The Manifesto

"The cutting up of shit is liberating, let's face it."

-Aggie, Lepreau 2008

Basic Tenents of Manifesto (draft)

1. Create and protect the space to have the retreat. Unless birth or death are imminent, perservere with your retreat concept.

2. Retreat means TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES.

3. Cultivate space and time for creative interaction.

4. Emerge from retreat with new tools and inspiration to take back to our regular lives.

5. food. Not over thought. 4 minutes at NB liquor, 10 minutes at Superstore. Basics to cover include beverages (happy hour, wine for dinner, coffee) Snacks (nuts, chips, vegetables) , quick and delicious meals (baked salmon w/fennel, potatoes and brie-lemon-sun-dried-tomato penne) 6. Limited access to outside world. Email and phone in moderation or not> at all.

7. Dave Scrimshaw:" You can help me by looking after yourself". This in reference to our special needs friendships/small children/needy men/relatives.( note: Dave was not actually AT the retreat, but the spirit of Dave was often invoked for inspiration/creative direction)

8. Loose schedule..reasonable expectations. Like 3 aprons by 3:oo pm.

9. Passionate about work/process, but not striving towards an end (or competing)

10. OPen to serendipitous inspiration.

11. Baby steps/warm-ups such as the flotsam and jetsam still-life exercise developed at last retreat.

12. Creative naming, such as "bait bag".

We aspire to see things differently, outside the box. We will take a sweater off our back and throw it into the saltwater felting pot. We will work outside our comfort zone...in the zone of true creativity.

Artists we like: Alice Neel, Milton Avery

Cooking Show Hosts: Jamie Oliver( contact for guest spot on Extreme Crafting tv series) WWJOD (what would jamie oliver do)

Music! Poetry !Other ! We believe in learning, growing, sharing, asking. Sharing resources, cross-pollination of ideas across disciplines. Felting, knitting, quilting, painting, sculpting, collage. We reserve the right to call Joan Wiebe (Gwen's mom) for technical support.