I’ve gotten to do a lot of great work in 2011 that has been inspiring to the Kahoots Mission. Our tag line, “Landscapes for the imaginative soul” rings truer than ever. Camp and Retreat master plans, large and small, for quiet, play, or inspiration, have become my passion and here’s why:
1. The natural environment. Camps and retreat centers have natural resources that are invaluable. A beautiful camp keeps guests coming back.
2. Interaction with the natural world is a critical piece of child development. To engage with nature is to engage and develop all of a child’s senses.
3. Engaging with nature is an intrinsic component of spiritual awareness in societies and religious traditions around the world. Integrating natural features in a beautiful and functional way supports a guests’ engagement with the spiritual experience of retreat.
4. The creative inspiration that results from a day spent in nature can fuel a month of my design work. For this same reason I love knowing that the places I am helping to design and nurture will offer similar inspiration for other guests. Can you imagine the possibilities of a world filled with people carrying a light heart full of creative inspiration?
My New Year’s resolution: To help organizations develop a master plan vision that supports their long-term goals, then use that plan to leverage the funding they need to make those goals happen.
Jaime English is the founder of Kahoots. She has worked with GreenWorks, an award-winning firm in Portland, and The Atelier Dreiseitl in Germany.