Oftentimes in life you’ll reach a halt. You’ll feel stuck, questioning your career choices, experiencing sentiments of mental exhaustion, or even being over-stimulated in a world that seems to be moving way too fast. Sometimes you owe it to yourself to take a step back and breathe, essentially taking some time to disconnect in order to reconnect. That’s when retreats come into play, be it a spiritual hideaway in a remote location, an adventurous escape to bring out the wanderer in you, or better yet Sally Ghaly’s creative retreat in Morocco catered solely for women.
The Europe-based Egyptian-Canadian has curated Out of Office creative retreats, a bespoke experience for women looking to unleash their inner artist. The curated series of getaways provide a space where women can foster meaningful connections with themselves and their surroundings, immerse themselves in cultural exchanges, and a lot more.
Like most great ideas, Out of Office was the result of a gap in the industry. “I’ve been searching for spaces where I can connect, collaborate, and exchange knowledge with female creatives– and frankly I couldn’t find it. So, I am creating it for us,” shares Ghaly, adding that most of the options she came across “were too touristy, too sporty, or lacked focus.”
The inaugural retreat is scheduled to take place from Sept. 20 to 24, 2023 in Morocco in partnership with BE Marrakech and BE Agafay– providing both an opportunity to go glamping and explore Marrakech’s bustling medina.
Additionally, the retreat will bring together 16 talented local and international female creatives, with 10 interactive sessions led by experts in various fields, covering an array of creative outlooks from ancestral weaving, Moroccan trance music, meditation, creative writing, human design, dancing, photography, and on goes the list.
Meanwhile, three local Moroccan talents will be co-creators in the September retreat, including Rania Malek, 22-year-old multidisciplinary artist; Zineb Koutten, 21-year-old multidisciplinary artist; and Zineb Achoubie, 28-year-old visual artist and skilled master weaver. Bringing forth their expertise, their presence will aid in helping participants connect with their creative flow.
Ghaly tells MILLE that apart from taking in the tranquility and creativity of it all, she wishes, “Participants will leave with a sense of community, a strong bond of sisterhood and a deeper connection to their creative spirit.”
Those looking to immerse themselves in this creative retreat can visit www.outofofficecreativeretreats.com or their Instagram for more information on how you can make it happen.