the journal: painting outside the lines

Hello there, soul sister,

Out of Office Creative Retreats Vol. 4 has just come to an end, but the core memories created will stay with us forever. Fourteen women, mostly strangers, came together in the Agafay desert. And after six days of creating, laughing, crying, dancing and singing - we truly became sisters.

One of our soul sisters, the brilliant Rawan Salama, hosted a beautiful creative session, which allowed us to forget the time and flow into creativity. It was a chance to let go of time, of pressure, of creating for something, and instead, create for someone else. A moment of softness and reflection that none of us expected, but all of us needed.

I’ll let Rawan paint the picture with her words…

a naïve art workshop by rawan salama in the agafay desert

“During Out of Office Creative Retreat, tucked in a space buzzing with creativity and soul, I had the joy of hosting a Naïve Art workshop - surrounded by the most magical, inspiring women. It wasn’t just about art. It was about unlearning. About shaking off the rules, letting go of the “shoulds,” and remembering the playful, wild child that still lives inside us.

We started with a few warm-up exercises designed to gently nudge everyone out of their heads and into their hearts. We drew with our non-dominant hands, eyes closed, even upside down… giggling, wobbling, and freeing ourselves from perfection. The room filled with laughter, color, and that delicious sense of letting go.

I had crafted a special playlist for this moment — music that moved us, literally. We danced. We sang. Some painted with their eyes full of tears, others with their hands full of joy. It was chaotic, honest, and so alive.

Then, when the energy was just right, I surprised them:

“You’ve inspired me! With the way we show up for each other, literally hold each other so tight with so much love” I told them, “so let’s do something beautiful. Let’s draw portraits of one another … and gift them.”

There was a pause, an “awwww”. A collective inhale. Then pencils picked up, eyes softened, and the space turned sacred.

They drew each other with so much love … not for accuracy, but for essence. Every line was a hug, every color a celebration. When the portraits were exchanged, something shifted. Tears flowed, hearts opened, and we all held pieces of each other, quite literally, in our hands.

It was more than a workshop. It was a memory. A moment. A reminder that art doesn’t have to be “good”… it just has to be true.” - Rawan Salama

a creative invitation (with a playlist)

Maybe reading this makes you crave that kind of connection. Maybe you want to recreate even a small part of this experience, with your friends, your community, or just with yourself.

Well, here’s a little gift to get you started: this playlist curated by Rawan. It’s what we played under the desert sky, while paintbrushes moved freely and hearts opened without resistance.

Here’s your invitation: gather your friends, or carve out an afternoon for yourself. Press play. Light a candle. Put your phone on airplane mode. Forget what things should look like. Forget perfection. Forget the algorithm. Create not to perform or impress. Create for the sake of creating. To connect. To heal. To express something that words can’t quite carry.

Make something weird. Make something beautiful. Or don’t make anything at all - just move to the music, lay in the sun, take a deep breath, and remind yourself how good it feels to not be productive. This is your permission to flow. To feel. To remember what it's like to be in a moment that doesn't ask for anything in return.

Blessings, light, and love,
Your friend, Sally