Retreat Schedule
DAY 1
Welcome to Joshua Tree! We’ll be here at the perfect time of year. Weather in October is usually sunny and warm——but not too hot——with cool evenings. We’ll arrange to pick you up this afternoon from a designated central location in the town of Joshua Tree. Then we’ll whisk you off to our gorgeous retreat location. It’s only a few minutes drive, but it feels like a world away.
Next is our casual opening gathering where we’ll be able to meet each other, enjoy drinks and tasty bites, participate in a fun (optional) creative activity, and explore the beautiful home, grounds, and surrounding landscape of our retreat home base.
Afterwards, we’ll go over the plan and logistics for the week, answering any questions that may pop up.
In the evening, we’ll enjoy a lovely candlelit dinner on site, created for us by 2 local woman chefs who are known for their seasonal ingredients, delicious dishes, and beautiful presentation.
DAY 2
This morning, we’ll enjoy the signature Creative by Design workshop. We’ll explore the ideas of tapping into our own personal taste, finding creative inspiration that resonates with each of us, letting go of fear, and being intentional about practices. This workshop is inclusive of all different creative styles, levels of practice, types of projects, etc. Like we mentioned above, we truly believe everyone is creative and that we can ALL benefit from exploring this side of ourselves.
Then we’ll have a little free time to rest, chat, etc. while we prepare for lunch and our afternoon activities.
We’re off to have a picnic on a boulder at a favorite spot in the Joshua Tree National Park.
Next, we’ll take a leisurely hiking loop through one of the most diverse and interesting parts of the park. We’ll be able to climb boulders (if we want), see cholla cacti, ocotillo, and other desert plant life, smell the unmistakable scent of creosote, take in amazing vistas of blue skies and red cliffs, and feel the fresh air in our lungs.
Then we’ll head to a legendary area of the park where we’ll learn the story of a famous artist who's tied to that spot. We’ll have free time to explore, take photos, meditate, sketch, or whatever our hearts desire.
Before leaving the park, we’ll head up to the top of a nearby mountain for an incredible vista that extends across the Coachella Valley, all the way to Palm Springs.
And finally, we’ll have dinner at an atmospheric local spot known for Caribbean influenced cuisine and the best food in the valley.
Back at the retreat house this evening, we’ll meet in our groups once again, this time for intimate salon meetings where everyone will have the chance to safely share a creative project, idea, or dilemma with the group and receive constructive feedback and/or resource recommendations in return. Again, we are all creative and any and all types of creative subjects are welcome!
DAY 3
Today we’ll start with a series of round table discussions led by experts in each creative topic. You’ll be free to choose which discussion to join, and have the chance to dive deep and ask all kinds of questions. This will be such a great resource!
Then we’ll have a little free time to rest, chat, go for a quick walk, etc. while we prepare for lunch and our afternoon activities.
Next, we’ll break up into our smaller groups again for our afternoon activities.
Before heading out on our adventure, we’ll have a tasty picnic lunch on the patio of our retreat location.
This afternoon, we’ll go to the beautiful studio of a local ceramic artist who will teach us how to create pots from scratch. No experience necessary and all levels are welcome.
Afterwards, we’ll have free time to explore the charming vintage and design shops in old town Yucca Valley. The California desert is known throughout the world for its great vintage and old town Yucca Valley is a stronghold, plus there are some great design shops carrying new goods as well. As with all our moments of free time, if you’d like recommendations of what to do, see, etc. we are happy to help.
For dinner, we’ll eat at a spot with enchanting vibes that was a favorite of the Rat Pack back in the 1950s. It’s been restored in recent years and the food, drinks, and sunset views are all stellar.
Tonight we’ll reconvene at our retreat home base for a drawing night with a local artist. He’ll bring paper, colored pencils, markers and more, and we’ll have the chance to spread out on the various tables——drawing, doodling, chatting, and relaxing to our heart’s content. Again, all levels welcome! If you’re not someone who draws much, no worries. Here’s your chance, judgment free. Our artist host will be there to help and offer tips for whoever would like, but this is more of a vibe and a party than an actual workshop. There will be records and drinks, too!
DAY 4
Erin will start us off with an inspiring nature photo walk, sharing photo tips, and pointing out local flora and fauna along the way. After the walk, we’ll return back to the retreat house for a photo editing workshop where we’ll learn specific principles and techniques for making our photos really shine. (No special equipment necessary other than your cell phone. All levels welcome.)
Then we’ll have a little free time to rest, chat, go for a quick walk, etc. while we prepare for lunch and our afternoon activities.
This afternoon, we’ll have a tasty picnic lunch on the patio of our retreat location.
Then we’ll be joined by a local yoga instructor (who also happens to be a multi-faceted artist) to share a restorative yoga practice with us. (All levels welcome.) We’ll finish with a deeply soothing sound bath, setting us up for an afternoon of calm.
Another inspiring workshop this afternoon! This time, Erin is guiding us through some beautiful writing prompts. No matter what your occupation, we all have a use for brushing up our writing skills, whether it’s for work emails, photo captions, that novel you’ve been meaning to write, or anything else. You might be surprised at how much enjoyment and catharsis you find during this brief hour.
In the late afternoon, we’ll have free time to enjoy the retreat location and take a dip in the pool, go on another nature walk, write in our journals, browse the art and design books on hand, chat with our friends, nap on the patio loungers, or whatever feels right to you.
We’ll come together over another delicious catered meal from a great local spot that specializes in tasty Indian food. It’s all so good and the naan is to die for!
Finally, we’ll gather together at the retreat house for informal creative chats, drinks and treats, stargazing into the majestic Dark Skies of Joshua Tree… maybe even a dip in the hot tub.
DAY 5
Free time this morning to sleep in, go on a hike, get breakfast at a cafe in town, or however you feel called to spend your last morning of the retreat.
In the early afternoon, Eva will lead a workshop on visual journaling. We’ll have fun with collage, washi tape, stickers, bits of paper ephemera, instant photos, and more as we document the time we’ve spent together during our retreat, cementing the magical memories in our psyches. During the workshop, we’ll enjoy a fresh and tasty boxed lunch from another local purveyor.
Then we’ll have a little free time to rest, chat, go for a quick walk, etc. while we prepare for our afternoon excursion.
Next, we’ll take a trip to an otherworldly outdoor desert art museum. A renowned LA artist spent the last 15 years of his life creating large-scale assemblage sculptures that fill 10 acres. We’ll learn the fascinating story of this artist and this place from an art professional who worked closely with the artist during his life.
Back at the retreat house, we’ll have one more creative duscussion to share what’s on our mind as the retreat comes to a close, set intentions for moving forward, ask for more feedback on creative projects, or whatever we each decide to share with the group. (By the way, you can always opt out of being in the hot seat, if you prefer.)
For our last dinner, a pizza place beloved by Morongo Valley locals will come to the house and make us fresh pies on the spot. What a treat!
After dinner, we'll say our goodbyes over drinks, sweets, and more music——surrounded by the beautiful desert that’s kept us company us all week. We’ll all come away feeling inspired and replenished for whatever comes next!
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Eva Jorgensen Travel reserves the right to change the program because of local schedules, weather, if something new and delightful becomes available, etc.
If you have any food allergies, please let us know as soon as you apply so we can make arrangements to accommodate you as best we can. Reach out to hello@evajorgensen.com with any questions.
