Elizabeth MacCrelish is the mastermind behind SQUAM workshops and she is also one of those people who is fully deserving of her success! As soon as I first began reading her blog Blue Poppy ~ a drowsy fabulist ~ years ago, I immediately fell for her wit, honesty and incredible writing skills. Then we corresponded a bit and I knew right then, this woman was indeed a rare gem. With SQUAM, Elizabeth made a big dream of hers come true and more, she inspired many others to follow their passion, take the time to get immersed in a supportive community and do what they love to do without fear: ART!

As many of you probably know by now, JUNE SQUAM was a huge hit and now Elizabeth is gearing up to do SQUAM SEPTEMBER, introducing two new fabulous classes. A Book in a Day, with a charming duo: Christine M. Miller and Marisa Haedike. And Create a Painting a Day, with Marisa Haedike. You still have time to sign up and start packing!

In other news, I am also honored to announce some great press that SQUAM received recently: a lovely piece that Country Living magazine has put together in their August issue which just hit newstands-- More deets here. The article also features a photograph that Thea Coughlin took of Misty Mawn. Woot!

So without further dos, grab your tea and do not rush through this read, I warn you. { I know it looks long (optical illusion only!), it's truly the yummiest stuff for the soul. You will beg for more...}. Read on to find out more about the amazing Elizabeth, her life outside SQUAM and how she came up with the most incredible summer camp for adults.

1. What do you do and how long have you been doing it?

I teach writing at the New Hampshire Institute of Art and am the director of Squam Art Workshops. Oddly enough, both of these endeavors began at the same time: September 2007.

2. What did you do prior to what you do now, and when did you realize this is what you wanted to do?

Hmm, well it's not quite as clear-cut as all that. For most of my adult life, I alternated between teaching French and freelance writing. Then, in a truly unexpected twist, I worked for an engineering manufacturing company as their commercialization manager for nearly seven years. It was one of those flukey universe-has-a-plan-for-me-but-doesn't-intend-to-share-it-with-me-just-yet experiences. When I joined the firm it was quite small and still headed up by one of the two original founders, which gave it something of a mom & pop shop feel. A friend of mine worked there and I came on board as a temp to cover for a woman who had gone on maternity leave. At the time, I honestly wondered if I would make it through the week, as I couldn't imagine an environment less appealing-- just the idea of having to wear shoes every day was gonna be a struggle. As it turns out, I loved working with engineers-- incredibly creative folks and business was a revelation to me. Compared to freelancing, this was cake!

I was lucky enough to jump on board just as the company was growing exponentially (much like a dot com) and those seven years were more like dog years-- whole lifetimes in each of those years. By the end, in 2006, although I was earning more dollars than I could have ever imagined, I was deeply unhappy, as the single motivation for staying there was money. I went to Artfest that April and it changed my life. I came back from Artfest and knew that I wanted someone else to have the experience I had, which coupled with a long (long!) held dream of creating an arts center, resulted in the formation of Squam Art Workshops.

3. What steps did you take to make your transition?

Let's see-- if I recall there was some gnashing of teeth (or in my case, nightly grinding of teeth), and whining about how unhappy I was. That lasted oh, about as long as whiny, self-indulgent rants can until I had to either take steps to change my situation or take a well-sharpened meat cleaver to my skull.

The short answer is I leapt. I gave my notice without lining up another job and walked off the plank. This was terrifying not only because I had exactly no idea what was ahead, but also because I was the primary wage earner in the household at that time and my job supplied the steady paycheck and health insurance.

This is probably not the recommended path, but it was what I did.

4. What previous life or work experience applies to what you do now?

Everything. Everything I have ever done has led me to what I am currently doing. I cannot begin to explain how suddenly everything I have gone through in the past 25 years makes total sense to me now. Whereas I once thought I was a hopeless drifter moving from one job situation to the next with no formal "career plan" anywhere near the horizon, I now see it so very differently. Each job I had gave me specific skills and experiences that added to my personal/professional tool kit. And, most importantly, I am so grateful to every difficult, unhappy work environment I passed through as if they had been even remotely comfortable I wouldn't have been against the wall with no other option than to move on and I would likely still be there, eking out a living.

I often think of the frog adage: drop a frog into boiling water, it leaps out; drop a frog into cold water, slowly bring the water to a boil and bye-bye froggie.

5. Who or what inspired you to follow your dreams and pursue a transition?

It must be said that without my husband's unwavering support, I would not be engaged in such a vibrant life that feeds me so deeply. (Of course, were I not married to this particular guy, I would most definitely not be living in New Hampshire and my life would look entirely different-- but, as I've never been much for hypotheticals, we'll leave that for another day). If there is one thing I did right in this lifetime was to partner with a person of extraordinary spirit. Our partnership is what has allowed me to take risks, pursue dreams, fail, get back up, try again, etc. Admittedly, two dreamers who shun more practical "adult" considerations can bring about extremely challenging situations, but we share an uncompromising passion for personal freedom and willingly accept the consequences of our risk-taking.

Video by soulsister Jen Gray.

6. What resources helped you with your transition?

The blog I kept for the last five years was instrumental in supporting and shaping this transition. I cannot underscore the importance of the blog world in making this transition. It was critical. It was extraordinary. The people I met! The people I befriended! The people that helped me! God, I'm getting a bit ferklempt here as I type to you just thinking about it. (talk amongst yourselves . . .)

Although it came into my hands after I had already jumped off the proverbial cliff, I found Elizabeth Gilbert's book Eat, Pray, Love an extraordinary source of validation for my choice to swim against the current.

