Creative Wellness, Play, & Why the World Needs More of It (115)

What is creative wellness? How do creativity and wellness intersect, and why is this so important—especially now? In this episode of How the Wise One Grows, Holly Zajur and Kelly Eberle sit down with guest Preston Slaughter to explore how creative wellness is a powerful tool for healing, resilience, and reimagining the world we need today.

In a world that often feels overwhelming, we discuss:

• What is creativity, and when did it first show up in our lives?
• What blocks creativity? Unpacking perfectionism, societal expectations, & fear
• What is creative wellness? How creativity supports mental, emotional, & physical well-being
• Why creative wellness is a necessary antidote to today’s challenges
• The impact of play, imagination, and intuition in reclaiming creative expression
• How creativity extends beyond art—into how we build our lives and communities
• Our upcoming Creative Wellness Retreat in Costa Rica!

Creative wellness isn’t just about making art—it’s about living creatively, embracing play, and using imagination as a tool for growth. In this episode, we talk about how creative expression can help process emotions, cultivate resilience, and reimagine new possibilities—whether through movement, storytelling, mindfulness, or daily rituals. If you’ve ever thought, “I’m not creative”—this episode is for you. 🎧

Join Us in Costa Rica for the Creative Wellness Retreat!

Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, November 9-14, 2025

• Daily yoga, meditation, and movement
• Hands-on creative workshops (ceramics, watercolor, collage, and more!)
• Connection with nature, yourself, and a like-minded community
• Space to rest, explore, and reignite your creative spark
• No experience necessary—everyone is creative!
• Early Bird Pricing Ends March 31st!

🔗 Sign up & bring a friend for a special buddy discount: Waves of Creativity retreat in Costa Rica

🎧 Listen Now & Reignite Your Creative Spark!

28 Day Creative Wellness Challenge E-Workbook- Use the code KEEPCREATING for 15% off!

Waves of Creativity retreat in Costa Rica

Songwriting course with Brian E

Transcript

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:31:06
Speaker 1
All right. So we are still here and we are still trying to survive 2025. So Kelly and I have invited one of my dear friends, Preston, on, to talk about something that she and I are working on in creating to navigate these times in a way that we find really important. And that is through creative wellness. So you've heard me probably talk about that through my Creative Wellness workbook, and I've talked a little bit about the retreat.

00:00:31:06 - 00:00:50:06
Speaker 1
But today we just really want to lean into like what creativity is, what wellness is, what the hell is creative wellness. And like, why is it relevant today when it literally the world is and feels like it is on fire? So totally casual topic.

00:00:50:08 - 00:00:52:14
Speaker 2
It's chill. It'll be lighthearted.

00:00:52:16 - 00:00:59:09
Speaker 3
But actually it will be.

00:00:59:11 - 00:01:04:20
Speaker 2
Preston, you and I are meeting for the first time today. Cyber. And we are twins. Yes.

00:01:04:22 - 00:01:08:09
Speaker 3
In our wedding.

00:01:08:11 - 00:01:19:00
Speaker 2
But yeah. So I would love to know about you. Like how did you get into kind of what, what this means of like creative wellness and like did one come first. Was it a joined thing.

00:01:19:22 - 00:01:46:11
Speaker 3
Great question. Yeah. Thanks for having me on Holly and Kelly. I'm really happy to be back. Holly and I chatted a year or more ago about my business local adventures. So I'm just I'm an entrepreneur in in all the senses. I am a photographer. I am a teacher, I teach yoga, I started my own company teaching yoga, mindfulness and outdoor education to kids.

00:01:46:13 - 00:02:14:19
Speaker 3
And I also do retreats, wilderness retreats, and now a new theme of Creative Wellness Retreat with Holly. And so yeah, throughout the past ten years, I've just been really writing the creative wave of like, sometimes I'm doing more photography, sometimes I'm teaching more. I'm focusing a lot now on my business, local adventures, and teaching these tools that we're going to talk about today to kids.

00:02:14:21 - 00:02:38:06
Speaker 3
And Holly and I met in high school, actually, but it wasn't until I moved back to Richmond around the time of the pandemic, that we started reconnecting and launched a series last year at the Farmer's Market, where we taught yoga. That's how we really started working together, and collaborating in different capacity, and we realized that we have really great synergy.

00:02:38:10 - 00:02:45:20
Speaker 3
So we're really excited to be offering this opportunity to create and be well with us.

00:02:45:22 - 00:03:12:07
Speaker 1
You can correct me if I'm wrong on this, Preston, but I feel like like deepening our creative practices kind of came into our lives at a similar time. Like both in high school, we went to a high school that had like a really strong art program, and Preston was in the IB photography program and I was in IB ceramics, and it's really cool how that has continued to like, weave into our professional lives.

00:03:12:07 - 00:03:42:10
Speaker 1
And then we both became yoga instructors too. So it's just like a cool weaving and winding, overlap. And for me, like creativity, like I really connected with creativity first for healing. Like I dove super heavy into ceramics in high school when I was like at a really tough point in life for me, dealing with some stuff that was pretty heavy at the time.

