Sometimes Things Take A While To Come Together
Sometimes, the thing we deeply long for takes time.
I want to say, that’s ok. If you are in the midst of waiting for your dream to unfold, please don’t lose heart. Every small decision we make, and most importantly the relationship we build with ourselves, helps to carry us towards the destination we dream of.
“Shall we buy the tents today?” asks my new husband, Andrew.
“Well, it might be good to buy them now,” I reply. The four-person tents I’ve been eyeing off are half price at Katmandu in their mid-yearly sale.
“But I’m not sure when I’ll be launching the retreat,” I continue.
“Oh it’s ok, at least we will have them ready,” he says.
So we load up the car with six brand new deluxe tents. Next, we stop at Ikea where I buy six new quilts and 12 new pillows in anticipation of the ladies who will be booking in to spend a few nights camped out on my property in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
I’ve been dreaming of hosting a retreat sharing my love of growing organic food for a couple of years now but couldn’t decide how to go about it. How could I commit to booking accommodation when I didn’t know how many people would come? And where could I find a nice hotel that was close to where I lived in my little country town?
Then I decided I could offer a comfortable camping experience on my 1.5 acre block. Thus the car trip to Katmandu during their mid-year sale and a van load full of fresh bedding.
What I didn’t know back then, 9 years ago, was my husband and I would sell our home and buy a 35-foot sailboat before I launched those retreats. Those same tents would be sold again, for the same price I bought them, on Gumtree in Tamworth, along with about 90% of our other possessions.
But the desire to host retreats was still there.
Even though it hadn’t worked out as I had envisioned.
Another moment is burned into my memory…
I’m floating along above the coral gardens on the western side of Lady Elliot Island with my mask and snorkel, with raptured attention on schools of iridescent blue fish and the bommies down below.
Seven words flash into my mind and I feel a tingling in my body. A feeling of peace and calm I’ve not known in a long time envelopes my whole body.
“This is where I’m meant to be.” The thought is so clear it surprises and befuddles me.
How can I possibly make this experience more a part of my life?
Back then, I was living in the hinterland, focused on building a new direction in my business and enjoying the new 10m x 12m art studio my husband and I had built.
I’d hosted a couple of private painting retreats in that studio, and when a client mentioned she would like to have another personal retreat, I suggested we fly to Lady Elliot Island and paint and snorkel there. She didn’t hesitate to say yes, and we booked it.
We spent three full days of adventure there. We swam with starfish, parrot fish, a reef shark and loads of turtles interspersed with time painting with watercolours and having a ball.
About a year later, I decided it was time to host a group retreat. It had been a desire for many years by then. I enrolled in a course with a retreat company, learning more about what goes into hosting a successful retreat and building my own confidence in the process.
By that time we were living on Magnetic Island in North Queensland, and I loved the island so much, I wanted to share it with others. So I launched a group retreat and it sold out! I was so excited and thrilled. It was all ready to unfold, but, one week out from the guests flying up to spend 5 nights on that tropical island, we heard a new term uttered that we’d never heard before… COVID 19.
One week away from the retreat, we went into lockdown.
So I cancelled the retreat and refunded all the guests.
It had been my second ‘false start’ in hosting a group retreat.
But, I really, really, really wanted to do this thing. So, once the borders opened up again, 18 months later, I again launched the retreat and this time, it came together and happened!
And gosh, it was a dream come true.
Connecting, painting, exploring, laughing and sharing with those women was everything I’d hoped it would be in my heart and more. There were impromptu poetry recitals, sing-alongs with a ukelele, 50th birthday celebrations, and heart-felt connections and camaraderie that occurs when Creative Hearts all get together in person.
Ten years after my first steps towards my vision, I had built the business, the safety net, the skills, the network and the confidence to realise my dream. And managed to choose a time when it wasn’t stopped by a pandemic!
Sometimes, the thing we deeply long for takes time.
I want to say, that’s ok. If you are in the midst of waiting for your dream to unfold, please don’t lose heart. Every small decision we make, and most importantly the relationship we build with ourselves, helps to carry us towards the destination we dream of.
Becoming self-critical in the face of ‘failed’ plans, only makes it that much harder (if not impossible) to pursue what it is that’s deeply important to us. I’ve found being kind to ourselves, being curious about our inner world - which includes our feelings, needs, thoughts, hopes and fears - is the most reliable, enjoyable, successful and sustainable path to a fulfilling, meaningful life that fits us like a glove.
So stay connected with your heart. Listen to and pay attention to your inner world.
If you’d like support as you navigate your personal voyage of shaping the next iteration of your creative life, I’ve lovingly crafted an intimate group coaching program called Odyssey: Navigate to the Heart of Your Purpose. It’s designed specifically for Creative Hearts who are ready to find or recover deep fulfilment and meaning in their lives.
Applications are open for a limited time and you can find out all the details here.
I’m so excited to hold this space, offering mentorship and guidance for Creative Hearts who are committed to shaping this next chapter of their lives with intention, self-compassion, curiosity and delight.
You are welcome to browse the full page and see if you would like to join our creative cohort. I’d love to support you, cheer you on and accompany you on this path of authentic creative living.
Here’s to following our hearts - the surest compass I know that leads us home to our own uniquely rewarding and fulfilling lives.
With my warmest wishes,
Nicola xx
About Nicola Newman
I'm a Creative Business Coach, Award-Winning Artist & Mentor for Creative Hearts who want to flourish, flow & prosper.
My passion is inspiring and supporting Creative Hearts to trust their inner wisdom and carve out a life that’s personally meaningful and fulfilling to them.
I share practical, evidence-based tools for Creative Hearts seeking to improve their lives or businesses. My work draws from acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based techniques, body-based practices, and neuroscience -- and my own creative living adventures -- among other approaches.
My mission is to support Creative Hearts to:
Dissolve creative blocks, develop a loving relationship with themselves, nurture their creativity and reframe the beliefs and patterns that keep them from following their heart and making the creative contribution they would love to make in the world.
My approach is to embrace gentleness, playfulness and self-care to navigate self-doubt and instead cultivate deep self-trust so you can truly enjoy the creative process, bring together your body of work, make money doing what you love and leave a creative legacy you’re proud of.
Let’s pour a cuppa and get to know one another, shall we? :) Read more about my story here.
