A Year of Awakening
Creativity
Are you ready to enchant your life with Creativity?
Step into a transformational 10-month journey inspired by my new book, Awakening Creativity: A Sacred Journey to Reclaim Your Inner Artist.
Creativity as a Way of Being.
What if Creativity was the rich source from which your entire life flowed?
In this journey, we heal creative wounds, awaken wonder, and put ourselves in the path of the miraculous by creating art and lives that are full of joy, devotion, reverence, and play.
Together we’ll honor art as a sacred practice, keep a living journal, craft beautiful and meaningful artifacts, and — for those who choose — gather in Santa Fe, New Mexico for a special sacred retreat.
This art journey goes beyond painting
It’s an invitation to explore Creativity as a way of life.
It’s a spiritual path to nurture devotion, release old stories, and create beauty, peace, and possibility.
It’s a commitment to prioritize your Creative Spirit and wellbeing to create lasting change in your art and life..
You’ll learn to see the world through a lens of wonder — and to treat Creativity as a beloved presence within and around you.
Each month, we explore A divine aspect of Creativity:
Darkness
Renewal
Union
Devotion
Reverence
Beauty
Joy
Belonging
Miracles
. . .closing with an optional retreat near Taos, New Mexico to make art, celebrate, and share our Art and hearts with each other.
SACRED
ART-MAKING
We will create art that holds the story of your transformation, such as:
Vade Mecum Journal to record your journey
Morning Menu of soul-nourishing practices
Declaration Sign to display your devotion
Pilgrimage Suitcase that carries your art supplies and intentions
Through rituals, reflections, art projects, journaling prompts, and live gatherings, you’ll nurture your connection to the living force of Creativity itself — a wise and loving presence that awakens healing, purpose, and joy.
This is more than a class.
It’s a pilgrimage of the soul — a return home to your Creative Spirit.
You’ll receive:
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10+ Sacred Art Projects — designed to create a meaningful body of work that holds personal meaning and a record of your evolution
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Art Lessons and tips from Carrie Schmitt and Sherri Allen
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Weekly Live Art Sessions — dedicated time to create, play, and commune in sacred creative space
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Monthly Art Talks — heart-centered discussions inspired by Awakening Creativity: A Sacred Journey to Reclaim Your Inner Artist
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52 Weekly Journal Prompts to fill your Vade Mecum and keep your Creative Spirit nourished all year long
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Private Community Forum — a warm circle for sharing, reflection, and support along your journey
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Optional In-Person Retreat — a chance to gather in real life, create together, and celebrate the pilgrimage’s culmination
JOIN The Program + optional retreat
Sliding Scale Tuition
Discounted
Standard
Sponsored
You save $505 when you sign up for both the 10 month online pilgrimage + the Santa Fe Retreat!
(Deal for limited time only.)
Keep scrolling for retreat details.
Optional Retreat:
A Santa Fe Pilgrimage
For centuries, artists, mystics, and seekers have been drawn to this high-desert haven — a landscape where light feels alive, earth becomes palette, and creativity is treated as sacred.
Santa Fe’s adobe walls, vibrant markets, and endless skies whisper to the artist within us, celebrating artistry in all its forms — from ancient indigenous traditions to the avant-garde studios of Canyon Road.
In this radiant setting, the spirit awakens. Our days flow with morning adventures through art and nature, afternoons for reflection or creation, and evening circles of connection and creative communion. This retreat invites both spaciousness and belonging — time to wander freely while being held in the warmth of a creative sisterhood.
Our Retreat Journey Includes:
Curated Retreat Itinerary
Thoughtfully designed daily experiences and outings to the Georgia O’Keeffe museum, the Museum of International Folk Art, art galleries, and the healing waters of Ojo Caliente hot springs.
Art-Making in a Private Retreat Space
Set on 17 acres of high-desert beauty, this luxurious space offers peace and panoramic views of Santa Fe’s landscape.
Evening Gatherings
Guided circles each night with Carrie focused on renewal, reflection, and creative awakening.
Opening and Closing Celebrations
Welcome dinner on Wednesday and optional farewell gathering on Sunday morning.
Creative Guidance & Reflections
Artistic inspiration, journaling prompts, and rituals to support your inner pilgrimage.
