Key Takeaways from Our Mastermind Retreat
The Mastermind Retreat for Art & Design Entrepreneurs that we organized for earlier this month was a highlight of the year, for so many reasons. First, it accomplished our goal of connecting colleagues in the field who value growth, camaraderie and a supportive mindset. Second, it exemplifies the benefit of exploring ideas outside your lane; we had the idea to orchestrate a retreat years ago and only pursued it when getting over the fear of failure and gaining clarity about the direction. Taking this leap was entirely worthwhile.
The retreat included workshops guided by nationally recognized career coach Megan Hellerer on achieving professional alignment and realizing new career potential. Alongside these workshops, we did a studio visit with sculptor Pedro de Movellan, had group classes centered around restoration, including an Illumination Ritual and Gratitude class, and took time for ourselves at the spa. We hosted the retreat at Miraval Berkshires, which was well set up for our program with a private dining room and dedicated spaces for our group.
Every single person who joined this retreat was 100% into it from the day they received the invitation, and that proved to be entirely beneficial. Those who were there wanted to be there. It’s important to note that this retreat happened the day after Election Day. We intentionally did not talk politics and welcomed the opportunity to retreat and restore. Each person was emotionally present for the entire experience; we laughed, cried, learned, and now feel connected for the long term.
Studio visit with sculptor Pedro de Movellan
Here are some key takeaways from the retreat:
Megan Hellerer is a fantastic career coach. She combines practical advice with psychological and spiritual insight, guiding conversation while letting it organically unfold. Reading her book and engaging her will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on your personal and professional life.
The crux of Megan’s coaching is that we do not need to work towards a specific destination. Rather, we should work towards a direction that feels right to achieve alignment. Assessing whether opportunities feel warmer or colder helps us take steps in the right direction, and removing the need to land in one place disentangles you from unnecessary pressure while opening up exciting possibilities.
Pedro de Movellan, an artist creating kinetic sculpture, is incredible. He welcomed us into his Stockbridge, Massachusetts studio with such warmth, sharing the thinking and process behind his meditative moving pieces. Seeing the environment in which he worked, nestled in the Berkshires with his dogs, chickens, and family, as the afternoon light poured through the windows, made it a memorable experience.
As evinced by Pedro’s practice, “creative cross training” is real. This means that diversifying the ways you can be creative optimizes your potential. Working with others, taking a hike, doing deep work, AND absorbing inspiration over the course of a week qualifies as creative cross training. Pedro’s sculptures move with the wind and are inspired by shapes he observes around him. Accordingly, taking hikes, biking around the Berkshires, and having dedicated studio time are all important parts of his art practice.
We shared a selection of books that felt relevant to our career opportunities and challenges. They are: On Our Best Behavior, When Things Fall Apart, Between Two Kingdoms & Get The Picture.
Taking care of ourselves for 3 days at Miraval was crucial. Some of us had mom guilt, tasks to set aside, and election hangovers to ignore, but combining professional growth opportunities with space to process and restore was exceptionally valuable.
In that vein, getting solid sleep helps your performance in every way. Here is a fascinating pod on how to get a better quality sleep and the performance statistics behind it.
Once quick exercise that is easy for anyone to do is a blind contour drawing. This is for anyone, artist or not, and the point is to NOT create a beautiful work. The point is to focus your mind on observation and process rather than outcome. Doing this exercise regularly changes the way your brain is wired in ways that help other parts of your life. I in fact did this recently with my daughters, who needed a break from various stressors around them. The immediate impact was notable, and it is so easy to do.
Finally, this retreat was entirely fulfilling from every standpoint. Participants want to do it all again, with the same exact group, and have raved about the program, group shares, and in particular, the impact of the Gratitude Ceremony at the end. We’d love to organize more of these, for this group and others. To share your interest in joining another, email us at ciao@masonlaneart.com.