What the heck is an Elemental Claycation? A dream, an idea, and project! For the past seven months I have been taking two online courses, one through WESK and one through Tourism Saskatchewan. Through these two courses I have been able to design an immersive pottery retreat called Elemental Claycation.
I presently have one tourism attraction, with my honour system highway store that I have people travelling all over the country stopping in. The Achieving Awesome course has allowed me to take another idea and develop it into an experience that I am now able to share with everyone and start to get it off the ground. I live in a 104 heritage house and the top floor is an unfinished space that has the potential to be incredible. When this house was built in 1919, it was based on an Eaton's House but built by Icelandic carpenters who could not find work during the Winnipeg General Strike. The attic/loft/top floor was to be finished, I believe, based on that there was a wood floor laid, the stairwell walls were finished, and the dormers were framed out. Well for this project, this space is going to get the finishing touches it so deserves.
I applied for a Tourism Saskatchewan Diversification Grant in December and last week found out that I was approved. This means the planned renovations for the attic can happen. Windows, insulation, floors being finished, a half bathroom installed and a few other touches are going to happen. So I am so honoured to have the support of Tourism Saskatchewan and can't wait to reach my goal and kick off the Elemental Claycation.
The claycation will take place once a month on a weekend, except for July and August. My timeline is that I would pilot the claycation in June and refine and market it during July and August with the first one available for September 2023. The timeline will depend on the renovations of course. So picture that you and 2-5 of your friends book in for Elemental Claycation. You would arrive at my acreage on a Friday evening and check into the communal living space in the attic. It will hold maximum 6 people. There will be room screens so that you have physical privacy, but can still hear your friends for those late night chat from your bed. Saturday morning a breakfast created by a local chef. We will spend the morning in the studio, where you need NO experience as I teach you hand building and wheel throwing pottery techniques. Lunch with your friends and then the afternoon session in the studio. Supper will be a very cool meal (I have to keep this a secret still) and then the evening either chilling, going into studio to work on your creations, wander my acreage. Sunday will be set up similar as Saturday with a late afternoon departure with so many memories, laughs, and connections. The next few days after the claycation I will ensure your creations are finished and ship them to you!
This experience will allow me to connect with groups of people through allowing them to be a professional potter for a weekend in a heritage house, while sleeping in the attic with 180 degree views of the Saskatchewan prairie. I am beyond excited to bring this vision to life and will be posting the progress on IG and Facebook as well as blogging about it here. This is the RETREAT part of my business that I talked about last blog when I defined three pillars. I will be spending 7 days a month once it is up and running on the claycation; set up, the weekend, and clean up. So stay tuned and follow along as I create a totally new experience.
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