We believe creativity & COMMUNITY are north stars
Let’s find yours!
What we are
Parcel North Studio is a collective—a parcel—of writers, artists, creators, healers & guides. From this community, we offer experiences to inspire you to explore your own creativity, self-discovery & growth.
In our studio space in the Hudson Valley we offer in-person workshops, retreats & gatherings, as well as options for private & overnight retreats or residencies. For those farther away, we offer virtual events & a variety of options for individual support.
We are feminists & recognize creativity as a form of activism. We believe in empathy & inclusion in all we do. We believe black lives matter, love is love, women’s rights are human rights, no human is illegal, and science is real.
Where we are
Parcel North Studio is on Lenape land in New York’s Hudson Valley, 90 minutes from mid-town Manhattan. Our property sits in the Walkill River valley and in the shadow of the Shawangunk Ridge.
Our studio has a large central workspace that accommodates 10-12 people for workshops, with space for two large worktables or floor space for yoga mats, as well as a full kitchen & two guest bedrooms.
Our space is also available to reserve privately for independent/solo retreats or for you to host your own events.
Parcel North Studio’s foundations
Process vs. product
In the majority of our offerings, our focus is on the process of creating rather than on the end-result product. What matters to us is the self-awareness, discoveries & expanded perspectives we experience while engaged in creativity of any kind. We aren’t aiming for perfection. We’re aiming for insight. We approach all creativity as if we are “just a beginner.”
Poetry’s purpose
At Parcel North Studio, you may notice that we place a particular emphasis on poetry in many of our offerings. We recognize the art & craft of poetry offers much to any writer, any artist, any human. Poetry is language pared down to its essence—a carefully honed parcel of words, ideas & images—and when writing a poem is approached as a process (rather than a product), it becomes not just a creative and expressive exercise but also a contemplative, mindfulness practice, & an insightful path to clarity & self-awareness.
Contemplative practice
In many of our offerings, you’ll find we incorporate elements of contemplative practice & mindfulness, to bring us fully into the present moment so that we can harness the full power of our own innate insight, creativity & wisdom—our north star.
Finding beauty in darkness
We recognize beauty & purpose in what is often dismissed. We love winter with its ice & darkness, believing it can be a fruitful season in its own way. We believe grief has gifts to offer, as do the other challenging emotions many want to bypass—like fury or fear. This is an orienting point for all our work, and ties in directly with our focus on grief work as well as why we chose our studio’s name. Inhabitants of the far north—the lands of long winters and never-ending nights—had to have endurance, resilience & courage.
We believe creativity & self-growth require that too. We think of creative work as sending out parcels of inspiration, hope & beauty for all travelers trying to find our way on challenging roads, in difficult seasons, amidst dark days. Creativity itself is the north start that guides us.
“To tell the truth is to become beautiful, to begin to love yourself, value yourself. And that’s political, in its most profound way.”
-June Jordan
“Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story….the pen has been in their hands.”
-Jane Austen
