There’s nothing like a spontaneous road trip to stir the soul of the most dedicated keyboard jockey. So I jumped at the invitation to join a day-long creativity workshop on a glorious Wednesday in September.

by Pamela Scott-Crace

Destination: artist Holly Carr’s studio in the Annapolis Valley.
  

Carr’s home-based gallery is an airy, two-storey addition to a 200-year-old farmhouse in Canning, near Wolfville. Seven of us, office-escapees all, first toured her network, which includes her husband, acrylic painter and handyman Alan Bateman, two children, a dog, and several cats who prefer Holly’s sunny worktable to anywhere else. This vast property at the base of the North Mountain contains a large pumpkin patch, an orchard full of trees planted to commemorate the birth of countless relations, and a steep hiking trail that in winter is the site of extreme tobogganing.

Before lunch, Carr stretched each of us a piece of white silk, sourced from a Chinese importer in Toronto’s garment district. She divided up her favourite brushes. She poured tiny capfuls of organic dyes, derived from a secret source, and reminded us amateurs that it’s called dye for a reason. (I’m still looking at indigo cuticles.) She offered a few practical tips about painting on silk. Then she left to warm up her signature soup.
  
 As we confronted our blank canvases, I thought of Picasso’s observation that every person is born an artist, but few survive into adulthood. Yes, it was awkward at first. Once we got going,however, the freedom was exhilarating. We were young again.
    
If you’ve never released your inner artist, I strongly recommend it. Professionals like Holly Carr and Shawn King make a living by letting their imaginations fly. Spending time with such free spirits is a great way to rejuvenate and look at your own work from another angle.
        
King, creative director of the Halifax-based ad agency Extreme Group, recently won a bronze  at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. For the ad world, that’s like an Olympic medal. On page 32 you can read about King’s style and the benefits of working with creative partners like Extreme to grow your business.
    
Remember: anyone can come up with an idea; but it takes a pro to execute.