00:03:42:12 - 00:04:04:11
Speaker 1
And it was for me. I started getting really into yoga and really into pottery at the same time. I would spend like every Saturday, my junior year of high school, going to a yoga class in the morning and then going to the pottery studio because my teacher opened it up on Saturdays for you to work. So, like both became deep outlets of healing for me.

00:04:04:13 - 00:04:14:14
Speaker 1
So for me, they've always felt super linked, but that's kind of what really got me hooked on creativity, because I was like, this makes me feel better.

00:04:14:16 - 00:04:41:13
Speaker 3
And I would relate to that. I mean, I'm thinking back and you got my juices flowing of like, how when did I really lean into creativity? And it was around the same time that I also started leaning into yoga and spirituality, which was when I lived in Thailand. I studied film in college, but it wasn't until I moved to Thailand and brought my camera with me and just started getting lost in, like, travel photos where I was like, wow, something's really clicking here.

00:04:41:14 - 00:04:59:07
Speaker 3
Like, I fell for the first time in my life. Like, I was really in that flow state when I'd be taking photos for hours just wandering around a new city. And on on this flip side of that same point, I was like, and I think I might be able to, like, make a career out of this, like. And so it's just really cool to see.

00:04:59:07 - 00:05:24:01
Speaker 3
I mean, I think of creative creativity and creative wellness as like how to create the life that you want to live. Like we're creating. We have the opportunity every single day to wake up and choose how we want to live. And that includes in a big way, our work and yeah, I think Holly and I are both fortunate enough to have been raised also in a family and families that support the arts.

00:05:24:02 - 00:05:35:02
Speaker 3
My, my mom and her whole family are all artists, so that definitely is a factor for me. Yeah, yeah, I got into this space.

00:05:35:02 - 00:06:19:17
Speaker 2
That's huge. And I love that you said like the the creativity in that it should or can incorporate like how you work and just like your day to day too, because I feel like I feel like from a very young age, I, I was a creative kid and was always like doodling and doing, children's theater and stuff like that, and then got into singing and I am, I'm this is a very interesting episode for me in this time of life, because I basically went through high school, got more and more passionate about singing and songwriting, and then ended up going to music school and then moved pretty much straight from there to Nashville to

00:06:19:17 - 00:06:42:05
Speaker 2
pursue music. And I lived there for close to eight years, seven and a half years, I think. But what's really interesting is I was Holly and I, I've talked about this quite a bit, but I had found myself in such a place over and over again in Nashville, and I just moved back up to Connecticut. I say just it's 2025.

00:06:42:05 - 00:06:46:19
Speaker 2
I moved in 2023. Holy crap. It's what.

00:06:46:19 - 00:06:48:08
Speaker 1
Is teetering.

00:06:48:10 - 00:06:52:15
Speaker 2
Oh my gosh. Wow. Yeah. I'm literally like yeah.

00:06:52:15 - 00:06:55:06
Speaker 1
So the next four years will go by that fast.

00:06:55:06 - 00:07:28:22
Speaker 2
Oh my God. Please please God. But I yeah I feel like something happened. I think I think several things happened, but I think that no small part of it was going to a music school where you're having people tell you like, this is the formula for how you're supposed to be creative in this field. And if you veer outside of that, you either think you're really special and you're not that special or like, you'll just like, not make it and it's not.

00:07:28:22 - 00:07:56:03
Speaker 2
And you should be doing this thing. And I feel like there was so much in my head that got me into this space of being like, oh, okay, if I'm going to be a musician, I have to be a capital M musician and do it the right way. And I like straight up. Recently I told Holly I've been taking like a month long, workshop online with Brian Eno, who's fucking incredible.

00:07:56:03 - 00:08:20:03
Speaker 2
If you don't know him, you should look him up. He's incredible. But he did a songwriting course and his whole thing, like, everything was just like, if you don't have anything to say, say something stupid and see how it feels like. Just try stuff, you know? And it feels like this direct, like, recall to that early childhood, kind of like, oh, I'm just going to try stuff because who cares?

00:08:20:03 - 00:08:53:16
Speaker 2
It's just being creative. It's just fucking around, you know? And I, I like, love that because I think that, I mean, you both are yoga teachers. You can tell me your thoughts on this. I'm very interested. But I think when I started practicing any yoga, it's a really for me it was. And I know other people who feel this way that it's it can be really intimidating at first when you don't know what all of the, poses are called or what, like the vinyasa flow is or whatever, and you want to look around, but the whole practice is supposed to be like inward.

00:08:53:16 - 00:09:12:11
Speaker 2
So you're like, I don't want to be looking at other people, but I also like I want to do it right. But you guys both are. It seems like in your practice you're like, there's no right. It's yoga. You just you like, work through it. Like, I don't know, I would love to hear about how that kind of aligns in your yoga practice as well.

