Artisa, the perfect ambiance for creative production
In June John Fitzgerald, an award winning Irish poet came to Artisa to join our open (writing) retreat. Upon returning home he wrote the following review:
Following a very efficient and amiable conclusion to our initial discussions around my application to stay at Artisa, I felt welcomed before I arrived; and I could not have experienced a warmer reception from Celeste on my actual arrival. The two weeks were characterised by harmony and peaceful companionship with the other participants, the place, and my work. Artisa provides a perfect blend of the social and the solitary to enable you to work alone without for a second feeling lonely. It provides the ideal combination of peace and purpose to enable you to be creatively productive in any medium or discipline.
The approach is very discrete, allowing one almost complete freedom to establish the work methods and patterns that best suit the task to hand. The location affords freedom to roam locally or spend time on the grounds, including at the beautiful shingle strand. In addition, the availability of bicycles and the proximity to the beach and village meant that it was possible to take short adventurous and refreshing breaks when needed. I found the other participants and Celeste to be receptive to cross-reading of my work, which proved fruitful. I had the opportunity to read my work to the group: this was a great personal privilege for me and I received useful feedback.
The accommodation, food and location are all excellent. The perfect balance of functional and comfortable. Every aspect of the physical facilities and catering, accommodation, etc. were simply superb. Celeste’s guiding presence and her equal skill in exceeding our dietary needs with stunning dishes mean that she is the mainstay of the place.
I came to Artisa to prepare a selection of my poetry for publication. I now realise that this would not have been possible to achieve in such a short amount of time and with such fulfilment had I attempted to do this while staying at home.
In addition, the peace and time I found in such abundance at Artisa offered opportunity for deeper reflection about many aspects of my writing, which reflections have since pressed me to work even harder to improve my craft.
I found in Artisa, not only the perfect ambiance and ethos for the sustained concentration I needed to muster to my particular task, but also a beautiful and resonant place which even inspired fresh new creative work…the Muses are Greek after all!
Celeste, what you do in stewarding Artisa, its retreats, visitors, brings benefit to so many lives that you should be justly proud of your work there. I think yours is one of those rare roles of which it can be truly said to advance the happiness and well-being of humanity.
John Fitzgerald, Cork, Ireland
We selected two poems John wrote at Artisa.
Outing
Almost noon.
The sow’s teats of the mountains
opposite the retreat lie directly
below the sun.
A thousand glints from
the water’s unsettling crests
glimmer just beneath.
Here, at the shore,
the eventual breakers
open and then inscroll
like blown folds lined
in thinly beaten silver.
A gaggle of geese approaches
improbably along the deserted beach:
close-knit outing of rural retirees.
Artisa
For almost the don’t seem to
entire length of mind the sun,
the path, from or our passing
the house down traffic, and never
to the sea, sleep or are
they make a overcome by
moving track, obstacles or suffer
working all day mission creep —
and night even the tiny
to transport ones that come
small and each night to
enormous traverse the
weightless vastness of my
loads along bath, the huge
their unmarked black lanky
dual carriageway. lads that boldly
They do not explore hand,
dream and knife, food,
never seem to until I guide
stop and think. them back to
But I wonder grass again —
about their only to double-
lives, how they take every
greet each other trunk of
on the street, every tree busy
as they seem with their
to do with relentless
a brief knowing going about
nuzzle, who their business.
gives the Now that I
orders, who have the time,
choses where and applying
to go so very what I have
unanimously, already learned
what to bring, here of such
where to put things, I will
things, and calculate to the
if they ever nearest one
feel even a how many ants
pipsqueak of there are
deviance. The in Greece.
