3-DAY IMMERSIVE CREATIVITY RETREAT • CHICO, CALIFORNIA
Discover yourself in a whole new way.
Know yourself more deeply. Love yourself like never before. Three delicious days of luxurious, spacious, creative time and deep personal self-discovery.
WHAT YOU’RE SAYING YES TO
Give yourself permission.
Know yourself
Give yourself permission to know yourself in a way you never have before.
Follow the threads
Follow the threads from your past to your present into your future.
Witness your truth
Witness your truth as you watch it unfold on the page.
Hold the tender places
Embrace the tender places in your story with care.
Untangle the mess
Allow yourself to untangle the messes and discover the beauty within.
Move forward whole
Move forward with a sense of wholeness.
START HERE
How would life be different if you actually knew yourself?
Your deepest self. I mean — what if you took the time to talk to Past You so you could understand Present You, and could take all of that knowledge so that Future You could flourish?
Your life would be transformed. Because understanding, embracing and honoring your past and your stories is the only way to fully discover yourself at this moment. Discovering yourself clears the path to loving yourself, tending yourself, and growing into the biggest and best self imaginable.
You just can't take up the space you're meant to take up today and tomorrow without first embracing yesterday.
IF THIS SOUNDS FAMILIAR…
You are at the bottom of your own to-do list.
It's so hard to find the time and space to think about yourself, to feel your heart. Life and all your responsibilities don't leave you much time — or energy — for meaningful reflection. You've got Obligations, with a capital O. Work. Finances. Taking care of the kids and the parents. Taking care of your partner.
In fact, just thinking about making time for yourSELF leaves you feeling like 1) you're being selfish, 2) you're forgetting something important on your to-do list, and 3) you'll just get behind if you give yourself the time. With that thinking, how can you even put "me time" on the calendar?
But the longing to go deep keeps simmering on. Your heart and spirit still ask you for attention, time and tending.
What if you could have the time you need to reflect on your life? Feel tended to and taken care of — yes, YOU. Wake up feeling expansive and creative. Release the heavy narratives and experiences of the past year and feel lighter. Get centered and clear on what's most important for you. Reignite the energy of your passions and almost-forgotten dreams. Get motivated to forge a new path forward.
If any of that tugged at your heart, then this is for you.
THE ARC OF THE RETREAT
Your past, your present, and your future.
Your stories. Your narratives. Your memories. Your dreams — worked through in that order, over three days.
Past
Reflect on what’s in the rearview mirror and yet still deeply impacts your today. Explore your childhood experiences. Unravel the unhelpful and limiting narratives and cultural beliefs that you carry with you and which have held you back or kept you small. Honor your past through the creative reflection process, embracing what is true and holding your pain with tenderness.
Present
Acknowledge your truth today. Witness your own story through a guided and deeply self-reflective process. Explore what you carry now. Discern what you are ready to release or nurture. Lean into your intuitive wisdom, and honor what you currently hold and accomplish.
Future
Witness your potential through your creative expression. Give voice to what can be, if only you trust yourself. Create space for new possibilities. Give yourself permission to dream into tomorrow. Prioritize YOU today in your decisions for tomorrow.
3 days of creativity
Friday through Sunday. Daily guided and open studio time, all art supplies included, and the abundance and magic of the Haven Studio.
Creative community
An intimate circle of kindred spirits. Opening dinner celebration, closing lunch celebration, and the special energy of partnering, witnessing, and working side by side.
Let yourself be held
We’ve thought of all the details. A container crafted for you with great intention — let yourself be nurtured and cared for, including private 1:1 coaching sessions with me.
WHAT’S HELD FOR YOU
Three days, built with great intention
INVESTMENT
What it costs.
Tuition covers the full program, all art supplies, snacks and beverages, and your 1:1 coaching sessions.
Early bird
$999deadline February 13
The full 3-day retreat at the early registration rate. Same program, same everything — just booked early.
Book a discovery callFull tuition
$1,199after February 13
The full 3-day retreat at standard tuition. Registration opens with a free discovery call.
Book a discovery callPayment plans available
Payment plans are available for both rates. Bring it up on your discovery call and we’ll sort it out together.
YOUR GUIDE
I am all about the goo in the chrysalis.
Let me introduce myself. I'm Susie Stonefield, midwife to your creative spirit. I'm an artist, transformational creativity coach and grief guide. And I've been holding circles for deep and powerful life transformation for long enough to know that fingerpainting is highly under-rated.
I deeply believe in the power of creativity to heal. I have seen it profoundly change lives. And I know that traversing the terrain of change and growth is anything but easy or neat and tidy. In fact, it's quite messy at times. Just like the caterpillar who turns to goo in the chrysalis before becoming a butterfly, I get that the journey takes us to that exact place. I am all about the goo in the chrysalis. Why? Because that is where the action happens, my friend. That is the transformation.