00:09:12:12 - 00:09:42:00
Speaker 1
Oh, there's like so much there. And I want to like circle just for a moment first to like what you were saying about, like the product of creating because like, I feel really similarly to that as a potter, like I have never created for that end product, like I've created for like the process of creating. And then there's so many times all the like, well, that didn't look how I wanted it to look.

00:09:42:00 - 00:10:09:07
Speaker 1
And I feel shitty about myself, but it's like, well, why did I step behind to do this? And like, what did I get out of the creating? And like, that is, I think, more important and like, can we or it depends on your the intention behind it. But like if we can approach creativity as like a playful way of embracing a process like that can really change everything.

00:10:09:08 - 00:10:28:07
Speaker 1
And I think that's where like a lot of the perfectionism comes into with people now that I've been doing like creative wellness stuff, more and more, I'm finding this is the most common response I get in a similar note to like the other thing, when I first started teaching yoga, people would always say like, oh, I would love to come to a class, but I'm not flexible.

00:10:28:09 - 00:10:53:23
Speaker 1
And now people when I'm like doing clay things or creative wellness things, they're like oh I would love to come, but I'm not creative. And I think the whole point is that like we actually all are creative and the way you like tap into creativity or flexibility is by like showing up and like doing it and trying and like doing new things to unlock that energy.

00:10:54:01 - 00:11:15:20
Speaker 1
And when it comes to yoga, there are systems of yoga that are very strict and like, you're not doing it right. Like, I was a hardcore Ashtanga for years, and I remember before I like in my yoga teacher training, they told me that like, your vinyasa is your art form and I would like close my eyes and get all playful with my arms and like move around.

00:11:15:20 - 00:11:40:02
Speaker 1
And I loved it. I felt like I was like painting with my body. And then I got into Ashtanga and they were like, the fuck is that? Look here, arms here, legs there. This is how you do it. And I got like hardcore into that for many years and it served its purpose and was important. And now I find myself like inviting playful movement again on the mat too.

00:11:40:04 - 00:11:53:14
Speaker 1
But I think like, yoga is so broad that there's like no singular answer to that. But yeah, you know, there can be different intentions behind different practices. I don't know if you have different thoughts on that, Preston.

00:11:53:16 - 00:12:29:14
Speaker 3
Well, something that no, I agree with all of the above, but something that Kelly said made me think of and you both mentioned like play and kit, like it. It makes me think of like, okay, we're all if you look at children, they're all creative. Like every kid has their own way of like learning and processing information. And when you ask a child like what brings them joy, usually they all respond with some form of either art or movement or food or something that, like you consume or create.

00:12:29:16 - 00:12:54:02
Speaker 3
And I feel like we are we unlearn that as we grow older. And it makes me think, even if you're like a metaphor for your vinyasa to Ashtanga practice, it's like at a certain point in life that creativity gets like smacked out of you. Like teachers who, whoever it may be teachers, parents, friends, peers are like, no, that's like also thinking about kids.

00:12:54:04 - 00:13:22:18
Speaker 3
Like if you watch kids just like, so uninhibited, like moving around, not caring about what other people think. And that's like, that's what I, I guess, aim to, to do in my yoga practice is like, I'm not there for anybody else to, like, look at me or for me to look at them or whatever. Like, I, I don't it doesn't matter what this practice looks like, it's more about what it feels like.

00:13:22:20 - 00:13:35:23
Speaker 3
And that also connects to what you were saying about, you know, the end product, the outcome versus the why behind why you're doing something I just love, like looking at kids as a metaphor for or just looking at them.

00:13:35:23 - 00:13:37:00
Speaker 1
As.

00:13:37:01 - 00:14:15:10
Speaker 3
Not. And, you know, like, what are all the things that we've unlearned in our lifetime and I don't think there's a kid out there under the age of like seven that's going to tell you they're not creative. I also remember, like, I specifically remember, like going to art class, like, I was a really good student in school where, like, I fit into all the boxes, but for some reason, I never felt like I fit into the box in art class because it was like I remember specifically learning how to, like, draw a face, and it was like the eyes go here, the nose goes like all the the, like the ratio of all

00:14:15:10 - 00:14:33:16
Speaker 3
the educators. And I just couldn't do it. Like, I remember erasing and like erasing and trying again. I was like very perfectionist in that way. But I think it's almost because it was like, okay, here's this blank paper. And now you have to create in this exact way. Like it wasn't until much later in my life that I started leaning into creativity in that way.

00:14:33:18 - 00:14:37:22
Speaker 3
That was more of like outside of the box thinking, I love that.

00:14:38:03 - 00:14:54:07
Speaker 2
I will say, you know, what's interesting is I went from a teacher in elementary school, an art teacher in elementary school who was very strict, and things have to be done a certain way. And I, like my sisters, and I have talked about memories where we're like, do you guys remember her being this harsh about like, things not being right?