Special Dinner with Secret Artist
An intimate evening of shared meal and conversation on Creativity, mindfulness, and the writing life. (This is still unfolding, and we are hopeful it will happen!)
Our Retreat
Sanctuary
Set on 17 private acres of high-desert beauty, just minutes from Canyon Road and the historic Santa Fe Plaza, our retreat home is a luxury adobe estate designed for connection, reflection, and creative renewal.
Authentic Santa Fe charm meets modern comfort here — thick adobe walls, flagstone floors, and rustic vigas create a space that feels both grounding and alive. This is where we’ll gather each day for art-making sessions, evening circles, and open studios, surrounded by vast skies and quiet desert light.
Between sessions, you’re invited to enjoy the home’s many offerings: a hot tub, infrared sauna, and cold-plunge tub for rejuvenation; walking trails and open desert paths for reflection; and swings, outdoor tables, and garden spaces for painting, journaling, or simply being.
At sunset, we’ll gather around the firepit or outdoor Kiva fireplace for storytelling, laughter, and starlit connection.
This peaceful haven invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect with the beauty that lives both within and around you — a true sanctuary for the creative spirit.
Our Retreat Journey Does Not Include:
Lodging
Meals
Guests are responsible for their own meals, an opportunity to savor Santa Fe’s vibrant culinary scene with one unforgettable meal provided as part of the retreat, when we’ll gather for a shared dinner with our mystery art guest.
Transportation & Entry Fees
Guests are responsible for their own transportation and any entry fees for optional outings, such as the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum or Ojo Caliente Hot Springs. This allows you to choose your own adventure and listen to your longings.
Sample Retreat Schedule
Wednesday – Arrival + Opening the Circle
Thursday – The Artist’s Eye: Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
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Visit the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, celebrating one of the most iconic artists of the Southwest.
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Explore her paintings, philosophy, and the spirit of independence that defined her creative life.
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Reflect on what it means to see the world through the artist’s eye.
Friday – Waters of Renewal: Ojo Caliente
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Day trip to Ojo Caliente Hot Springs, a sacred place of rest and rejuvenation.
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Soak in the healing mineral waters, rest in silence, or journal by the pools.
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Optional spa treatments and reflection on the art of surrender.
Saturday – The Art of Devotion: Canyon Road + Dinner with Secret Art Guest
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Canyon Road Art Walk — Explore Santa Fe’s legendary art district, lined with over 100 galleries.
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Wander among adobe studios and sculpture gardens, meeting artists and witnessing creativity alive in every corner.
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Optional sketching, photography, or journaling prompts along the way.
Sunday – Brunch + Farewell Blessing
Your reservation is non-refundable but may be transferred to another participant if you are unable to attend minus an administrative fee of $150. You can transfer your spot up to one month before the retreat.
We deeply honor the sacred commitment of each pilgrim. If you have physical, dietary, or accessibility needs, please let us know in advance so we can support you.
Outings & Flexibility
Each outing is optional and self-paid, allowing you freedom to choose your own adventure and honor your pace and heart’s desires. (You’ll receive details and links for tickets and details before the retreat.)
Whether you join the group adventures or follow your own creative calling, we’ll gather each afternoon and evening to make art and share our discoveries and reflections.
Your Creativity Guides
Carrie Schmitt is an internationally recognized artist, author of Awakening Creativity: A Sacred Journey to Reclaim Your Inner Artist, and mentor who has guided thousands of women through creative transformation.
For more than sixteen years, she has worked as a full-time artist, author, and creative guide, helping people heal creative wounds and rediscover the joy of making.
She has been featured in BBC News, Spirituality & Health, Where Women Create, In Her Studio, and other publications celebrating art and mindful living.
Rooted in the belief that Creativity is a living presence — a loving force that calls us home to ourselves — Carrie’s work blends art, spirituality, and community.
Through her paintings, retreats, and online programs, she creates spaces of beauty, belonging, and awakening where all are invited to honor their creative spirit and live a more artful, soul-led life.
Sherri Allen began drawing and painting in 2021 at the age of 52.
She says,“I want you to know that you can awaken your Creativity at any age.
I’ve seen that through attention, devotion, and faith we can live the creative life that we were meant to live. I’ve gone on to sell over hundreds of paintings since I began.
