53 Mill Street, Westfield, MA, USA
April 25 - 27, 2025
About this Retreat
Deb Ondo is the Communications and Engagement Manager at the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Previously, she served as Program and Marketing Manager at Genesis. Her career spans media and nonprofits in Massachusetts and New York, and has earned her five prestigious broadcast Emmy awards for excellence in television. A lifelong artist, with a deep passion for nature, Deb is especially drawn to the Universe Story and ecospirituality. Her paintings explore humanity’s interconnectedness with the natural world, reflecting the belief that all beings are part of a living, interconnected whole. Her paintings can be found at
https://www.debondowildart.com/
Details of this retreat
Immerse yourself in nature's sacred whispers and unlock your creative potential in this transformative eco-spirituality workshop. Discover the profound connection between Earth's wisdom and your artistic expression. Reconnect with the wild divine.
"Nature is filled with words of love." ~ Pope Francis
Have you felt it? That unspoken connection—the spark in the eyes of a deer gazing back at you from across the yard, the reverence in your heart as the sky melts into brilliant colors at sunset. Or the quiet whispers of imagination as you wander among ancient trees. In these sacred moments—whether in the heart of the woods or standing on the edge of the vast, breathing ocean—we find ourselves exhaling. Letting go. And in that breath, we remember: we are not separate, but deeply woven into the cosmic web of all living beings, including our beloved Earth.
"The divine communicates to us primarily through the language of the natural world. Not to hear the natural world is not to hear the divine." ~ Thomas Berry
In this workshop, we will explore how a deep reverence for Earth and her timeless wisdom can awaken new dimensions of creativity. Eco-spirituality offers us a portal to the divine presence within all creation, reminding us that we are never truly alone. Instead, we are intimately connected to a universal consciousness, a sacred mystery that pulses through every leaf, every wave, every star in the sky.
Nurturing this kinship with Earth is not only vital to our own souls but essential for the survival of our planet. As Baba Dioum, a Senegalese forester, wisely observed: “In the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.”
This workshop calls to those who seek not rigid rules, but a deeper, more intuitive way of living and creating. While we’ll discuss creative expression, the heart of this journey is to connect with the wild divine, expressed in whatever art form sings through you. Whether you're an established artist or just beginning to explore your creative voice, this workshop is for you. Together, we’ll awaken the wild within—both as artists and as human beings, remembering that we are part of a living, breathing eco-system, creating and being created in every moment.
WEEKEND WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
FRIDAY EVENING
6:00 - Supper
7:30pm - 9:00pm
Welcome, grounding silence, opening intention
Introductions - getting to know each other
Overview of the weekend with Q&A
Takeaway questions for the weekend
SATURDAY
7:30am - “Welcome in the morning” on Genesis grounds (optional)
8:00am - breakfast
9:30am - 11:45am
Morning reverie, with poetry, prayer, grounding silence
What’s in your heart this morning - a brief roundtable sharing
How eco-spirituality and Earth’s rhythms can heighten our creativity - learning how to listen, feel, and be in the wild of ourselves and the natural world around us -
Understanding the ethos of connection and kinship with all living beings
Earth’s wisdom - a refresher
How to bring eco awareness into our creative work
Indoor and outdoor exercises
Creative expression time
Group sharing
12:00pm - lunch
1:30pm - 3:30pm
Afternoon reverie, with poetry, prayer, grounding silence
What’s in your heart - group sharing
Creative expression workshop - essential tools for flourishing as an artist
Indoor and outdoor exercises
Creative expression time
Group sharing
3:30pm - 3:45pm - break
3:45pm - 5:45pm -
Where are you starting to feel yourself rooting, branching out, blossoming?
What’s in your heart - group sharing
Eco-spirituality and creative expression - divine connections
6:00pm - supper
7:30pm - 9:00pm
Continue individual creative work
Deb available for questions
SUNDAY
7:30am - “Welcome in the morning” on Genesis grounds (optional)
8:00am - breakfast
9:30am - 11:45am
Morning reverie, with poetry, prayer, grounding silence
Sharing creative work with the group
Closing circle - poetry and prayer
12:00pm - lunch