00:14:54:10 - 00:15:13:07
Speaker 2
They were like, yeah, for sure. That was her vibe. But then when I went to middle school, I had the best gift ever, which at the time I hated. But now I'm like, I love that so much. I had an art teacher who wouldn't let us use erasers at all, and she was like, everything that you do becomes your art.

00:15:13:07 - 00:15:34:14
Speaker 2
You can build upon it, you can cover it up if you don't like it, but whatever. But like you are not anything you do like, make it into something. And I'm just like, that is the most like I I've chills like thinking about that because I'm like, that's the most beautiful thing. Because how many times do we get in our own way and like, say like, oh, I'm not this, so I can't do that?

00:15:34:14 - 00:15:43:17
Speaker 2
Or, you know, something where it's like, oh, if I had more time, if I were a kid again, I would do that. But. And you guys have the perfect opportunity for going back.

00:15:43:17 - 00:16:01:03
Speaker 3
To the life metaphor. Like, we can't, like we can't erase or like we can't undo the things that we've woken up and done, the decisions we make. You know, you have to just continue to evolve and grow and change and work with what we have. So I'm really great. Yeah. I'm amazing. I think this is.

00:16:01:03 - 00:16:07:22
Speaker 1
My favorite conversation ever.

00:16:08:00 - 00:16:40:17
Speaker 1
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00:16:40:19 - 00:17:03:05
Speaker 1
When I was first like sitting with myself of this like question, what is creativity for me? And like, what is wellness for me? Like I kept coming to like this connection between like your insides and your outsides, like creativity, like in your life, because I see it very similar to Preston is like creating a life you love. Like the ultimate thing you are creating in this world is your life.

00:17:03:05 - 00:17:23:04
Speaker 1
Like the way you set up things in your home, like what you put on your plate in a day. Like if you choose to have a family, like how you move through that relationship's like it's all a creation. Yeah. And I think we get stifled so much because like Preston was talking about with like that teacher saying like, this is how you draw a face.

00:17:23:06 - 00:17:46:17
Speaker 1
People say like, this is how you live a life. You follow this timeline, you check this box, you do this thing. And I think so much of like the illness we have in society is people like trying to fit into these boxes that don't feel like them, like they're in it doesn't feel like their truest, fullest, like inner child, bright self.

00:17:46:17 - 00:18:12:19
Speaker 1
So that like we get really bogged down and feel really heavy. And I think when we can like find the knowing and the confidence to like step outside the mold and like for me, like wellness is a way of like meeting the whole of me, like the dark part, the things you want to erase that you can't, the boxes you don't fit in that you feel uncomfortable about.

00:18:12:19 - 00:18:39:06
Speaker 1
Like, how can you embrace your wholeness and then like, resource yourself with skills to like, nourish your body, your mind, your spirit, and like trust your capacity to meet the whole of you every day? And then when you trust your capacity to meet the whole of you, you can start to like, reflect that to your outer scape and be like, okay, well, I don't fit that box and I'm going to create this little squiggly over here and I'm just going to like shimmy on over and do that.

00:18:39:07 - 00:19:03:08
Speaker 1
Like I just think it's so important to be able to like, have that inner relationship with yourself in order to create, because I think creativity is like it's an internal thing, but it does have an external process, part of the experience, because a part of it is, I think, letting that energy out.

00:19:03:10 - 00:19:27:08
Speaker 3
I was gonna add to that too. And then it sounded like you were going in that direction is like, to me, creative wellness is also trusting your intuition. Like your intuition knows like that inner knowing that you're talking about your intuition knows how to be creative. It knows how to go with the flow. It knows how to make the squiggles and it doesn't really know how to fit in the box.

00:19:27:08 - 00:19:47:02
Speaker 3
Like I think that's what people struggle to trust their intuition, because it's usually telling them to do something that is outside of the box versus. So it's like trusting that inner knowing versus listening to all of that external noise. Oh my favorite Buddhist quotes is there is no external refuge.

00:19:47:04 - 00:19:48:10
Speaker 2
Oh.

00:19:48:15 - 00:19:52:04
Speaker 3
And that just. Yeah I mean that says it says enough.

00:19:52:04 - 00:19:59:14
Speaker 2
Yeah. Yeah. That's like a beautiful gut punch of a sentence. It feels like a punch right now.

00:19:59:16 - 00:20:03:16
Speaker 3
I was not even the beaches of Santa Teresa.

00:20:03:18 - 00:20:07:11
Speaker 1
It's not even a rabbit.

00:20:07:13 - 00:20:32:17
Speaker 2
It will come with you wherever you go. I will say, though, this is this is a good segue to what you were saying earlier. Preston is like the timing of your, specifically your creative retreat that you're doing and just the world that we're living in, especially, with having just had this inauguration and all the things that are already happening so fast.

00:20:32:18 - 00:20:55:15
Speaker 2
And I think that that is, it's really interesting because I was listening to a podcast actually, that was talking specifically about how it feels counterintuitive when things are this heavy and this serious and bad and, and a lot of people feel like, okay, I have to I have to listen to like, all of my news sources on the way to work.

