I've never been to a writers' retreat or been awarded an artist's residency, and due to my particular geographical and personal situation, those experiences will not be within my reach for quite a few more years. I do sometimes wonder what I'm missing, so I enjoyed this article in Slate by Jan Swafford, called "Life in the Colonies." Who knew there were unspoken rules limiting self-promotion (though thank goodness for them) and other expectations of behavior?
Those of you with experience in artist colonies, retreats, and residencies, I'd love to hear about your experiences and assessments of the opportunities. Upside and downside and plain old anecdotes welcome.
2 comments:
Hi, Jessica — the terrific arts blog gwarlingo featured this post on artist residencies some months ago:
http://www.gwarlingo.com/2011/resources-for-artists-part-1-residency-programs/
I've only done two residencies, and many years ago. I learned that prolonged and uninterrupted time and space are wonderful things for reading and writing, but that too much of either can send me over the edge. It's good to be honest about one's individual needs and expectations before applying, so the gwarlingo post is helpful in this regard.
Wow, Mari, what a comprehensive post. It gave me lots of considerations about choosing a residency that hadn't ever occurred to me. Thank you for sharing!
You are absolutely right about knowing one's own needs and expectation. Great point, thank you!
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