I call myself the midwife to your creative spirit because I'm here to support the rebirth of your long dormant, absent or banished creative self. Working with me is like having a heart-centered guide hold the light on the dark path as you explore your stories and shadows, what holds you back and what pulls at your soul. The space I make for your journey is safe and sacred, and it's a path I know well.
Professionally, I've received degrees and credentials from the department of Fine Arts at UCLA, the UC Berkeley School of Education, the Person-Centered Expressive Arts Institute, and the Megan Devine Grief Care Professional Certificate Program.
My partner and I built this studio for YOU.
Let me tell you about The Haven, my art studio in Chico, California. This past year my partner and I built it in our backyard — for YOU. It is abundant in so many ways: size, space, light, air, and art supplies. (Oh, and kleenex, because kleenex is just as important as paint in my Unfold Art programs.)
Backstory: for 7 years I had a studio in Sonoma County that was a magic space as well. But then there was a pandemic and I ended up closing it in the middle of 2021. Along the way I also moved out of Sonoma County and ultimately landed in the sweet big/small town of Chico, in the true North of California. When I closed that studio, I didn't know if I'd ever be lucky enough to have another oasis of creativity for my people again. But I must've done something right in a former life, because here we are.
The Haven is not just an art studio, it is a manifestation of my dreams and expertise about my work. It's a place for you to breathe deeply, connect with your heart, play and make a mess and get to a very deep place in your soul through the creative process. It has paint and collage and stencils and stamps, but it has also been designed to hold you in a very safe and tender way — so that you feel able to open up to even the darkest parts of your story, then release them and feel the relief that comes with that.
This is for you if you’re longing to…
Put down all you've been lugging around and reconnect with your creative spirit. Spend some sweet time with yourself, while your beloveds take a weekend without you.
Get reacquainted and realigned with your soul and core values. Feel lighter, awakened, energized, and emotionally present. Check in with the parts of yourself that haven't been tended to lately — and let's face it, you may be feeling a bit of trepidation about this as well, which makes complete sense.
Reignite your passions and dreams. Play with art supplies, maybe even fingerpaint. Make new friends and celebrate together. Eat delicious and nourishing food, and explore the historic downtown and plentiful nature surrounding Chico.
This isn't for you if you want an art retreat focused on artistic skills and how to use particular supplies, want to follow a recipe to create your art, only accept "beautiful" things, aren't interested in your heart's longings, or won't prioritize taking time for yourself.
FROM PAST RETREATS
You’ll be transformed.
DETAILS
Frequently Asked Questions
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Early bird: $999 (deadline is February 13th). Full: $1,199.
Payment plans are available — just ask. Tuition does not include lodging, transportation to or from the retreat, or any meals.
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Friday, March 14 through Sunday, March 16 at the beautiful Haven Studio in Chico, California — 90 miles and 90 minutes from Sacramento International Airport, and about 3 hours from the SF Bay Area and airports.
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All art supplies. Snacks and beverages throughout, with gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options available. Time off Saturday and Sunday for exploring, resting or free-play time in the studio.
Extra "open studio" time Saturday and Sunday mornings (9:00–10:00am) and Saturday evening (6:00–8:00pm). 1:1 coaching sessions with Susie throughout the program. Information sheets with suggestions for lodging, dining, entertainment, exploring nature, and getting to and around Chico from area airports and centers.
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Lodging, meals, and transportation.
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Unfold Art programs are not for "artists." The focus of all programs run by Susie is personal exploration of the wordless heart through the creative process. That includes playing with art supplies. But it doesn't include making "works of art."
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Friday: 1pm–6pm, with an optional no-host opening night dinner at a local restaurant from 6–8pm, if you'd like to join us.
Saturday: 10am–6pm with a 1.5 hour lunch break. Sunday: 10am–4pm with a 1.5 hour lunch break. The studio is open extra time on Saturday and Sunday for you to continue to marinate in the artsy goodness, if you so choose.
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Yes. It's really important in setting a safe and sacred creative container that folks are committed to being there from the beginning to the end. We ask that you plan your travels so that you arrive with plenty of time for the opening day's events and don't have to leave until the final day's events have come to a close.
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Click the buttons to set up a free Discovery Call with Susie. And yes — even if you've talked to Susie before, you still need to do that.
Not sure where to go next? Take the Brave Life Inventory.
A free, self-guided assessment that will help you see exactly where fear is holding you back, where your courage already lives, and what your next brave step might be.
What Has Fear Been Deciding for Me?
- 01Meet the version of yourself you left behind.
- 02Picture what's possible for you this year.
- 03See your next brave step.