00:20:55:15 - 00:21:14:15
Speaker 2
And then I have to get home and I have to watch news, and I have to be like, taking in what's happening so that I'm aware and I'm. But then it's like really heavy. And then they're thinking like, well, oh my gosh, what can I do? And getting bogged down and this podcast, I loved it. It was saying like, obviously, yes, it's important to be aware.

00:21:14:15 - 00:21:41:01
Speaker 2
It's very important. It's important to play your role as a member of society if you want a better future than what we have. But that part of it. The host was saying that it's imperative now more than ever to allow that. Like playful. Imagine ation, because that's the only way we're going to get out of this box that we have made of, like, this is how our political system works in the US.

00:21:41:03 - 00:22:07:17
Speaker 2
This is who's in charge, this is what's happening. And I feel like it's I mean, time and time again, this has happened, but we've seen it many times of recently in our lives where it's like we're just watching the systems that are in place just benefit fewer and fewer people and hurt more and more people intentionally. And it feels, I think, and I really appreciated that.

00:22:07:17 - 00:22:32:02
Speaker 2
This podcast said it was like it feels counterintuitive when it's this heavy outside to allow yourself to turn to play and imagination and creativity. But I loved that. That was like, that's a part of what you guys are saying, too. Like, creativity is not limited to what you're drawing in your sketchbook or like what you're singing about or your dancing that you're doing or whatever.

00:22:32:02 - 00:22:54:07
Speaker 2
It's like, how do we want to live? And that's also like on a global level. Like what? Let's imagine the best, most beautiful future that we can and then figure out how, like the steps backward to like, okay, now how do we start putting that into place? But I think that that's a really that's just it's to me, it was a really beautiful reminder of like, oh, right.

00:22:54:07 - 00:23:24:02
Speaker 2
It's not selfish to be pursuing things that are like kind of like imaginative. And obviously there's a fine line between just being like, I can't deal with this. I'm checking out and I'm escaping into my dream world. But I think having that balance of, I guess, exactly like creative wellness, like if you're working on yourself, I fully I'm a big believer of this, and I think it is like the Buddhist thing is like, if you are working on yourself, you are working on the world because we are all part of the same thing, you know?

00:23:24:04 - 00:23:37:10
Speaker 2
So I'm just like, yeah, I don't know. I thought that was that was such a good point. That was brought up and this podcast was, of course, the Cheney podcast. I know. Yeah, I knew it. The big reveal,

00:23:37:12 - 00:23:54:23
Speaker 3
I think you play more than ever now like this is everything's like what you're talking about is so serious and these are so serious. These conversations are so serious. And like, the antidote to that is play. Yeah. Like wellness is the best form of resistance.

00:23:57:00 - 00:24:21:19
Speaker 1
So yeah I totally hear that. And I like I mean too like I know that we all know this but this is just like important to name too is like we are white women sitting here. We have like the privilege to be able to turn off the TV at times and feel like it's a different scenario if we than if we were in different bodies and for all people.

00:24:21:19 - 00:25:05:14
Speaker 1
I do think that capacity to like the first time around, like I got so consumed by the media, by everything that was happening that it like it tear you apart, it broke you into like maintain through this into create like the the deep change that we need. We need to take care of ourselves and resource ourselves and resource one another to get through this for the long haul and like, do the deep work and like, just like you're saying, Kelly, I actually like, wrote my thesis on this in college, I was a Global Development Studies major and an art administration major, and my whole drive was like, we need to educate youth in the arts

00:25:05:14 - 00:25:32:08
Speaker 1
so that we can imagine a different future than we have. I did like this art instead thing. And like when people are creating, you learn your agency. Like when you sit down and create a pot, like you literally turn a ball of dirt into a vessel that like, you drink a mug out of you make a lamp, you make all these things, and you learn your ability to turn something like seemingly nothing into something completely different.

00:25:32:08 - 00:25:58:11
Speaker 1
And it builds like confidence in your self, confidence in your ability to create things you haven't seen before, new things like initiates agency and then like we've touched on throughout as like we're not going to get new results doing the same thing. Like if we don't like what we've got, the solution isn't to continue the exact same shit we've been doing.

00:25:58:11 - 00:26:27:16
Speaker 1
We need to have creative solutions to the problems we are facing and to tap into those creative solutions, like we need to be able to feel safe in our bodies, to like, feel safe in our communities, you know, and creating pockets of that safety for ourselves and one another so that we can, like, find joy, we can find play, and we can find the creativity that's going to help us transform the external stuff that we're living through.

00:26:28:14 - 00:26:57:21
Speaker 3
And to get off the screens, like back to again. Right. Like we're living increasingly digital society. And again, why creativity is more important than ever. Like we're we're losing that with AI. We're losing that with all these high tech systems. So yeah, we need to use our hands as much as possible. And sometimes I even feel that after like an entire day of being on the computer, being on my phone, like literally going into the kitchen and chopping something.

