said, “one major finding is that spending money for an experience produces longer-lasting satisfaction than spending money on plain old stuff.”
Good to know. The joy of a wonderful experience
can last longer than a pair of new shoes.
photo credit: Tara Morris
Which leads me back to the words at the top of this post from my beloved truth-teller, Kurt Vonnegut. Words that help me answer the question, why go to Squam?
Answer: because it is a chance to forget all the distractions of the material world and give ourselves the gift of time – the gift of being totally, completely absorbed in the moment and, feeling it wake us up to the magic and light that we can find within.
Also? A chance to have some FUN and PLAY and indulge your sweet self.
photo credit: Gudrun Johnston, Sarah Greenman
What’s on offer in 2015? Oh my gosh– I honestly don’t know where to begin. SO much to tell you about. If you are a knitter (or dream about becoming one), be sure to take a peek at the September classes as, for the first time ever, there are FIVE knitting classes. boo-YAH!
photo credit: Michelle Farber, Judy Dziadosz
Of course, our June gathering will have an abundance of textile goodness PLUS poetry, writing, mixed-media and power tools. 🙂 We are always and forever grateful to have the love and support from RAVELRY who brings the magic to the Saturday night event with our annual Squam Art Fair & Ravelry REVELRY.
Last Spring, Jess was pregnant with baby Auggie (who came into the world September 2nd! woot woot) and if there’s anything that will never cease to amaze me are women who come to Squam pregnant.
Goddesses among us for sure.
(Case in point, on the right is my instagram of Dixie and Jen who came to the September session six and five months pregnant, respectively. Not only did they insist on walking everywhere, they braved the chilly nights without complaint and Dixie is from the heart of Texas!)
Speaking of the divine feminine, did you catch a glimpse of our newest offering: Into the Mystic?
This is another first for us. We have never spent a full SEVEN days at the lake, nor have we ever held an event during the regular — read SUMMER, squeeee — season.
Happily, a new year means getting to launch new things. And we have still MORE goodness to share: our September Squam Art Fair will be sponsored by Creativebug and, as the Clash might say, it’s gonna rock the casbah!
Oh yes. Squam Art Fair & Creativebug Casbah
photos courtesy of Creativebug
top, founders Jeanne Lewis & Julie Roehm
below, The Creativebug Team!
There have been such lovely threads of connection between Squam and Creativebug since it launched in 2012. Most recently, Jeanne returned to attend June Squam last Spring. On the plane ride home to San Francisco, she wrote me the most gorgeous, thoughtful email that made my heart so happy. I shared her letter with the group last September and I’ll share more with you later this week– so stay tuned.
Just know magic is afoot.
And if you are still with me (sheesh, it takes me a long time to spill everything onto the page, thank you for hanging in there!) Here’s my last bit of update: I will be teaching at Squam in 2015.
This is because two fabulous women are stepping up to take on the event planning logistics for both June and September.
:: wowza ::
Mindy Tsonas and Nina Gilbert
(pictured on right)
They are both longtime Squammies and I am so grateful to their love and support.
Isn’t it funny how I began with reflections on giving thanks and here I end with a heart FULL of gratitude.
Always the circle I walk for sure–
bisous, e
