24/08/2023
I owe you some updates, and I also want to share some inspiration. Recently, I was a band coach for Girls Rock Milwaukee, the program that half-inspired the idea for the Hidden Talents Retreat (the other half being the on-hiatus Stratejoy Summer Camp). Girls Rock is a day camp where groups of girls and gender-diverse kids ages 8-16 form a band, learn an instrument, write a song, and perform for a public audience, all in a week’s time. To say I was impressed by this group’s talent and creativity is an understatement; frankly, the quality of their performances blew me away.
And were they perfect? Obviously not!! Many of them just picked up their instrument for the first time five days before the performance! Most of them had never tried writing a song before! In fact, we had a whole workshop about the power of failure, the inevitability of making mistakes, and the willingness to be brave on stage anyway. (See photo above for reference.)
This is what it’s all about: showing up, trying, failing, trying again - until you make something pretty cool (but definitely not perfect). That’s the energy I’m trying to bring to this retreat.
And now, the updates: For now, the Hidden Talents Creative Retreat is slated to take place May 9-12, 2024, in Almond, WI. That may change; I’m working on potentially securing another venue, also in central Wisconsin, that has availability in June or August of next year. (I see you, educators and parents with tricky spring schedules! We want you with us!!)
That said, retreat tickets are still on sale through the end of September, and the regular price will not change regardless of venue. If you buy a ticket before the dates/location are finalized, and can’t attend later if the dates changed, you’ll be refunded in full.
Hope to see you next spring/summer, making music or art or film or writing or whatever your big creative heart desires.
