Last August, I made a brief visit to paradise.
I woke up early and took a quick walk down a flower-lined path and over a river to breakfast.
So how do you make it happen?
If theres family you take care of, how long can you be away?
How much time can you take off work, and would it be paid or unpaid time?
Factor in the cost of travel.
Then you might start organizing a list.
Ask other artists for their recommendations, too.
Ive found out about residencies through word of mouth.
If youre responsible for your own food, how will you obtain your supplies?
Will you need a car?
Living in New York City, I found VSCs rural setting a welcome change.
The town was so tiny, though, that it didnt even have its own drugstore.
Some programs offer some meals or free groceries, while others expect residents to fend for themselves.
Consider how meal prepor taking time out for communal diningwould impact your creative flow.
Some residencies also require CVs, recommendation letters, supplemental statements, and information about your finances.
When youre putting together your tool, think strategically, as residencies are highly selective.
Brace yourself for some rejection, which, Dreifus says, gets easier over time.
Camacho has found it helpful to detail in your tool why a certain residency appeals to you.
Every artist and writer needs time, but you’re able to get that anywhere.
What can you get from here, from this one in particular?
What is it about that place that could potentially affect your writing?
Does it figure into your writing somehow?
If so, youll want to explain that in your artists statement.
I think noticing and working with your own natural patterns is key.
A lot of times when were in our regular lives, were working against our nature.
Once youre in a place where your time is unstructured, notice when youre most productive.
Whether its morning or evening, go with that.
VSC being my first residency, I set modest goals for myself.
Take time to explore what your process is.
Allow things to happen that are unaccounted for.
Notice what your natural state is and work with that, rather than against it.
Something else to prepare for: The inevitable letdown of returning to real life.
Youll need a little time to adjust on that end, too.
Coming back is tough.
Ive figured out that for every week youre away, you need a day to adjust, Camacho says.
Its just an amazing experience if the artist can make it happen for themselves.