00:26:57:21 - 00:27:01:09
Speaker 3
Yeah. So meditative and helpful for my brain.

00:27:01:11 - 00:27:34:09
Speaker 2
Yeah. I recently started knitting with, the help of my. I'm learning from my best friend's mom, who lives a town over from me, and I am like, there's something. It's definitely frustrating. I'm not good at it. I'm very new, but there is something so satisfying. And just like, like I was just like, oh, I can bring this with me and fill my time instead of literally looking at my phone like my my best friend whose mom is teaching me.

00:27:34:09 - 00:27:45:23
Speaker 2
She also knits and she lives in Paris and she's like, yeah, and that. And then you get the smallest, needles so that you can, like, still fly with them and like, I do it on the Metro in Paris and I'm just like, wait, oh my gosh.

00:27:46:02 - 00:27:50:03
Speaker 3
Not to mention you're making the clothes that you can wear on your back. Yeah.

00:27:50:05 - 00:27:57:15
Speaker 2
So cool. What's next? Next year I'll. I'll be wearing a Kelly Everly original knit.

00:27:57:17 - 00:28:01:06
Speaker 1
We will all be wearing Kelly ever really original knit.

00:28:01:08 - 00:28:04:15
Speaker 2
Just like the high ambition sweatshirts.

00:28:04:17 - 00:28:06:06
Speaker 1
Everyone's letter.

00:28:06:07 - 00:28:28:10
Speaker 2
Yeah, exactly. Okay, this might be a good, segue time to pull it back a little bit about your specific retreat, because I do have some questions. And you mentioned Holly specifically. You said you have a lot of people who are like, I would do a yoga class, but I can't because I'm not flexible or I would do creativity, wellness, but I'm not creative.

00:28:28:10 - 00:28:47:12
Speaker 2
Whatever do you have? This is like kind of Q&A from someone who does not know at all what you're doing. I would love to hear what you guys are doing, but also, is there a specific type of person who could or could not sign up for this? I think I know the answer, but I'm going to let you.

00:28:47:14 - 00:29:14:11
Speaker 3
I mean, short answer is we're back to what we were saying about the kids. We're all creative. We all have that inner child that is so creative is the begging to rear its head inside of us. And so this retreat is for everyone from the artist, the seasoned artist who has a craft, a skilled craft, all the way to the person that claims that they are not creative.

00:29:14:11 - 00:29:33:03
Speaker 3
We are. The goal is to debunk that myth and to for people to walk away with tactile things that they've made first of all, but also tactile ways to infuse creativity into their life. So the whole spectrum.

00:29:33:05 - 00:29:58:12
Speaker 1
Yeah. Preston. So right on that. And just like a rewind for someone listening who you're like, what the hell are you doing? Matt Preston and I are leading a creative wellness retreat in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, which is this magical beach jungle town that I told you about in episode 114? Or no, maybe 113? Yes. That one where Will almost drowned.

00:29:58:14 - 00:30:20:23
Speaker 1
But it's this magical beach in Jungle town, and we're staying, like, on this beautiful hill that, like, you hear howler monkeys when you're up there, you're seeing views of the ocean. It's like a five minute walk to the beach. And every day we're going to have a mindfulness practice, like some type of morning meditation, some type of movement from yoga to like dance.

00:30:20:23 - 00:30:43:13
Speaker 1
Preston teaches booty yoga, which is so fun. And we're going to have a creative practice. And then also like those are going to be happening throughout your day, but then there's also space in the middle of the day for you to do, like what you need. So we have like a bunch of excursions, whether it's like a surf lesson or a waterfall hike or going to Tortuga Island.

00:30:43:13 - 00:31:04:03
Speaker 1
Like you can sign up for an adventure every day if that's what your heart wants, or if your sweet little heart just wants to, like, lay by the pool or chill by the beach. Or just like, explore this town which is like got tons of yummy food and cafes like do your thing, do whatever you need. A core value of the retreat is like nourish.

00:31:04:03 - 00:31:13:09
Speaker 1
So we want you to like nourish your body, your mind and your spirit in whatever way that is for you. Yeah.

00:31:13:11 - 00:31:20:08
Speaker 2
I love that. And you said creativity practices are do you can you tell me a little bit more about that?

00:31:20:10 - 00:31:37:18
Speaker 1
Well, one that I'm really excited about is I did find a local potter there. So when I was staying in Santa Teresa, I had this great Airbnb host who kind of, like, helped me find the place to host the retreat. And this potter to work with her kids take pottery there. And I saw their work and I was like, I need to meet this human.

00:31:37:19 - 00:31:56:09
Speaker 1
So there's a potter that we're going to work with. We're going to create a ceramic vessel hand-built. I'll guide you through it on our yoga creativity deck at our retreat space. That's one of them we're going to do. What else are we gonna do? We're gonna do like, watercolors. Preston's like the vision board queen and collage queen.

