What's the Difference Between Art Retreats, Residencies, and Creative Sabbaticals?
They have a lot in common, but they aren't the same.
I often hear the terms artist retreat and art residency used interchangeably, and that’s not completely wrong. It’s also not completely right. When you throw creative sabbatical into the mix, you’ve got a whole new vocabulary that could threaten to stop you at the gate. Let’s sort them out so you can decide what works best for the project you’re working on, and where you’re at in life right now.
Before we get into it fully, I will say that these are all pay-to-play options. Yes, you can apply for some funded creative experiences, but I’m going to be real with you. They’re hard as fuck to get into. Try anyway. Just know what you’re up against.
That said, let’s look at the other options.
The Artist Retreat
A retreat, for artists or otherwise, is a place you go to learn or be guided along on a process. Retreats offer access to something like education, a network, guidance, an ayahuasca-driven transformation. You get the idea. The word retreat can sometimes feel like a misnomer. Yes, you’ll be away from home and usually in a gorgeous location that gives off vacay vibes, but you’re there to complete specific work with the help of a leader, and often in a group setting. The duration for a retreat ranges from a weekend to a few weeks.
And because they’re designed to transform a part of your project, all of the obstacles to getting there have been removed. They come with supplies and welcome kits. You stay there, they prepare and feed you three meals a day, and they usually have prearranged and chauffeured activities. All so that the bulk of your time is spent on projects/completion/transformation instead of logistics.
Some are fully funded, which makes them highly competitive. Some are invite only, designed for mid-career artists and not beginners, or you have to prove your artistic track record through traditional book publications, portfolios, or gallery showings. But many are for beginners.
Retreats are the premium version of a creative refuge, and can be an expensive option. Depending on your project, what type of guidance they’re offering, and your reasons for going, they can make a lot of sense.
These are awesome for:
Finishing something significant, and leaving with a roadmap for the rest of your project
Getting through a tough part of your project without having to spend 6 months in the archives/taking classes/burning your critique group out to learn how to do it
True support, where your time is sacred and not spent on anything other than your project
Meeting people who can help you take your project or career to the next level
They’re not awesome for:
Unstructured time to explore and determine what you’d like to do with your project
Down time and significant rest that feeds your creative process and summons the muse
Quiet time to reflect or simply unwind
The Art Residency
Residencies are basically a room with a cot off of the studio and a coffee pot on a side table. Or at least they used to be. Now you’ll find them in chateaux, old vineyard properties, former elementary schools, or some funky building that’s been renovated for living and working under one roof. There’s always a studio space to work in and a place to stay. You bring your own supplies. Sometimes you share a bathroom and a kitchen with other artists. Sometimes you have a little studio apartment all to yourself. Sometimes you’re there with 10 other people. Sometimes it’s just you. They vary widely, which makes them very customizable.
The point of the art residency is for you to have unstructured time to work on projects that matter most to you, and at a pace that suits you. Some residencies require you lead a workshop for the local community during your stay, or they’ll ask you to leave a small piece of artwork behind. Most of the time, you pay the fee to stay, you work on your craft, and you’re done. Some residencies provide a few meals per day, but most of them let you handle that yourself.
Most art residencies are open to artists at all stages of their practice. However, some are exclusive, invite only, or have a serious application process. Those tend to straddle the line between retreat and residency. Think Yaddo or Bogliasco. The cost of a residency varies widely, depending on where you’re going, the services available, how many other artists are in residence, and how long you’ll stay. Typically, they’re way more affordable than a retreat. The duration of residencies ranges from 1 week to 6 months.
Residencies are more about controlling your time and having dedicated space to work than they are about being fully supported.
These are awesome for:
Making new artist friends and learning from each other, or in the very least, being inspired by one another
Uninterrupted time and space in an inspiring environment
Finding a set up that truly works for you and the project you’re focused on
They’re not awesome for:
Instruction or heavy networking, even though you can make strides there. Not guaranteed.
The undisciplined, or those who truly benefit from a more structured environment and external accountability.
The Creative Sabbatical
These are truly what you make of them. The idea is that you have a set amount of time, and that time will be spent working on your creative projects and your creative life in general. Projects can be anything from starting a handmade business to finishing that damn book already. There’s a larger goal for a creative sabbatical other than catching up on all the scrap booking.
Sabbaticals can include retreats and residencies, if you feel that would help your larger artistic practice. It can also mean that you invest in your arts education, business courses for your arts business, or learn a particular medium you’ve always wanted to try.
A sabbatical is the ultimate way to recenter art and creativity into your whole life, and to rebuild a structured routine around your art practice so when you reenter the world, you’re art habits are deeply entrenched. And that’s the major difference of the sabbatical. You’re re-imagining your whole artistic practice in one go.
Sabbaticals are costly if you don’t have an income stream humming along in the background, but they’re the most life changing long term.
These are awesome for:
A complete recalibration of your art practice
Centering your creativity in a way that sustains you while staving off burn out
Slowing down in a fundamental way and reconnecting with the joy of making art
Finding or cultivating an arts community, starting an arts based business, or finishing a major project
Educating yourself on all aspects of your artistic life and practice, including a business if that’s the direction you’d like to go with it
They’re not awesome if:
You thrive in a heavily structured environment. This can feel like falling off a cliff.
You’re not sure what you’d work on, learn, or try. You need some external direction.
There’s not ample income to support you taking this much time out. Most people do this in retirement.
Now you know the key differences, and as you may imagine this is the tip of the iceberg. There’s far more to each type of creative refuge, but this should help you to determine where to start, what feels right for you, and what you may want to steer clear of.