Michael Kinn
writer
I would describe the Creativity Cabin experience as absolutely fabulous. I loved it: the cosy hut, the incredible views, the great company
- and above all the ability to write uninterrupted -without even having
to cook (terrific food, by the way!)
The Creativity Cabin lives up to its name! I wrote about 25,000 words in five days - a record for me. I achieved my goal to complete the novel and I'll be back for more!
E. Moriarty
ON RETREAT
I embarked on my New Year 2015 at The Creativity Cabin on the incredible Beara Peninsula. Having spent 4 days in retreat at the nearby Dzogchen Beara Tibetan Buddhist Retreat Centre, I was seeking somewhere peaceful, surrounded by Nature where I could continue to meditate and write daily. I arrived in the dark in a howling winter gale to be met with a roaring fire, a hot water bottle warming my bed and a thoughtful cup of delicious butternut squash soup heating on top of the stove.
This is the ideal place for the writer, the artist, anyone who needs to work and find solitude from the world for a time. While the owner lives just nearby, your need for privacy and uninterrupted time alone is completely respected. A very useful flag system can even be used to indicate whether or not you welcome company!
The cabin is equipped with all the basics one might need. As it is eco-friendly accommodation, there is an absolute minimum of electrical appliances, and guests are encouraged to compost, recycle and burn paper waste in the wood-burning stove as appropriate. A large table sits in front of an expansive window overlooking the ocean, a perfect workstation with an awe-inspiring view. A short walk along the headland will bring you to a rocky beach - an ideal spot to gather driftwood for the fire or forage for seaweed. Another short walk will bring you to some interesting stone cairns.
The cabin is situated just a short drive from the colourful village of Eyeries where you can pick up any supplies etc. It's a good idea to bring your own CDs or Music on a data stick as there is a player. WIFI is available in the cabin and the speed seemed quite good. Situated down a long winding track, far from the main road, this is a perfect place to withdraw from the everyday for a while, get back to the basics of life and be inspired.
The Creativity Cabin
Create Compose Contemplate
Claire Marie Barton
Singer-songwriter
As a mother of two young boys, it can be hard to find time to sit down and write new songs or to work on existing ones. I was looking for somewhere self-contained and comfortable but I also wanted to be in the middle of nature in a beautiful place. I found all that and more at the Creativity Cabin. It was perfect! So well designed and had everything I needed. The big desk was a bonus.
The day I arrived was beautiful and sunny and sitting out in the garden, I was immediately inspired and found a melody for a song I had been working on. My first draft recording of it has the herring gulls calling in the background.
Ann and Stephen are incredibly friendly and welcoming and yet really respected my work time so when I was in the flow, I could raise the ‘do not disturb’ red flag, which was great .On my breaks, I enjoyed walking along the rocky shore, which is just a field away from the cabin.
The cabin is both practical and creative and in a very inspiring place. I achieved a lot in my 3 days. I really enjoyed my stay and will definitely be back. It is a wonderful retreat and I can’t recommend it enough!
Georgina M. Roberts
Artist and Actress
The Creativity Cabin has to be experienced to comprehend its creative potential. It is a little landboat that rocks aesthetic visions, nurturing the seedlings of ideas.
I would come in after a swim off the nearby pier, all pink and tingly, the wood burner blazing, and after a hot shower from which I emerged even more pink, I would try to capture the glorious Wild Atlantic sunsets framed by the window. My pastels danced upon the page desperate to pick up just some inkling of the symphony of colours before my very eyes.
I cannot tell you how much of a haven the cabin was for me. It was good to know that my hosts were nearby if I needed anything - willing to share a cup of tea, a chat, or join me for a swim. The beauty is, however, that if I chose to put up my red flag, my desire for solitude was honoured. I could then nestle into my own silence, batten down the hatches, repair to the light-filled studio next door and set sail on my paintings.
Strike out of your landboat and there are paths to beat. It is astoundingly beautiful, breath-taking and wild. It feeds the soul. It fed mine. I am still working on a series from my time there. I still see in my mind’s eye the colours of the grass change, the berries, the heather and of course the cows! Ah the cows! This place, this little jewel thrums still in my blood. I miss the swims, the space and the calm to dream.
Art needs space, WE need space- a quiet place surrounded by nature at its most articulate. That is what The Creativity Cabin offers - a dialogue, an intimate conversation between oneself and nature.
This place is magic.
Cherry Smyth
Poet and Novelist
My whole experience was totally productive and conducive to writing and thinking. I started many new poems and read more than I have in months. The cabin is cosy and has everything you need for a writing retreat: a big desk, silence, hot water, a good shower and a comfy bed. Oh yes, and a hammock strung from the rafters. I am sorry to have to leave.
I loved the peace, the spaciousness the soft clean air and the ability to walk in three directions without a car in stunning landscape; seashore, lakeside and hilltop. You're also close to amazing Neolithic stone circles, standing stones and a medieval church. I also enjoyed swimming off the pier and in rocky coves.
I'll take the sight of the moonlight on Coulagh bay back to London with me and the sound of the rain on the west windows while the south windows were still dry! Many thanks for a wonderful, restorative experience.
My Website; http://www.cherrysmyth.com/