Smartypants by Wade Boswell

CREATIVELY EXPRESSING THE MONSTROUS
A RETREAT FOR OUR
TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY

with Wade Boswell
October 30-November 1, 2026
(Friday to Sunday)

Program Description
Facilitator
Registration information

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

What happens when we allow Spirit to sit with us and our shadows? How can art and creativity provide a bridge between the two? 

In a spiritually held space, sit with the sacredness and love available to you as you explore your relationship to the monstrous. As queer and trans people we know that some see us as other, and sometimes even as monstrous. It is very easy to internalize these messages. Spirit and community can help us stay resilient and know our own uniquely divine beauty. Using different 2D and 3D mediums, slow down, stay present, witness, feel, and play with the monstrous. 

This is not a therapeutic container for deep processing but rather a space for all of us to build our resiliency and self-love as we navigate the monstrousness. No art skills needed!

NOTE: Very limited enrollment size.

FACILITATOR

WADE BOSWELL is a Quaker, educator, spiritual director and artist. As such, Wade combines heart-centered deep listening with a liberatory lens to create collaborative and curious spaces that invite deep reflection and healing. Their latest art show, Unmasking the Monstrous, invited viewers to sit with the voices in our head that tell us we are less than as well as the monstrous violent dehumanizing aspects of the world around us. Wade holds that when we befriend instead of exile, what we have feared loses power over us. Through embracing all of who we are, we can live more and more in authenticity and joy.
More Info: www.spiritheals.me Instagram: wade.boswell.art.

REGISTRATION AND LOGISTICS
See below for more information about registration, cost, meals, accommodations, and other logistics. Or you can proceed directly to REGISTER HERE.

COST & REGISTRATION
The standard rate for the workshop is $375, with a suggested sliding scale of $225-500. The fee includes program, lodging and food from Friday dinner through Sunday lunch. Commuter rate is $245. We are committed to financial accessibility: please pay whatever amount fits in your personal budget, encourage your faith community to financially support your participation if that is appropriate, and let us know if you have additional questions related to fees. A non-refundable deposit of $50 is required to hold a space for a  program unless otherwise arranged. If you need to cancel, the deposit can be applied to a future workshop or retreat within 18 months. The balance is due at the beginning of the workshop.

ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE
Plan to arrive after 4:00pm Friday afternoon, in time for dinner at 6:00. The workshop will end by 2pm on Sunday. We are centrally located in western Massachusetts, close to both I-91 and Route 2. For those  arriving by car, we will send directions prior to the event. Please let us know if you’d be interested in car-pooling. The nearest Amtrak train station is in Greenfield (MA), ten minutes drive away. Vermont Transit and Greyhound bus lines also stop in Greenfield. Please contact us in advance to see if we can arrange a ride from these stations.

ROOM & BOARD
We offer simple lodging (typically double occupancy) with shared bathrooms. Our rustic cabins have electricity, woodstoves and outhouses. The meetinghouse and the first floor of the main building are wheelchair accessible; please indicate your accessibility needs when you register. We serve nourishing, home-cooked meals and always offer vegetarian options. Please let us know your dietary restrictions when you register. Part of the community building at each retreat includes the joyful sharing of meal chores and final clean-up.

WHAT TO BRING
Please bring your own toiletries, towels, and bedding (sleeping bag or sheets and blankets or comforter).  Pillows are provided. Be sure to bring seasonally appropriate clothes and comfortable indoor and outdoor footwear. You might also like to bring a flashlight, journal, art supplies, a book…
Please do NOT bring pets or candles.
We have limited internet access and cell phone reception. We encourage guests to consider how cell phone or computer use may detract from their experience of being fully present, here and now.

We look forward to welcoming you to the hill!

Click here to REGISTER ON-LINE for this program.