Eat,
Paint,
Relax
May 2026
Reserve Your spot By NOvember 15th
& get a free 1:1 coaching session
($150 Value).
Escape to Tuscany for a week of creativity, restoration, and relaxation in May, 2026. This luxe purely Italian retreat blends guided meditation/hypnosis, painting time, local artisanal food, and soul-deep rest. This retreat is for anyone who is craving a true reset, a creative (re)ignition or a deeper connection with yourself. Immerse yourself in a joyful week in the gorgeous Tuscan countryside and return renewed in every way. All sessions are co-led by certified coach Laura Swartzbaugh and artist Kathleen Maltese; we will guide you through experiences that will make reconnecting to your creativity feel easy, playful, and fun.
Click below to learn all the details and sign up. Because you deserve a week away from your daily responsibilities to fill yourself up, restore your wellbeing, and feel as joyful as a kid with a brand new box of crayons (the big one, with the sharpener built into the back).
**Note — artists/creative people of all levels, mediums and backgrounds are welcome
What’s Included?
You’ll be fed delicious meals by our personal chef using local and seasonal ingredients, we’ll gather and paint amidst stunning surroundings, and we’ll enjoy a lot of down time to walk into town, take a dip in the pool, or take a nap in a corner of the gardens that you’ve discovered.
- Seven days and seven nights in stunning Tuscan Villa
- Daily group sessions led by Kathleen & Laura, including journaling, guided meditation, painting, Q & As, and more.
- A pre-retreat zoom call to introduce ourselves and share what we are most looking forward to experiencing on the retreat
- Accommodation in a gorgeous, light-filled room of your choosing
- Daily breakfast & dinner (including wine). Lunches on your own so you have even more time for resting and/or exploring.
- 24/7 use of the pool
- Access to all other retreat facilities including the dining room, living rooms, terrace, and gardens.
- Excursions to the nearby towns of Pienza and Montalcino
- Pick up from Florence train station at 3:30 pm on Saturday
Transportation and guide for all local excursions - Transfer to the train station in Buonconvento on the final day (not Florence) for connections to Rome, Florence, or beyond
- When you sign up by October 31st, you’ll receive a free 1:1 coaching with Laura as a thank you for signing up early!
We’ll be staying in San Giovanni d’Asso, a thousand-year-old village near Siena, where we’ll live in an authentic Tuscan villa complete with gardens, fruit trees, and a swimming pool. The villa is across the street from a castle and within easy walking distance of the small town. The village is famous in Italy for its production of truffles. Small and quiet with fewer than 1000 residents, the town as a cafe, grocery store, 2 restaurants, several historic churches. It also boasts a beautiful botanical gardens Il Bosco della Ragnaia created by an artist who designed and maintains this beautiful space that is open free to the public. In May, flowers and trees are blooming, including bright red poppies, yellow rapeseed, as the rolling hills turn bright green dotted with cypress trees. Simply looking at the view in any direction is enough to slow down your breathing and feel your shoulders drop lower.
how do i book?
Simply click the button below, choose your room, and you can start anticipating A non-refundable deposit of $500 is required to secure your spot in the workshop. Once we receive your deposit, we will send you a formal Registration Confirmation with further information about the program.
You will receive 2-3 other correspondences by email before the workshop with information about Italy, a supplies list, and an electronic invoice for the balance. Final Balance is due by April 1st 2026. Any time before your arrival, if you have questions about anything regarding the trip or the program, you can contact us by email or phone, and we’ll be happy to assist you.
This is not like any other retreat. This week, you’ll not only be pampered and celebrated. You’ll also be invited to look at your own creativity in a completely different manner. One where there are no mistakes, only fascinating discoveries. Here’s what we WON’T be doing:
- Working harder
- Pushing yourself
- Checking off boxes
- Hurrying, rushing, or hustling
- following the right way to do it (painting, meditation, eating cheese – there’s no right way, only your way)
- taking ourselves too seriously
- trying to fix ourselves — because we’re not broken
Instead of all that, here’s what to expect:
- Drinking your morning coffee as slowly as you like.
- Plenty of leisure time for taking a walk in the villa’s own gardens, napping, reading, lounging, or doing nothing at all (when’s the last time you did that?)
- Inspiring painting and coaching sessions to dream about what’s next for you
- Low key leaders who don’t give a fig what clothes you brought or what kind of car you drive
- A chance to let your hair down, be yourself, and remind yourself how fun it is to get creative with no agenda other than exploration
- Lots of time to practice taking exquisite care of yourself, drop the people pleasing, and experience a fresh perspective about … well, everything
- Time to delight in all of the wins you’ve been missing that are right there under your nose. And loads of opportunities to celebrate yourself in whatever way you please.
A few notes on where we’ll be staying:
The 13th century manor house is situation on a hillside. Owned by the current family for 102 years, it was gracefully restored in the 19th century with comfortable period furnishings. The rooms are bright and airy with high ceilings and beautiful views out to the gardens and the valley beyond. Bedrooms are elegantly appointed, each with a private, modern bathroom. Because we will the exclusive residents of the villa during the week, the experience will be intimate, like living in our own Italian mansion. Our meals will be shared on the terrace or the garden. Not only will we have two gorgeous pools where you can rest your body in the sun. We also have access to beautiful rooms in the villa as well as the formal gardens. The pallazo has inspiring views as you’d expect from what was once home to a noble Italian family.
When you gift yourself this retreat, you’re promising yourself a week to slow down and take in the extraordinary beauty of the Tuscan countryside. And when you do this, the ripple effects impact every part of your life. Much like my own first Italian experience when I was in high school, you’ll come home with a radiance and swagger that’ll fuel bolder decisions, more authentic moves, and far more laughter in your life. Because if the Italians have done one thing, they’ve perfected the art of laughing off what is truly unimportant! And right now, you’re likely running on empty. You’ve been working so damn hard for so long and you’re drained. It’s impacting your mood, your creativity, and your health, and your relationships.
This retreat is your answer. A full week in Tuscany where you can fill yourself back up. Because you’ve worked hard enough. You’ve struggled long enough. Now is your time to fill yourself back up with
exquisite beauty, delicious rest, and energizing creative experiences.
Tuscany is calling. Are you coming?
Details you want to know:
Dates: May 23-30th, 2026
Price: $4,295 p/p based on double occupancy
Options:
Single Room Supplement – $485 (limited availability)
$500 deposit due upon registration. Balance due by April 1st, 2026.
What’s included:
- Shared double room with private bathroom in villa (single room available for a supplemental fee)
- Daily traditional breakfast and dinner (including wine) prepared by our personal chef
- Daily classes with Laura & Kathleen
- Pick up from Florence train station at 3:30 pm on Saturday
- Transportation and guide for all local excursions
- Transfer to the train station in Buonconvento on the final day (not Florence) for connections to Rome, Florence, or beyond
- Excursions to nearby towns like Pienza and Montalcino
What’s not included:
- Airfare
- Independent sightseeing
- Independent dinners and lunches
- Gratuities for staff – (these are discretionary)