Artists' Residencies Are Transformational (Plus 6 Upcoming Residency Deadlines)
All About My Past Month at the Hambidge Center
I spent the last month at the Hambidge Center and it was transformational, one of the best months of my life. In case you don’t know, The Hambidge Center is an artist’s residency in North Georgia founded in 1934 by Mary Hambidge, in memory of her partner Jay Hambidge, a scholar of dynamic symmetry. Hambidge is located on approximately 600 acres on the edge of the North Carolina border—you can walk up certain trails on campus and find yourself in North Carolina. Hambidge is criss-crossed by trails, which run along creeks and streams, through beds of rhododendrons, alongside huge stacks of moss-covered boulders, through the pine forests.
Trails are part of my typical day at Hambidge, which generally goes like this:
Wake up, read, eat breakfast.
Journal.
Mat Pilates.
Write/ Meditate or vice versa. Lunch.
Hike/Draw/Nap (depending on the day).
Write.
Hike and possibly draw.
Vegetarian dinner with fellows Tuesday-Friday (Mary Hambidge was vegetarian), prepared by the incredible Rachel DeMenechi. Conversation is always inspiring.
Wood-fired sauna with fellows a few days each week.
Also, this past month I deleted social media. I only read the news on my computer.
I was at Hambidge to work on a project about Joseph Pilates, which explores the life of Pilates, as well finding joy and healing through Pilates. My two current favorite books on Pilates are Eva Rincke’s biography Joseph Pilates and Allan Menezes’ Complete Guide to the Foundational Methods of Joseph H. Pilates, which I mentioned in the last post.
Joseph Pilates believed his method cured the ills of modern society. This led me to explore how we live now, particularly how the culture has changed over the past two decades with the advent of smartphones—I’m a former school library media specialist, the subject has fascinated me for decades! One book I really enjoyed on this topic was Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self. I also read Dopamine Nation and most of The Anxious Generation. All are recommended.
However, given that Pilates was a visionary, I also enjoyed exploring what contributes to creativity. I’m currently obsessed with Creativity: The Psychology and Discovery of Invention by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, which has lots of insight on the creative process, some of which I will share in upcoming posts. Right now, I think we all need more positivity and inspiration than ever, so in that vein (Substack rebrand alert), I also will be sharing profiles of artists at Hambidge, as well as artists from various walks in my life.
One of the domains I embraced creatively at Hambidge was drawing. I’ve done this at Hambidge before; I made graphic journals at Hambidge the week I visited in 2024. But 4-8 panels takes SO LONG! This time, inspired by the BORED AND BRILLIANT challenge to not take pictures, I committed to a daily drawing while I hiked. This is one inspired by Hambidge fellow and poet Kate Northrop. (My handwriting is super messy because I’m writing and drawing standing up).
What’s been inspiring you creatively? How do you find joy? I’d love to know.
Upcoming Residency Deadlines
Hambidge is accepting residency applications for 2027 until April 15, 2026.
“The Hambidge Center is situated on 600 forested acres in the mountains of north Georgia and offers miles of nature trails, meadows, waterfalls, a swimming hole and an abundance of wildflowers. The oldest residency program in the Southeast, Hambidge provides a self-directed program that honors the creative process and trusts individuals to know what they need to cultivate their talent, whether it’s to work and produce, to think, to experiment or to rejuvenate. Residents’ time is their own; there are no workshops, critiques, nor required activities. Each resident is given their own private studio which provides work and living space with a bathroom and full kitchen. The studios are designed to protect residents’ time, space and solitude.”
Hedgebrook is accepting residency applications for 2027 until April 17, 2026.
“Our Writers in Residence Program supports free-to-writers residencies for selected women-identified writers at the retreat each year. Up to 7 writers can be in residence at a time, each housed in a handcrafted cottage. They spend their days in solitude – writing, reading, taking walks in the woods on the property or on nearby Double Bluff beach. In the evenings, “The Gathering” is a social time for residents to connect and share over their freshly prepared meals.”
Loghaven Artist Residency is accepting residency applications for 2027 until July 15, 2026 (opens June 1).
“Loghaven is dedicated to supporting artists with all the resources needed to create innovative new work. To us, this means not only providing time and space and an inspiring setting; it means financial support. We believe artists should be compensated for their time and contribution to society. Thus, in addition to underwriting the cost of room and board for the duration of the visit, Loghaven provides a weekly living stipend, travel subsidy, and freight reimbursement for materials shipping.”
Ragdale is accepting residency applications for 2027 until May 14, 2026.
“Ragdale awards 140 residencies annually across ten sessions to artists working in a variety of disciplines including dance, music, writing, and visual art. Residency sessions are 18-days long and include individual accommodations and private workspaces, all located on a celebrated campus listed on the National Register of Historic Places.”
Vermont Studio Center is accepting residency applications for 2027 until May 31, 2026.
“VSC’s residency program welcomes artists and writers working across all mediums and genres for two, three, and four week sessions. Residents enjoy well-lit, private studios within a short walk to residency housing, dining hall, and local amenities. Studio spaces range from 170 - 300 square feet. Accommodations include a private room and shared common areas. The campus features include a print shop, digital lab, and metal, wood, ceramic facility. Studios are open 24 hours a day.”
Virginia Center for Creative Arts is accepting residency applications for 2027 until May 15, 2026.
“The Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA) provides time and space for national and international writers, visual artists, and composers of talent and promise to bring forth their finest works, because the arts are vital, diversity is a strength, and creativity is essential.”
