Resharing an old post

about curating your own creative retreat while travelling

Am off on a week’s holiday¹ tomorrow and this old post of mine caught my eye.

I won’t be alone (going with my youngest daughter), but I should have little, if any, work that I have to do.

I will be taking three sketchbooks - my Morning Ink sketchbook (I am two pages into a fresh one), my other random, anything goes sketchbook and one that has thicker paper intended for gouache. And I’m looking forward to curating a small selection of art supplies to take with me, to play with, including some paints.

I will have at least two novels with me. I am about three quarters of the way through one, which is really annoying, because that probably means I’ll finish it on the train to the airport² and I will question whether I shouldn’t have left it behind and brought two fresh ones, but I can’t actually do that, I literally have to finish this book) and I am mulling over which non-fiction book(s) to bring. What’s pulling me? Shall I bring a writing-focused one, a mindsetty one, a purely intellectual one, or an arty one? Can I bring two? Or three? Will I actually ever open any of them? Will I come home and unpack my suitcase and kick myself for bringing these three books which were of absolutely no interest or use that week and why didn’t I pack an extra dress instead?

Is it just me who agonises about what would be an absolute waste of luggage allowance and the future regrets and frustrations I might feel?

I am wondering whether I should set myself some of the tasks mentioned in that creative retreat post. Or whether it will frustrate me to then not manage to do any of them. Or whether I can just commit to Morning Ink, plus an extra colourful sketchbook session and not worry about the content or purpose.

I am taking my laptop with me. So I will be able to write. But will I? That’s something I have brought and severely regretted in the past. It’s not light. Will I just use it to watch TV in bed? If I do use it to watch TV in bed won’t that mean it wasn’t a waste? Or will I be kicking myself for not sitting reading instead?

Anyway, yet again, I was going to type a very small note resharing this old Substack letter, and then realised I could absolutely share it here, as an actual Substack letter in and of itself. Because I have hundreds more readers than I did when I originally wrote it and some of you might be interested in reading it.

Maybe I will send out some virtual postcards while away. And maybe not.

1. I have a massive block on using that word. It sounds and feels wrong. I’m off on my travels. I’m going on a trip for a week. I’m visiting a Spanish island. Holidays are for ‘normal’ people? Holidays are luxuries and you have to earn them? I don’t deserve holidays but purposeful travel is a necessity?

2. Yes, sadly, taking the non-environmentally-friendly route this time, because I hadn’t got it together to book cheap Eurostar tickets when they were available and there were only expensive ones left. So we are doing a cheap package holiday again.