The Spirituality of (Mother)Making: Exploring Rest, Rhythm, & Reverence

October 22, 2022 — Philadelphia, PA

“All of us who have given birth to a baby, to a story, know that it is ultimately mystery,” writes Madeleine L’Engle in Walking on Water.

RETREAT DESCRIPTION

“All of us who have given birth to a baby, to a story, know that it is ultimately mystery,” writes Madeleine L’Engle in Walking on Water. She goes on, it is “closely knit to God’s own creative activities, which did not stop at the beginning of the universe. God is constantly creating, in us, through us, with us, and to co-create is our human calling.” Why begin with this quote? In part because it captures something crucial both about mothering and about making, that they are tied up in mystery, something beyond us. But we also wanted to begin here in order to commence exploring what this mystery of mothering and making might actually look like in the mundane, ordinariness of daily life. Through this retreat, we’ll dive into the spirituality and mystery of making, specifically as women and particularly as mothers, to explore what it means to see from this lens, to create, to seek rest, and to find the sacred in the midst of it all.

Wellspring: A Mother Artist Project is hosting a pop-up retreat in Philadelphia on Saturday October 22, 2022. This is an opportunity for women, both mothers & artists, of all ages and stages of their creative work and motherhood journey to come together to explore the rest, rhythm and reverence of the creative life, the spiritual life, and the journey of motherhood.

This retreat is for creatives of any medium, from writers, to visual artists, floral designers, dancers, musicians, performers, and more. This retreat is also for women who have a desire for more creative pursuits but haven't found a way to make time, this is for you too (!), to explore and integrate into your day to day. To do so we will be guided by Wellspring co-founder, Jess Sweeney, and joined by two special guests, essayist & songwriter, Catherine Ricketts, and figurative artist, Lee Nowell-Wilson:

Registration prices include ALL of the offerings described above from breakfast, lunch & dinner, to all materials needs for the day, as well as a welcome bag and a month long post-retreat follow up and more.

Wellspring Retreats are open to all women, ages 18 & up, whether you are a working artist/mother-artist or a mother who wishes to tap into her creative potential. As noted above everything you'll need, except for personal travel expenses, is included in this Registration fee.

Space will be limited in order to sustain the intimacy and personal attention at the heart of the Wellspring Mother Artist Project.

When spaces fill up, we will create a waiting list for a spot in a future retreat or if a spot becomes available. We will be sure to update this page when spaces are full.

If there is enough interest, we are looking into providing on site babysitting during the retreat for those who have nursing or bottle-fed infants (up to 12 months).

Please note:

The only thing not included in your registration is: personal travel expense

(if you are coming from further away and wanted to stay overnight we’d be happy to try and connect you with other attendees who might be interested in sharing an airbnb or room at the beautiful bed & breakfast within walking distance)

Interested in supporting women, mothers, and artists?

Please note: We have included a "Support a Mother Artist" donation ticket on the registration page. We wanted to create a small fund from which we can offer scholarships to women who might need assistance with the registration cost. Your anonymous gift, in any amount, will generously support a fellow Mother Artist to come on retreat with you!

For questions regarding this scholarship or the retreat, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]

And for more details on Wellspring: A Mother Artist Project visit our website here.

Our Refund Policy:

Through August 15, Wellspring can offer a partial refund of 50% of original registration fee (not including the processing fee & taxes). After August 15th, while we will no longer offer partial refunds, you can:

•gift your registration to a friend

•offer it anonymously to the "Support A Mother Artist" fund

For any questions or concerns, please contact us at: [email protected]

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church, 4625 Springfield Avenue, Philadelphia, United States