00:31:56:11 - 00:32:29:06
Speaker 3
Definitely collaging. Definitely different types of movement. Somatic, different somatic practices as well as dance. And just like Kundalini shaking, lots of, like, moving energy through breath through dance movement. And then a few other surprise creative activities that we don't want to release, just yet, but we definitely have some really fun things up our sleeves.

00:32:29:08 - 00:32:30:07
Speaker 1
Nice.

00:32:30:07 - 00:32:51:23
Speaker 2
Also. Okay, I would love to know, how did you guys come up with the idea to do this? Like you said that you you went to school together, but then kind of were living your separate lives and like recently got back together in enrichment and we're like hanging out more. But was it like one of you had this idea or like, how did this kind of come to be?

00:32:52:01 - 00:33:11:11
Speaker 1
I had done like, creative wellness, like one day Clay retreat, with my friend Courtney here. And I've been, like, exploring this realm a little bit more and then press. And I have, like, been hanging out, working together, and I. I've been like, Preston is my favorite person to work with, and I would love to do this with her.

00:33:11:11 - 00:33:27:05
Speaker 1
So I was like, first, I kind of like picked Preston's brain because she was leading retreats, but I didn't want to, like, step in on what she already had doing. So I was just like, well, you just like, tell me what leading to retreat is like. And then it just kind of unfolded that way.

00:33:27:07 - 00:33:30:02
Speaker 2
I love that. So you've already done some retreats Preston.

00:33:30:07 - 00:33:53:19
Speaker 3
Yes I am hosting, I have one of the retreat this year and it will be my ninth retreat. Wow. I have a business partner in Colorado. I used to live out there and we do wilderness retreat. So we've done backpacking, we've done snowshoes. We've done whitewater rafting. It's like very it's not luxury. It's like rustic. Back to basics.

00:33:53:19 - 00:33:58:17
Speaker 3
We're backpacking usually into like backcountry huts.

00:33:59:08 - 00:34:03:15
Speaker 3
So a little bit different but kind of the same idea of like.

00:34:04:22 - 00:34:29:09
Speaker 3
We're stripping down a lot of like I feel like there's just the retreat world is really oversaturated and it's a lot of like go to this like five star resort and pay all of this money to like get business coached by this influencer or whatever. And the idea is like, yes, Holly and I will be your guides and we'll be teaching classes.

00:34:29:09 - 00:34:56:12
Speaker 3
But also like, this is about you and your experience and how to tap into what you really need. Like Holly was saying, how to nourish through what we're definitely going to have like free space with like a little bit of structure, but free space for people to work on their own craft as well as a week progresses. So not as much like drawing inside the box type of activities.

00:34:56:12 - 00:35:19:07
Speaker 2
I love that too. I know that I'm someone that like whenever I go on any kind of trip, my my favorite thing is when I have time, it like one of two things literally just walk around wherever I am and just like see a new place. And also, I really love napping on vacation. Like, I really love just like resting in a new place.

00:35:19:09 - 00:35:51:18
Speaker 2
And I love that you guys have this. Obviously there is a goal for it, which is, yeah, like create something, get back in touch with that kind of inner child that was like knew how to kind of intuitively just like exist without the confines that we have put on ourselves or learned or whatever. But there's also, yeah, room for people to like, like you said, Holly, if you want to, like, go on an excursion every day, you totally can't if that's going to fill your cup, if you want to be like, I'm just going to rest and like, soak in this beauty, you can do that too.

00:35:51:18 - 00:35:52:18
Speaker 2
And that's awesome.

00:35:52:20 - 00:36:14:21
Speaker 3
And yes, and like another aspect of retreat that I feel like isn't talked about as much is like giving up all the stress of planning a trip. Like basically you're having someone else plan all the details for you. Like we're planning a shuttle from the airport. We're planning, like every meal, every excursion, like we've already booked the place.

00:36:14:23 - 00:36:36:04
Speaker 3
And the place I haven't been, but Holly has been and it looks really epic. We're going to have private access to this entire villa, our own private port overlooking the ocean. There's lots of options for people to stay by themselves, stay with a buddy or stay, like in a bigger villa with like, 6 to 8 people.

00:36:36:04 - 00:36:47:09
Speaker 3
So if you're looking for that community that's there, but if you're also looking to just retreat and be on your in your own time, that is also available.

00:36:47:11 - 00:37:12:23
Speaker 1
Then I think that's like another like value. When we were like sitting down to plan this, we were like, what were our values? It was like creativity, nourishment and connection and like connecting like with yourself. Your like internal community, like all your parts, your inner child connecting with like an external community of like creatives around you. Like the people are really going to like build the experience.

00:37:12:23 - 00:37:42:03
Speaker 1
Which is why I want the really cool how the wise one grows listeners there. And like connecting with nature, which is like such a strength that Preston brings and and like that Costa Rica, just like being in Costa Rica and connecting with the nature there is just so profound and healing. And having space for that, I think, provides like a bone deep nourishment that I'm really excited to.

