Recharge under Portugal's sun
Permaculture-Retreat-Center in Nature
Easy connection to International Airport LIS
Vegetarian/ vegan delights from the farm
Refresh your soul in the Atlantic Ocean
The location has plenty of space and nature
For so many of us, our Inner Artist left quite early. Whatever the reason is, whatever our own story… that part of us is still there, within us. And it is just waiting to feel safe enough to come back out and start playing again.
Connecting to making art is empowering in many ways. By giving ourselves containers to CREATE, we re-connect to our Inner Child (who actually is our Inner Artist) and become more light, playful and curious again. Because our Inner Artist has been hurt in the past and is wounded, the process of bringing it back to the forefront is a sensitive process and requires a special kind of container.
Creating and holding these kind of spaces is the central intention at the ENLIVEN THE ARTIST WITHIN Retreat. Safe containers to engage, immerse, try, play, integrate, share and evolve. Within a group of likehearted beings, you are encouraged to stop overthinking and start creating again.
Photography – Video – Editing
Tell a story through sharing what you see. There’s a reason why photography and video are so important in the online space today… making somebody see something is a direct way to connect. A beautiful art form, and a very powerful tool to bring across a message.
Songwriting – Singing – Playing
Express yourself through sound. Writing songs, singing together and playing instruments is a beautiful and healing way to make sense of our own lives and share our experiences with others. Freeing our voice through using it also has multiple beneficial effects on all areas of our life.
Crafts – Making – Design
Let your hands speak. To create real things with raw materials is a forgotten medicine in today’s digital world. Lose yourself, reinvent yourself and find yourself in making things with your hands. Surprise yourself with finding out what you are able to create… if you let yourself.
“Is there anything that you DON’T make yourself?” – that’s a question that Barbara sometimes hears when people get to know the whole range of goods that she makes herself. Ceramics, jewellery, printed goods, yarns and fabrics, design and branding, handpoke tattoos… you name it. She loves to engage with the world through her hands. And as this is a very natural way for her to be, she is a great guide on showing others how to start using their hands again, as well.
In a world that seems to be striving to digitalize everything, creating real, tangible things is a healing and grounding practice that offers true fulfillment and a special kind of satisfaction beneath the surface. Coming back home to making something, bit by bit, piece by piece, is a meditative and contemplative activity that can teach you a lot about yourself as well.
Selma is the woman who many people trust in letting themselves be captured on photo and video if they want it to be authentic, organic, real. She left the hectic fashion and agency world of Amsterdam to find more calm, nature and peace in Portugal a few years ago. After a time of realignment, she found herself naturally behind the camera again, bringing out the best in people in front of her lens.
Story is how humans work. Selma knows how to incorporate this into her work. A photoshoot or video with her won’t be done without a conversation about the intentions behind it. It helps her to connect to the Why, and she is a master at weaving story, meaning and visual components together.
Zee Barn is a holistic permaculture retreat center, that is connected to the rhythm of nature. Just like the natural world, it invites every visitor to rest, recharge, listen and come more alive again. The founder and permaculture visionary Peppi Gauci and his partner Melania are stewarding and evolving this permaculture farm in Barril, 15 Minuten from Ericeira, with all their heart. It is a place of simplicity in balance with nature and brings us back to everything that a truly rich life really needs.
More than that, it is close to the sea, we are surrounded by walking trails, have a fireplace and enough space to let our consciousness expand in all directions. Of course there are also chickens, ducks, cats, dogs and other inhabitants, who are enjoying life here.
At Zee Barn, we are close enough to Ericeira and Lisbon to enjoy the vibe of these places, and at the same time far enough from the world to focus fully on ourselves and our creativity.
We are happy to support you with information and give you our recommendations in case you want to stay in Portugal for a little longer. Whether you want to go surfing, stand-up paddle, do yoga, co-working or just chill at the beach… it’s all possible. The magic of Portugal awaits.
We offer two versions for the ENLIVEN THE ARTIST WITHIN Retreat.
The BARN package includes everything you need and more. You’ll be sleeping in the spacious dorm of the barn. Peppi didn’t just put some IKEA bunk beds in there. He built this dorm with his own hands out of solid wood and truly made it a piece of art.
The DOME package makes the extraordinary geodesic dome your home for 5 days. 2-3 people are able to enjoy having even more space for themselves here, and live in a house without straight walls for a few days. What gets your creativity going like more a round house, you might be thinking. In case you are interested in the dome, be quick… limited availability.
• 5 Day Retreat
• 3 vegetarian or vegan meals per day
• Daily workshops and sessions
• Group activities
• Bed in the dorm
• Artist Date daytrip to Lisbon
• BONUS: Integration-Zoom-Call 4 weeks after the retreat
Price: € 599,00
• 5 Day Retreat
• 3 vegetarian or vegan meals per day
• Daily workshops and sessions
• Group activities
• Exclusive use of the geodesic Dome
• Artist Date daytrip to Lisbon
• BONUS: Integration-Zoom-Call 4 weeks after the retreat
Price: € 699,00 (min 2 – max 3 persons) – limited availability!
Do you feel the pull? We would love for you to apply. Just fill out this short form (2 min) and we get back to you as soon as possible.
Do you have questions, or is anything unclear? Do you want to hop on a call before applying to find out whether this is a good fit? Just reach out to us via Instagram:
We are enlivening the Artist Within. It doesn’t matter how much you have practiced your creativity up to this point. This is also not about how we label ourselves. Most of us have a lot of doubts about the validity of our creative calling and we don’t identify ourselves as an “artist”. That’s totally okay and not the goal of this experience. The goal is to connect to our creativity by making space for it.
You will stay with the module that you pick for the duration of the retreat. Some workshops, all groups will have together, but switching groups within the retreat is not possible.
You don’t have to do anything and we will never push you to do something that you don’t want to do. We are aware that sharing our creative work can be intimidating and that there might have been traumatic experiences with being the center of attention in the past. That’s why sharing our art and performing is an optional part of this experience. The key is to have a safe space to practice creating… independent of whether this is going to be shared or not.
We ask for a minimum deposit payment of €300, the rest can be paid in parts if needed. Just send your application and talk to us.
Contact us through sending your application (non-binding) or reach out via Instagram.