Personal Retreat

Today was the first of three days of personal retreat for me.  Recently, demands have been made upon my time, talent, and abilities that caused me to reach a point of diminishing returns.  I feel as though I have nothing to give out right now, so I began to entertain the thought early in the week to escape for a few days.  I intentionally gave no thought to where I was going and made no advance plans;  I wanted to maintain a certain level of spontaneity and adventure.  Since I would be traveling alone -- no family in tow on this trip -- I knew I would have complete flexibility.

This afternoon, I found myself in Branson, Missouri.  I must admit that I was surprised myself at the ultimate destination.  Generally, I tend to seek out urban settings that have lots of activity and a very cosmopolitan vibe.  Branson was not defined as either in my mind. Now that I am here, I am finding that it is a very charming town with lots of things to do.  The nice thing about Branson is that it has a very wholesome vibe and operates at a very relaxed pace.

As I drove, I promised myself that this weekend would be all about me.  While not planning to go overboard, I intended to pamper myself a little bit.  I mean, who doesn't enjoy a little luxury in their life from time to time?  I was thinking that I would treat myself to a nice dinner and a show while I was here.  Funny how things don't always go according to my plan -- and often work out even better than I had expected.

I didn't know where I was going, so I needed to plug an address into my GPS before leaving home.  When I googled properties in Branson, the first one that came up was the Best Western in the historic area.  The facilities looked nice enough, so I thought I would be satisfied.  When I asked if there were vacancies for 2 nights, there was only one non-smoking room available:  a King suite with a whirlpool tub.  The price was reasonable (even though it was more than I had planned for), so I took the suite.  You're really not surprised, are you?  I mean....come on....a private whirlpool tub at my disposal for my back, arms, and hands?  Of course I'll take it!

I asked for dinner recommendations and was told about Rocky's, an Italian restaurant just a few blocks away.  Even though I was surrounded by children (some of whom decided to take a seat in my booth and carry on a conversation with me while we waited for our food!), the meal was quite nice...especially the pasta.  Walking back to the hotel, I made a quick stop into an old-fashioned ice cream parlor to satisfy my sweet tooth.  The rest of the evening was spent watching the premiere of the new season of Project Runway and soaking in the whirlpool.

As I am coming to the end of the day, I am realizing how important days like this are to me as an artist.  People of every profession become tired and weary, needing periods of rest to recover.  I do not diminish that fact in the least.  I think that these mini-vacations may be even more essential in the life of the artist.  Not only do they allow us to recharge, but they also re-inspire us;  my art is a reflection of my view of the world in which I live.  Without opportunities to "stop and smell the roses," my message becomes flat and uninteresting. 

I've tentatively made plans for tomorrow -- things that will bring me sources of inspiration for areas that I feel need to be refueled -- but I'm giving myself permission to scrap the plan at any point and begin afresh.  I don't want to be a slave to a schedule, personal expectations, or anything else.  I'm taking this trip one day at a time. 

Of course, my brain is always at work.  I've already thought of some great topics to blog about over on Collaborations and have inspiration for a new article relating to Children's Ministry, but all of that will just have to wait.  For the next 72 hours, I have only one job.....taking care of my personal needs at the expense of everything else.