The
wellspring of this workshop in Marblehead is quite serendipitous! Until recently,
I had never been to Marblehead, but when my husband and I went there for the weekend,
it was love at first sight! We stayed at a B&B outside of the town, but while
wandering through the area of "Old Town" Marblehead with its plethora
of pre-Revolutionary homes, my heart warmed and my imagination was ignited. "Picturesque,
charming and quaint" do not do justice to the ambiance of Old Town. Unlike
Colonial Williamsburg, Marblehead doesn't "show all"; rather, I felt
a freedom of time outside of time bid me enter. "Sit, eat, drink, enjoy,
imagine, walk, laugh! The rush and noise of the present day does not invade this
place. Come as you are and find something you might not know you yearn for."
The
maritime spirit is everywhere -- Marblehead is known as one of the great sailing
capitals, and the harbor and rocky coast line are beautiful, but I personally
felt most drawn to Marblehead's homes and winding lanes. I loved the way the many-colored,
multifaceted colonial clapboard houses ranging in color from gray and white to
yellow, pink, lavender and purple seem almost to be hugging one another in such
a way that even the smallest looks inviting.  These
houses felt like a testament to the pilgrims of a brave new world, the early colonists
who came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony to build a new life for themselves and
their families. In fact, Marblehead was founded in 1629, less than a decade after
the first pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. But there are no ghosts, or none that
I sensed while walking this town – although in truth I was looking for them.
What excited me was the vitality of a past that inspires the present, fires the
senses and creates a longing in the soul for the spirit of community. Simply put,
I felt alive and creative in Marblehead.
So
when my husband said, "Wouldn't this be the perfect place for a workshop?"
his words put voice to my thoughts. "Yes!" I agreed, and we set out
looking for a place. Right off, we were directed to the perfect place, the Harbor
Light Inn, built in 1726 and meticulously and lovingly restored to is colonial
beauty. And
what we discovered is that the weekend of December 1-4 sets off the holiday season
and couldn't be a better time to be in Marblehead. The annual Christmas walk begins
with Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus arriving by lobster boat and then the town bursts
into activity: a parade, great food, house tours, caroling, a concert in the famous
Old North Church and more! Add to this great shopping! Even if you hate holiday
shopping, you'll love (or at least like) it in Marblehead. The shops cater to
all ages and their offerings are unique! Imagine, a creative weekend of writing
and being able to do all your holiday shopping, too! In fact, an alternate name
for the workshop could easily be:
Writing,
Creativity, Holiday Shopping and Cheer! | Coming
together to write and share our creative life in Marblehead brings us into a landscape
that is part of the mysterious flow of time. You need not write about Marblehead
but the atmosphere will surely open all of us to stories, characters and sensory
perceptions that deepen our creativity. As always, the critiquing is supportive.
|
Explore
the Workshop
Explore
Harbor Light Inn, the Christmas Walk and more...
Workshop
Fees and Registration
Driving
Directions and Airport Shuttle The
Harbor Light Inn is located approximately 15 miles north of Boston,
and within
15 miles of Route I-95 and Route 128 |