00:37:42:05 - 00:37:44:09
Speaker 1
I'm ready for it.

00:37:44:11 - 00:37:46:04
Speaker 2
When is this retreat happening?

00:37:46:08 - 00:38:10:05
Speaker 3
The retreat is happening it November 9th to 14th in Santa Teresa, and it's five nights, six days of all inclusive. Creative wellness, food, nourishment and community are going to have an amazing time and I'm so excited to do this with Holly.

00:38:10:07 - 00:38:11:17
Speaker 1
I'm so excited.

00:38:11:19 - 00:38:18:05
Speaker 2
When did you guys start coming up with this? Was it? Has it been a long time in planning or for Holly?

00:38:18:05 - 00:38:19:12
Speaker 3
It has.

00:38:19:14 - 00:38:41:19
Speaker 1
Last year, like I had like last January, one of my resolutions was like, I'm going to lead a retreat, like I'm going to do the thing. And that kind of like started the exploration. Turns out it's a lot harder than young Holly thought. But it's okay if timelines change and you still do the thing. Yeah. So that's he was like kind of planted then.

00:38:41:19 - 00:38:47:01
Speaker 1
It's been an evolution. But we started working on it like maybe together since like March.

00:38:47:03 - 00:39:09:00
Speaker 3
Yeah, we we were looking into doing it earlier this year and the time timing just didn't align. And so we wanted to make sure we had ample time to plan, research, sort out all the kinks and we felt really confident about launching it for this November. And we already have a few people signed up that signed up right away as soon as we launched it.

00:39:09:00 - 00:39:17:17
Speaker 3
So we feel really good about that. And we are extremely excited to see what other creatives want to join us.

00:39:17:19 - 00:39:43:09
Speaker 2
That's so exciting. I feel like it really is just like it is the perfect I think. I think the perfect, team. Like knowing you, Holly and meeting you and getting to discuss with you, Preston. Like the way that you are both approaching creativity is. You said this Preston earlier. Like an antidote to what's, like, crazy in the world right now.

00:39:43:09 - 00:40:08:03
Speaker 2
And I feel like I just I want any listeners who are listening to this and are in that headspace of like, I would go, but I'm not an artist or I'm not creative or whatever. I'm just like, oh my gosh, this would be so healing and so good. And I just, I want that for anyone who feels that way of like, I can't because I'm not already like literally, you said this, Preston.

00:40:08:03 - 00:40:19:09
Speaker 2
You were like, you already are because you were a child once, and all children are born creative and it's in there. It doesn't go away. We just like pile on other shit on top of it.

00:40:19:09 - 00:40:47:17
Speaker 3
But I mean, I can speak directly to the I'm not flexible so I can't do yoga mentality because I couldn't touch my toes. I am not a flexible person at all, like I could not touch my toes before I started doing yoga and hence why I need it. Even more than the average person. Like, if I don't do it for a few weeks, my body starts to feel those effects and it's it's going to keep me alive longer.

00:40:47:17 - 00:40:56:19
Speaker 3
Just like create, just like tapping into your intuition and create creativity. Well, like when I fall, I can feel myself catching myself because of all the yoga.

00:40:57:13 - 00:41:19:10
Speaker 3
Yeah I think I mean if you look at some of the like best artists of all time, like some of their best art has come from their darkest places, like if we can figure out how to channel that darkness into creative energy, I mean that's like that's my goal. So that's that's.

00:41:19:11 - 00:41:20:00
Speaker 1
The healing.

00:41:20:00 - 00:41:22:07
Speaker 3
Balm. Yes.

00:41:22:09 - 00:41:24:19
Speaker 2
That's what we want. Yes.

00:41:24:21 - 00:41:26:12
Speaker 3
So come and join us.

00:41:26:13 - 00:41:32:04
Speaker 1
Let's lather. Let's lather and creative sunscreen in Costa Rica God bless.

00:41:32:04 - 00:41:38:09
Speaker 2
We love it.

00:41:38:11 - 00:42:07:05
Speaker 1
Okay. So if after listening to this episode, you're like, wow, Holly Preston, take me, I must go to Costa Rica with you. Now, now is the time to sign up. Earlybird pricing ends March 31st, and right now we have buddy discounts available. So the move is send this episode to your best bud, the person you want to travel and create with, and there is a link in the show notes for you to sign up together.

00:42:07:06 - 00:42:34:23
Speaker 1
Also, if you want to spark creative wellness in the meantime, you can get my Creative Wellness Workbook for a 28 day creative wellness challenge. It has meditations, poetic affirmations, and creative practices to start your day that are all 11 minutes or less and you can use the code keep creating for 15% off. There's a link in the show notes for the workbook and a link in the show notes to sign up for the retreat.

00:42:35:01 - 00:42:39:13
Speaker 1
All right. Ready? Set. Let's go to Costa Rica together.