I have always loved bringing people together, especially when it is for something creative. In March, I started a “Creative Gathering,” and it has been so much fun. We have been meeting every other month, but I love it so much, I wish we could meet every month! I have been in business for over 18 years and I have never experienced burnout or a desire to quit photography. I attribute this to my desire to create and to learn new skills.
For our first group meeting, we read one of my favorite books, “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert. We had some great discussions about it. Her book is a must-read for any creative person.
At our next meeting we met at “Harvest for Her”. This is a non-profit program run by Desarae Turner. On Feb. 16, 2017, 14-year-old Deserae Turner’s life was forever changed. Des, a state-champion horse rider, was lured to a remote canal where two boys from her school shot her in the head and left her for dead. Des laid in the cold, wintery canal for over eight hours while family and friends searched for her. When one of Des’s school teachers finally found her, Des’s body temperature was 78 degrees and she was not expected to survive. You can watch her story here(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v).
After Des’s tragedy, she could no longer ride her horse, so she turned her horse’s pasture into a beautiful flower farm called “Harvest for Her” in Amalga, UT. “Harvest for Hear” provides a place for people of all ages to come and pick beautiful flowers and donations are happily offered to help her keep the flowers growing. Studies have shown that flowers can improve our mental health. Simply being around them can lift our spirits, increase happy emotions, improve social behavior, and encourage feelings of life satisfaction. Des wanted to bring this happiness to the Cache Valley community. We were able to help her last spring before her busy season started.
At our summer creative gathering in July, we had a dinner party where everyone brought their favorite salads and we learned to dye with indigo. Lisa from Mountainside Studio hosted in her beautiful backyard.
For any creative person, I think being outdoors is such a benefit. It can ease stress levels or even help jumpstart creative ideas for your business or life. My family and I just hiked to White Pine Lake in Northern Utah and we all enjoyed the beautiful fall colors! Send me an email if you would like to join or if you want some ideas for creating a creative gathering in your area! We have two activities coming up in November!
