creativeself retreats
creativeself is not only about making art. In fact, you don't need to know anything about art.
"I've created art immersion experiences full of a lightness of being. I want participants to commune with nature and walk the trails in the wild, old growth forest. The food and wine here in The County is gorgeous so we'll be having that as well. I hope that the fire pit will glow with conversations every night and the stars will take your breath away. I think that people will find an uncommon sensitivity to beauty in nature and in human nature and a deeper understanding of the source of their creative potential." – Gail Hill, CreativeSelf Founder
all-inclusive creative retreat for women led by artist Gail Hill in Prince Edward County.
A simple definition would describe motivated, imaginative women who meet to express themselves and to realize their expanded potential for creativity and change.
In the workshop setting, you will experience the potent benefits of a collective, focused, and supportive co-creative energy. Over the course of the retreat, the cumulative effect of elevating everyone and surpassing the scope of ordinary thought is inspirational. Creativity grows. What happens is outstanding.
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understand your ideas
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engage your imagination
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think like an artist
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trust your intuition
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see your potential
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uncover your sense of play
about gail
Gail Hill has been a career artist since 1982 in Toronto as well as France, England and the United States, working with the mediums of oil, analog black and white photography and poetry. Her work has been exhibited in private and public collections and can be viewed at www.gailhill.ca.
Gail has been dedicated to the integrity of a long creative career which has included visual arts, mentoring, group facilitating, creative writing, curating, and speaking engagements. As an artist, she has been continuously inspired by the essential nature of pure communication. The CreativeSelf process was developed through her collective experiences over four decades in witnessing how the effective nurturing of creative risks within a supportive process can profoundly affect imagination and appreciable accomplishment.
Photo: Christine Reid
“Gail is a rare and compelling guide to what it can look, sound, and feel like to fully embody your life and leadership. She alchemically shapes CreativeSelf by holding its myriad creative tensions with the kind of subtlety that can only come from a lifetime’s commitment to refining her own process. In a single moment, she combines the wisdom of an elder with a playful lightness, encouraging your childlike nature to reveal itself. She tempers her generous presence with fierce inquiry, illuminating pathways toward your full potential. She invites personal transformation in the safety of the collective she has masterfully curated, inspiring the kind of vulnerability that is essential for deep creativity and change. It has been a brilliant experience in the company of exceptional women!”
— Mary Stacey, Founder and Managing Director of Context Consulting
“Gail Hill is truth. I have been mentored for only 10 months and she has transformed my life. I came to Gail spinning ... and she helped me find my creative being - the one pushed aside in the service of others. She is able to listen and help me facilitate the change. She is creative, driven, smart, talented, inspirational, a fantastic listener and a powerhouse of knowledge. Gail is a game changer. I leave each meeting able to navigate the world with a clear head and I leave energized, believing in the human spirit and truth. My relationships both professionally and personally have benefited. She has taught me to be a better listener of others and to also hear my own spirit. In a world where potential is seldom realized, Gail Hill and her Creative Self process are leading the way towards inspiration and enlightenment.”
— Megan Less | Art Dealer | Toronto
“Gail is a remarkable person, and working with her has been life-changing. Artist, mentor, spiritual guide and truly gifted communicator, Gail’s inventive workshops are unlike any experience I’ve had before. She creates a graceful environment in her beautiful, peaceful studio, where participants listen deeply and reflect back to each other in the manner that Gail models brilliantly. Rarely have I felt more “seen and heard”. It is a privilege to listen closely to others and reflect back to them, and that dynamic is itself fundamental to the listener’s own transformation. Through this process, I am learning to take myself seriously as a creator and to manage my fears - and am downright excited to be making significant advances in my artistic endeavours!”
— Soraya Farha, Artist
upcoming creativeself retreats
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retreat FAQs
CreativeSelf Retreats are for women.
We welcome all women, including cisgender, transgender, and non-binary people who feel comfortable in a women-centered space. Truehouse and our team are proud supporters of the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
We are working on new creative & wellness programs for all-genders – coming soon!
✓ CreativeSelf programs and art immersion workshops
✓ Nature excursions & guided activities
✓ Mentoring call before the workshop - 30 minute✓ Mentoring call scheduled after the workshop - 60 minute
✓ Access to the CreativeSelf community Facebook group
✓ Two scheduled Zoom sessions with your workshop group (optional)
✓ 2-night stay in our cottage-style accommodations✓ Linens, bath towels, and bath care products
✓ Daily meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks)
✓ Prince Edward County wine, cider & nonalcoholic drinks served with dinner
Individual Mentoring
Individual mentoring is a one-hour guided process through your self awareness of creative structuring, communication, intention, processing and reflection. Individual mentoring can be used as an introduction to the CreativeSelf process for those on wait lists, or as practice in support of group retreats.
food & drinks
CreativeSelf retreats include 3 meals a day and snacks.
Start your day with a relaxed continental breakfast — French-inspired pastries, fresh fruit, and coffee or tea.
Lunch is a picnic with seasonal fare, paired with your choice of local PEC cider, or a non-alcoholic beverage.
Dinners are catered by local chefs, you'll enjoy farm-to-table meals paired with wines & ciders from The County.
the bedrooms
We have a few options when it comes to sleeping arrangements at Truehouse. All the rooms have linen and bath towels included, and a dedicated washroom on each floor with 2 showers, 3 toilets, and 4 sinks.
For those seeking to immerse themselves in the quintessential camp experience, we kept one room with the original Girl Guide camp bunk beds. We only book 2 people in the bunk bed room, so you will have a whole bunk to yourself. The second option, for a bit more space, is a shared room with two single beds. The third option, for those who desire privacy, is one of our private rooms that feature either a queen or double bed.
