If you’ve ever lost track of time while collaging a page, scribbled your way to clarity in the margins, or spilled your whole heart into a sketchbook, then you know: art journaling isn’t just a hobby. It’s a lifeline. A space where creativity, emotion, memory, and meaning all blend together.
Even the most devoted art journalers can benefit from shaking things up now and then. Life gets busy, and routines set in, but our creativity loves to be surprised, delighted, and set free to play in new ways.
That’s when a retreat can change everything.
Why Go on an Art Journaling Retreat?
An art journaling retreat is more than just a break from routine—it’s a reset for your creative soul. It gives you space (literal and emotional) to return to what you love with fresh eyes and renewed inspiration.
Here’s what’s in it for you:
1. Uninterrupted Creative Time
Imagine having uninterrupted time to immerse yourself in your art fully—no distractions, no deadlines, just you and your creativity. A retreat offers that rare gift: the space to slow down, stay curious, and joyfully explore your art without limits or guilt. It’s a chance to reconnect with what lights you up.
2. Expand Your Practice
It’s easy to get stuck in our favorite tools or techniques. But at a retreat, you’re surrounded by other creatives with different styles, materials, and methods. You’ll see things through their eyes—and maybe try something new in the process.
Even if the retreat isn't technique-heavy, being in community with other journalers inspires experimentation. You’ll come home with pages you never would’ve made on your own.
3. Time to Reflect and Reconnect
Art journaling has always lived at the intersection of art and self-awareness. But how often do we pause long enough to really reflect? A retreat gives you time to listen inward. Whether you’re processing something personal or simply craving a deeper connection to your creative voice, this space holds that.
4. Community Without Comparison
Online communities are lovely, but there’s magic in gathering around a table with kindred spirits—passing around journals, swapping stories, and smiling at the beautiful realization that we’re not alone in how we see the world, or how we feel when we put it on the page.
Art retreats gather like-hearted people. No one’s there to impress. No one’s asking for perfection. It’s about play, expression, and being seen. You’ll leave with new art and new friends—people who get why you carry a glue stick in your bag.
5. A Chance to Reignite Joy
Sometimes we just need a little space to reconnect with what we love. When your art journaling starts to feel routine instead of rejuvenating, a retreat can be the perfect way to rediscover the joy, the spark, the pure fun of creating—so you can return home feeling inspired and lit up from the inside out.
Why Minnesota Is the Perfect Place for an Art Journaling Retreat
There’s something about the Driftless region of the Upper Midwest—where Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin meet—that feels soulful. Rolling hills, quiet woods, and big skies. It invites slowing down. It invites looking inward.
That’s why art journaling retreats in Minnesota are gaining popularity. There’s a peacefulness here that cradles creativity. And unlike larger, more crowded destinations, retreats here feel intimate, grounded, and genuinely restorative.
Meet Big Raven Farm: A Creative Sanctuary
Nestled just outside the small town of Spring Grove, Minnesota, Big Raven Farm is a modern country estate designed to welcome, nourish, and inspire. Think: tall trees, prairie grass, wildflowers, wraparound porches, and a sky so big it practically paints itself.
Inside the estate, it’s all comfort and creativity. Cozy rooms, thoughtful art-filled spaces, and a fully-equipped studio designed with artists in mind.
The property is owned and lovingly maintained by Joleen Emery and Darin Warling—partners in business and in life. Darin is a chef who crafts soul-satisfying meals using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients (including vegetarian and gluten-free options), and Joleen is an artist, yoga instructor, and passionate retreat host who understands exactly what creative souls need to feel at home.
So where does one go to find all of this—time to play, space to breathe, and the kind of creative magic that only happens when kindred spirits gather? In the heart of the Driftless Region there’s a place where art, nature, and community come together in the most beautiful way.
The Art Journaling Playground: A Collaborative Experience for Makers October 2–5, 2025
Hosted by Joleen Emery and Suzanne Earley—two seasoned creatives with a shared love for mixed media, collage, layering, and story—this retreat is rooted in collaboration, exploration, and artistic permission.
Here’s what makes it special:
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🎨 No pressure, all play: The focus isn’t on completing perfect pages or mastering techniques. It’s on freeing your creativity and trying new things without judgment.
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🧵 Curated prompts + deep dives: With prompts and provocations designed to unlock both emotion and imagination, you’ll be encouraged to journal beyond the surface.
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🤝 Creative community: You’ll spend your days surrounded by other artists who get the joy (and sometimes vulnerability) of putting yourself on a page.
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🧘♀️ Optional yoga and meditation: To help balance the creative energy with rest, movement, and mindfulness.
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🔥 Evenings by the fire: Reflect, laugh, share your work (only if you want to!), or just enjoy the silence under the stars.
From Thursday arrival to Sunday morning departure, every moment is designed to support your creativity and your well-being.
Curious what others have said? Read our guest reviews and see why they loved their time at Big Raven Farm.
This Is Your Sign
If your art journal is calling out for a little more wonder and play…
If your creativity is ready to stretch its wings in the company of kindreds…
If you’re craving space to unplug, reconnect, and return to your practice with fresh joy…
Then join us.
The Art Journaling Playground Retreat at Big Raven Farm is your invitation to come home to yourself—and your art—in one of the most peaceful and creatively charged corners of the Midwest.
📅 October 2–5, 2025
📍 Spring Grove, Minnesota — close to Minneapolis, Northern Iowa and Western Wisconsin, nestled in the Driftless Region
🔗Learn more + register here