CAA Members share the healing power of creativity

There is real power in a sketch pencil. The healing power of art is something Sherry Lynn and Robert Christiani know well. As owners of Journey Home Artist Retreat (journeyhomeartistretreat.ca), the long-time CAA Members guide creative expressions—from art to food—and help guests find balance of mind, body and artistic soul.

Located near the small village of Waldersee (about two hours from Winnipeg), Journey Home is nestled in a bucolic prairie setting overlooking the Big Grass River. Guests stay in authentic, handcrafted Mongolian yurts, while Lynn prepares the retreat’s home-cooked meals in the main house. All relaxation seekers have to do is breathe in, absorb the nature and let their creativity flow. “Our mission is to provide the container so guests can fill it,” says Lynn, who takes pride in tailoring the perfect stay for people.

As Christiani says, his role is “to provide a safe and caring environment to experience and explore pure creative energy.” A visual artist and teacher by trade, he guides Journey Home’s artistic experiences, from face casting and drawing to the retreat’s most popular activity: soapstone carving.

Christiani also draws on his skills as a shamanic energy medicine practitioner to help hone a guest’s creative awareness. During one-on-one sessions, he employs techniques like mythic mapping—a visualization practice—to help remove the energetic intrusions that inhibit creativity.

Of course, not all activities at the retreat require plaster and pencils. “Recovery can come through a variety of artistic forms,” Lynn notes. She regularly gathers guests in her country kitchen to develop culinary skills or partake in sewing sessions that result in a tapestry.

Finished products aside, the overarching goal is to teach people to slow down. “It’s kind of like hitting the pause button,” Lynn says. “Then you have the ability to reconnect with yourself and what is truly important in your life.”