Indulging your artistic side
It’s early in the New Year, and some of us are likely to have made promises to ourselves about what we are going to accomplish in 2012.
Whether it’s joining a gym to lose some weight, training for a marathon, or simply cutting down on the takeaways, many of us will have the best intentions to take better care of our bodies this year.
However, it might pay to remember the Latin phrase ‘mens sana in corpore sano’: a sound mind in a healthy body. In the long dark days of winter, what better way to break out of the gloom than by indulging your creative energies?
Slave to the grind?
If you are a slave to the cubicle and the computer screen in your working life, then you could benefit from a break allowing you to explore further an existing creative skill - or take up something entirely new.
Possibly the most obvious artistic getaway is for landscape painting. Popular areas for painting include Scotland, Ireland, the West Country, the Peak District and the Lake District. Field Breaks offers residential and non-residential courses, all of which are suitable for beginners and those with more experience.
And if you want to take your passion for painting beyond Britain, then there are many tempting destinations on the continent. Painting holidays in Aix-en-Provence were good enough for Van Gogh, and if you fancy a landscape watercolour break in the south of France, then companies such as Bonjour Languedoc! offer guided holidays with experienced tutors.
The seclusion of the countryside can also be a creative boon to writers. There are few locations better than an historic house nestled away in a beautiful part of the British Isles to melt writer’s block or to discover if there is a story inside you.
For example, there is wide variety of courses at retreats like Tŷ Newydd, the National Writers’ Centre for Wales, allowing poets, novelists, script and screenwriters and playwrights to explore new dimensions of their craft or beginners to try out a new talent.
Practical handicrafts
But it doesn’t have to just be painting or writing. There’s an incredibly varied world of creative pursuits on offer, many of which can be hugely practical.
This could involve learning to cook at a luxury retreat such as Eckington Manor near the Cotswolds, giving your gardening some direction, or making pottery, jewellery or practical adornments for your home. Website http://www.creativebreaks.co.uk will give you some inspiration if you don’t know where to start. If you really take to it, one of these could even lead to making money from your new hobby.
Typically, these short residential courses cost several hundred pounds, and may require booking some time in advance. To help you spread the cost, one option could be to pay by credit card, especially if you've got a card that offers a 0% period on purchases or rewards your spend. Just remember to clear your balance in time if you don’t want to be charged interest.
Issued by Sainsbury’s Finance
Sainsbury’s Finance is a trading name of Sainsbury’s Bank plc. All information correct at time of publication, but may be subject to change. Any views or opinions expressed in this article are the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of any part of the Sainsbury’s Group of companies
