What if you gave yourself an entire day to create, rest, and reconnect?
When was the last time you created without rushing?
Rested without guilt?
Spent time with other makers without feeling like you had to produce something for anyone else?
Cultivate & Create is a thoughtfully curated one-day retreat designed to help you step away from productivity mode and reconnect with your creativity through making, nourishment, nature, and community.
Whether you’re a knitter, scrapbooker, quilter, sewist, crocheter, watercolor artist, journaler—or simply someone who longs to spend a day creating—you’ll find a welcoming space to slow down, breathe, and enjoy making alongside other creative people.
Your Retreat Experience Includes:
Nourish
Enjoy delicious food throughout the day, thoughtfully prepared by Kitchen Melissa, including:
• Light breakfast including a fruit platter, chia coconut pudding cups, breakfast cookies, eggs, and locally roasted coffee, assorted teas, and orange juice
• Buffet lunch including a selection of salads, herb roasted chicken breasts, seasonal vegetable frittata, delicious sides, fruit crumble dessert, and beverages
• Afternoon grazing table includes crudites and hummus, fresh fruit, chicken salad, and beverages
Create
Spend the day exploring creativity through a variety of experiences, including:
• Meditative Creativity Workshop: SoulCollage® & Reflective Writing with Tammy Theis Satterlee
• The Herbal Tea Ritual with Liz Garypie, featuring a guided tea tasting and the creation of your own Creative Clarity tea sachet to take home
• Dedicated Open Studio time to work on your own creative project in community with fellow makers
• A collaborative community art project
Bring your current creative project—knitting, crochet, scrapbooking, embroidery, quilting, hand sewing, journaling, watercolor, writing, felting, coloring, or another portable craft—and enjoy uninterrupted time creating at your own pace.
Restore
Take time to care for yourself through gentle, restorative experiences, including:
• Gentle Chair Yoga for Makers with Kelly Warters of A Breath of Calm Yoga
• A meditative nature walk through the retreat grounds (weather permitting)
• Quiet moments for rest and reflection
• Optional Add-On: Chair massages with Rose Napoli, PT, ASSC, Massage THP will be available for an additional $20 per session.
Connect
Throughout the day you’ll also enjoy:
• A thoughtfully curated gift bag
• Raffle featuring donations from local businesses
• Meaningful conversations with fellow makers
• A peaceful retreat setting designed for creativity and connection
A Day Created Just for You
There is no pressure to finish a project, keep up with anyone else, or create something “worthy.”
This day is about giving yourself permission to slow down, make something with your hands, reconnect with your creativity, and leave feeling refreshed, inspired, and restored.
Cultivate & Create: A Restorative Retreat for Makers
Saturday, October 10, 2026 from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sticks & Stones Retreat Center, Newtown, Connecticut
Attendance is intentionally limited to approximately 25 participants to create an intimate and welcoming retreat experience.
If a day of creativity, rest, and connection sounds like exactly what you’ve been needing, we’d love to welcome you.
Registration is now open. Reserve your place today and give yourself a day to slow down, create, and reconnect with your creativity.
Community Sponsor
We’re grateful for the support of our inaugural Cultivate & Create retreat sponsor:
Raffle Sponsors
The following local businesses have generously offered items for our raffle. Each attendee will recieve one raffle ticket with the option to purchase more at the event.
Registration Information
Registration closes October 1, 2026 to allow time for meal planning, materials preparation, and retreat coordination.
Because attendance is intentionally limited, registration may close earlier if all spaces are filled.
Cancellation Policy
To thoughtfully prepare meals, materials, and retreat experiences for each attendee, cancellations received by September 20, 2026 are eligible for a full refund.
After September 20, registrations become non-refundable due to advance commitments for food, supplies, and retreat expenses.
Registration transfers may be accommodated when feasible but cannot be guaranteed.
Questions? Contact us at [email protected].
About Milford Makes
Cultivate & Create is more than a retreat—it’s an investment in a creative future for our community.
Milford Makes is working to establish a community Creative Reuse Center and Makerspace where people of all ages can access affordable materials, learn new skills, explore their creativity, and connect with others through making.
Every ticket, sponsorship, and donation helps us move closer to that vision while supporting creative programs, workshops, and community events happening today.
Thank you for helping us build a place where creativity, connection, and sustainability can thrive.