Bridget Bryan

This months highlight was taking a 24-hour self-guided art retreat in Kansas City.

Thanks to Airbnb I was able to stay right between the beautiful Plaza and Nelson Atkin’s Art Museum. Large trees and long parks and fountains abounded on either side. Plus I had a nice quiet veranda where I spent most of my time.

My only companions, with the acception of travel to KC and Sunday Mass at the Cathedral, were my trusty little moleskin notebook, tombow marker, and my watercolors.

I hope you enjoy looking at the views as much as I do!

My goal was to literally retreat and notice what came up during that, as well as study one object at the Nelson Atkins Art Museum by applying a technique suggested by my illustration mentor, Giuseppe Castellano for a future assignment.

My three take-aways were:

1. Getting out and doing travel journaling nourishes and grounds my soul.
2. I need to give myself more realistic time and focus on one thing at a time. (I had realized that my apartment was filled with piles and projects for future Bridget, when I really wanted it to enable a peaceful present Bridget.)
3. To retreat is like going out into the desert – going to the hermitage – to gather wisdom.

Ultimately, I gathered that

To retreat is to act with wisdom, with prudence. To retreat is to disengage, to step away from the noise. In that running away, one listens, hears, receives, and is nourished.

In what area of your life would you love to step back from, retreat, and reflect on? I’d love to hear!

If you’d like to use some of the same supplies check out the links below: (Note: I may receive a commission at no extra cost when you click the Amazon links below -Thanks for clicking!)

• Check out my tombow markers here.

• And my moleskine cahier’s notebook here.

• My watercolor kit is put together mostly from Windsor and Newton and Daniel Smith paints. I love Windsor and Newton’s travel kit, and Daniel Smith’s mouth-watering gold.

Thanks so much for reading!