co-hosting my first every offline art retreat / workation in andalusia
- Saskia
- Sep 9
- 6 min read
Updated: Sep 12
I’ve always been a people-person. Not in the sense that I constantly need to be in groups, but in the sense that I’ve spent much of my life searching for the right constellation of people... the ones with whom I feel safe, inspired, and truly myself.
As a child, I was painfully shy, hiding behind my mother. Later, I leaned on best friends, and as a teenager, I looked for belonging in various romantic partners and had to be a part of literally every clique. But nothing ever fully quenched the thirst inside me. Because what I was really yearning for wasn’t something anyone else could give me. It was a feeling of belonging, not to a single person, but to a circle, to a shared space, to myself.
But somewhere along the way, after getting hurt by leaning too heavily on others, I built an invisible wall. Safety came at the cost of connection. And yet, deep down, I never stopped searching.
In the heights of spring’s fertile soil in April, Lara (I will link all the Instagram handles on the bottom) and I decided to plan our first workation together. What started as an impulsive idea became an unforgettable experience. Our mission? Connection. Inspiration. Co-creation. As solo-preneurs, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or stuck, often because of loneliness and trying to build it all ourselves. But we aren’t meant to be lone wolves. We need spaces like this: where unfinished ideas, overflowing energy, and wild dreams can be held safely, honoured, and celebrated. Together, in union. And wow… we did it!
We were a small, intimate group of eight people - six women, two men - gathered in a beautiful little beach house just ten minutes’ walk from the ocean in Andalusia (southern Spain). Coming from someone who had spent 24 years living by the sea and then moved to a landlocked life in the Austria, the ocean feels like coming home to me.
We were surrounded by fellow brand designers, photographers, a videographers & editor, a holistic health influencer slash virtual assistant, social media strategist, women's health expert and nervous system & leadership coach - all experts in their own fields yet equally open to learning, exploring, and sharing our gifts.
One evening, we created a sharing circle called "the secret". This experience stuck with me, and I am starting with this because it's a full circle moment.
I cleared the room with palo santo and one-by-one Lara invited everyone silently into the space. Incense burned, and starry lights filled the room. There was a token, passed around silently. Whoever held it could speak freely, whatever weighed on them, embarrassed them, scared them, or brought them joy, while the rest simply listened. Only in those moments, we realise how difficult it actually is for us to simply listen to someone speak - without interrupting or giving feedback, or sharing our own experience.
At first, I worried the energy wouldn’t hold. But as the stories unfolded, and tears flowed, I felt something I had longed for all my life: trust, vulnerability, belonging, and pride. The silence in between those sharing rounds was equally as powerful, and beautiful to sit in. Being able to sit in silence without "cringing", is a beautiful representation of the group's trust. And this was day three.
For someone like me, a 2/4 in Human Design - someone whose life is all about balancing personal solitude and group/public interaction, learning to lean into invitations (like these) rather than force connection, this was an embodied lesson in patience, openness, and flow. The circle reminded me that vulnerability is power, and that showing up authentically in the presence of the right people is one of life’s most radical acts.
The week unfolded with a natural rhythm of work, play, reflection, and embodiment. We began the workation with a cacao ceremony led by my dear friend Nina, who invited us to open our hearts and set intentions for the week together. Sitting in the sun, sipping cacao, I felt my breath deepen, my mind settle, and the first wave of gratitude wash over me.
"I was here, in Andalusia, in this space I had manifested for myself and for others. A space for freedom, flow, and co-creation."
The days flowed sooo fast. We connected through eye-gazing exercises on the beach at moonrise, sharing business challenges and supporting each other through them in our intimate group, and exploring cycle-aligned systems for creativity and productivity. Movement and embodiment were present through yoga, breathwork, dance, and stretches in that morning light helped us drop out of the mind and into the body.
Particularly Nina’s breathwork session at the beginning of our week became a true breath-through moment, where the energy of the group moved together, releasing tension, grief, and limitation in union. In those moments, I felt alive in a new way: present, expansive, and so so grateful.
Cooperations and offerings emerged naturally. In our “high-value deal circle,” we exchanged services, gifts, and talents rather than money. I left the workation with a couples breathwork session, a private handpan concert, a women’s hormone balancing massage, and handmade yoni oil - all in exchange for my offerings related to branding. Beyond those tangible gifts, what struck me most was how this practice helped us refine our offerings, name our value, and see it reflected in the eyes of others. It was a tangible lesson in generosity, trust, and reciprocity, a microcosm of the creative economy we are all trying to build.
Integration and growth were integrated into the week through experiences that allowed us to step fully into our embodied, creative selves. The last morning morning we had a brand photoshoot on the misty yet sunny beach, capturing each of us in our full essence. Standing behind the camera - or in front of it - I felt truly seen, held, and celebrated, thanks to the the beautiful people capturing these moments (linked below).
And to close this beautiful and much-needed week, we danced under the moonlight, shared tapas and even witnessed a moonset. These moments grounded the week, reminding us that work, life, and play are not separate, but part of a continuous cycle of creativity, expression, and healing.
Looking back, I realise that the power of this art retreat/workation was not just the workshops, ceremonies, or pool days, but it was connecting people. A carefully curated circle of souls who encouraged each other to show up, to open, to create, to trust. Belonging is not about leaning on one person for safety, but it’s about co-creating a space where we can be fully ourselves together. Rekindling inspiration and passion together. We are all so courageous for following our own paths, and we often forget to give ourselves credit for that amidst all the stress and anxiety when leading a business.
Hearing everyone’s experiences during and after the week was a beautiful reminder of how much offline experiences contribute to real "success". Success isn’t just measured in $$$, but about actually loving what we do and aligning with the people we’re meant to serve. By the end of the workation, each of us left feeling deeply inspired, with a renewed belief in the power of our work.
Tbh, this week cracked me open in ways I am still integrating, showing me that belonging, creativity, solitude and flow are inseparable. It reminded me that when we allow ourselves to be seen, when we honour our body, mind, and heart, and when we create in alignment with our values, we step closer to the lives we were always meant to lead.
(And maybe, just maybe, that’s the foundation of everything I wish to create through my work; spaces for connection, integrity, and utter freedom - where we can show up fully, together, and leave the world a little more inspired and in awe)
Thank you to everybody who made this possible.
Those mentioned above:
My co-host & creative bestie: Lara (rebellare.bylara)
Breathwork & Cacao: Nina (nina.carmenfischer)
Photographers: Vicki (design.neugedacht), Lara (rebellare.bylara), Denny (dennynomad)
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