7. Can you walk us through a day in your current work & life routine?

Well, I can-- but be forewarned that your face will melt from the boredom.

My days pretty much begin with filling the bird feeders, making coffee, getting the dogs outside before I settle down in a room where there is no internet, no tv, etc. There, I start my day-- journaling, reading, list-making. If I am really on my game there might be some yoga and/or meditation.

At some point I head up to my studio/office where I focus on the task of the day, which can vary between Squam work, class prep, or my own creative projects.

Mid-morning I take the dogs out for a big walk-- usually 3-4 miles. If I'm teaching that day, I get home, shower and get ready to head to school. If I am not teaching, I come home eat lunch and continue working. Emails and the post office figure largely in my daily life.

My husband gets home around 6pm and we have dinner-- then, more often than not, I go back up to my studio to keep working. We're country mice and are generally in bed by 10:30 and both of us love getting up early.

See? I warned you. Face melt.

8. What are the most rewarding aspects of having gone through with your transition? Is there anything you miss from your previous occupation(s)?

There are so many rewards to living the life I once thought of as total fantasy that I wouldn't know where to begin. One piece, for sure, is that I put a huge chunk of faith into the universe and it delivered in spades, so one result of this transition is that my trust in intuition and guidance beyond the realm of what we can know has magnified dramatically. Another is that, with specific regard to Squam, my goal was to help one other person and I know from the letters I have received, that I reached far more than one person and that alone can bring me to my knees.

The only thing I miss from my previous job was the money. I love having money and being free of financial stress which is, in my opinion, one of the most debilitating kinds of stress. I love spending money supporting local businesses and artists on etsy, etc-- I love having enough money to travel, etc, etc- but all things being equal, I'd always choose this life over having more money.

9. What have been the biggest challenges in your transition? How did you (or are you) overcome(ing) them?

It's a funny thing, but when I am on my true path, things come together in the easiest way possible. I have had far, far greater struggle and unhappiness in my life when I was trying to follow a path that was not my own. This is not to say I do not have a learning curve and that I do not trip and stumble on a regular basis (read: faceplant). Rather, that these tumbles are insignificant in light of the daily pleasure I can experience. However, if I had to single out one area of significant challenge for me in all of this it would be balancing my personality with this new role.

I am, by and large, a loner and laissez-faire kind of creature. By which I mean to say, I do my own thing and trust that everyone else is doing their own thing in a way that suits them best. I have very few close friends and live a rather secluded life. And yet, my role in Squam Art Workshops has obliged me to interact on a much wider basis with a diverse group of people who may, or may not, share my basic life tenets: be honest, practice kindness. Consequently, I have had to learn how to adjust my boundaries. It's not that I am becoming cynical, it's just that I had to learn that not everyone operates from the same place and I need to adapt. That has (and continues to be) the most difficult aspect for me, but it's teaching me, too.

Video by Elizabeth and Swirly.

10. How do you define success, and what/ who has contributed for making yours, a successful transition?

Ha ha. This will clarify everything, I'm sure. (Because I wouldn't be surprised if there's a reader still stuck on my answer to question #3 shouting, "you freaking walked on a perfectly good job without anything lined up?! Get your head examined, woman!")

For me, a successful life means an unswerving commitment to authenticity, a lack of compromise, and dedication to personal freedom. This is not to say I have always achieved this. In fact, I will tell you point blank that when I worked in corporate life my integrity was sorely tested, but I can tell you that this has always been my goal and right now, I am living as close to my ideals as I have ever done.

Again, the person who has consistently affirmed my choices and championed my decisions is my husband. He shouted love and encouragement to me with each shaky step I made along the tightrope as I crossed over the chasm.

11. What goals do you have for the future? Where/How do you see yourself 5 years from now?

Well, right now the immediate goal is to make Squam financially strong and vital so that I can pay people beautiful salaries to manage it and grow it into its fullest potential. I have recently closed down my blog and have pretty much dropped off internet activities in order to focus on my own writing. There are a couple of large projects I'm involved in and that's where I want to focus my energies.

Five years from now, I would love Squam to be thriving and have burgeoned into a wellspring for creative community. This would allow me the freedom to be completely self-absorbed in my art and writing and have the financial means to travel to some favorite places.

12. What advice would you give to yourself when you were still just wishing for a transition? Would you like to share anything else or give any other advice for others wishing to make a transition and follow their dreams?

I think what was so difficult for me was to believe there was anything beyond the four walls of what I was doing. Every single time I thought to change jobs or leave, I would say, well-- what else is out there? Nothing. You've got a pretty good scene here so sit down, shut up and quit complaining. What has changed for me is how big the world got once I stepped out of that limiting perspective. I really had no idea that there are worlds upon worlds upon worlds and it would've helped, I think, if I could have grasped that concept earlier. People create the world they live in, for better or worse, and I never really got that before.

I definitely don't have advice. What I can offer is gentle encouragement, loving support and genuine compassion for how it feels to be struggling. I don't believe what worked for me is the perfect road for anyone else, any more than I could find my heart by following someone else's path. What I do believe is that everyone has the knowledge inside and they just need help to unlock it. I truly believe that all the information we need is inside us, but that we just aren't taught how to tune in. Much like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz who had the power of the red shoes the whole time . . . she just didn't know it.

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Thank you, Elizabeth. I'm teary and proud to have you here.
xoxo

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Tell us are you going to SQUAM SEPT?