My hope is that I can inspire you to find your creative voice through the powerful practice of drawing and working in sketchbooks.”
“Carrie is a highly creative and empowering teacher!
— LISA ROGERS
“Taking a class with Carrie is like being wrapped in sunshine.
Her gentle demeanor and supportive nature nurtures the artist living within each of us. Forgive the pun, but my painting skills have blossomed so much since taking her classes. The love and light she exudes makes all of her students feel that they can be, not only best friends with Carrie, but the greatest artists we can aspire to be. If you have not taken a class with Carrie, you’re missing out. It’s food for the soul.“
— MARIAN MCLEMORE
Frequently asked questions
How does this differ from Flower Painting Club?
This Creative Pilgrimage is a much deeper soulful journey. It’s for those ready to walk a sacred path of creative and spiritual transformation. Guided by my book Awakening Creativity, this 10-month experience invites you to explore Creativity as a living force for healing, wholeness, and awakening.
While the Flower Painting Club focused on painting and community, the Creative Pilgrimage offers a full-spectrum creative immersion — weaving art, ritual, reflection, and devotion into a life-changing journey for those truly committed to their creative evolution.
When will the calls be?
We will mostly meet on some Thursdays at 6pm PST / 9pm EST and some Saturday mornings at 9am PST / 12pm EST. We will also have some weekday morning meetings. All meetings will be recorded for those who cannot attend, but participants are HIGHLY encouraged to make the live meetings.
If I’m a beginner artist, is this a good fit for me?
Yes. The Creative Pilgrimage is not about mastering technique — it’s about deepening your relationship with the source of your art. Even seasoned artists can reach a point where inspiration feels dim or the creative well runs dry. This journey invites you to return to the sacred roots of why you create.
Through reflection, ritual, and creative exploration, you’ll be guided to expand beyond your familiar edges — to rekindle wonder, renew devotion, and experience art as a path of healing and transformation.
If you’ve honed your craft but long to reconnect with meaning, mystery, and magic, this pilgrimage will meet you exactly where you are — and carry you deeper into your creative soul.
If I am an experienced artist, is this a good fit for me?
If you are an experienced artist looking to step out of your comfort zone and explore new subject matter, materials, and a way to paint more intuitively and expressively, then this club is for you.
Painting intuitively is a never-ending exploration that we can always deepen. I believe there is no end to the levels of surrender that we can experience in the creative process.
This space encourages us to deepen our relationship with Creativity in ways that expand our understanding of how Creativity works and the gifts it offers us. We find these gifts together as we share our art and experiences.
Additionally, we have a wide range of expertise in our club with many experienced artists who offer us a wealth of information from art techniques, tips, supply recommendations, and business savvy as well.
Do I offer 1:1 mentoring?
I don’t offer private mentoring at this time — and that’s intentional. The Creative Pilgrimage is designed to unfold within the power of community.
Pilgrimages are rarely walked alone for a reason. They are meant to be shared — with fellow travelers who mirror our growth, hold our stories, and remind us we’re not alone. These gatherings often become holy encounters, where grace moves through the group and transformation deepens through connection.
In my Flower Painting Club, lifelong friendships have blossomed from this shared creative journey, and the same spirit of love and companionship will bloom here. Together, we move farther — and with more joy, ease, and magic — than we ever could on our own.
What happens when I sign up?
After you register, you’ll receive a welcome email from me with details about how to access our online classroom. Inside, you’ll find everything you need to begin your Creative Pilgrimage — including your first orientation materials, class calendar, and community space.
You’ll also be invited to join our private circle of creative pilgrims, where we’ll gather for live sessions, share reflections, and support one another along the journey.
Your pilgrimage begins the moment you say yes — and I’ll be there to guide you every step of the way.
What if I try it out, and it’s not for me?
Because this is a deeply immersive and community-based experience, all sales are final and non-refundable. I encourage you to listen closely to your heart before enrolling and to make sure this journey feels aligned for you.
That said, I trust that if you feel called to this pilgrimage, you’re meant to be here. Each experience — even the challenging ones — can become part of your creative awakening. Once you step into this sacred circle, you’ll be fully supported by the community and guided with love every step of the way.
I have a question. Can I email you?
Yes, you can contact me here.
Ready to Begin to…
take this sacred journey and transform your relationship with art and life?