Creative aging specialist and lifestyle coach to host event on Martha’s Vineyard
Patricia A. Patton knows what it is like to desire and require concentrated time to dream, hope and plan the future. The knowledge comes firsthand as she pondered her next act after a successful career in tourism for the Belgium government. “I thought I’d be reduced to eating cat food, but that has been far from the truth,” states Patton, who leveraged every lesson and resource to forge her dream second act as a creative aging expert. She is hoping those lessons can be extended to other professional black women seeking to make their next acts their best acts by hosting the “Dream Yourself Awake Retreat” in Oak Bluffs in Martha’s Vineyard from September 9-13, 2015.
Patton believes, “Some of us wake up best naturally; others will require an alarm clock; and a few will need to be shaken. I premise that you can ‘dream yourself awake’ and rise to meet your second act – the encore – with courage, creativity, and boldness.” She designed the DYA Retreat to meet the needs of women who need a nurturing, private and restful environment to plan their futures without the pressures of home and a job competing for her time.
Retreat participants will be treated to sea air, the sounds of water rushing, and the muses of others who have forged their own way in Oak Bluffs, the historically black section of Martha’s Vineyard that served as a vacation home to many African Americans, and a year-round home to the late luminaries Dorothy West and Lois Mailou Jones. Most significant about the location choice is that the first African American entrepreneurs on the island were women such as Henrietta Shearer who owned a laundry and an inn.
Local, corporate and visiting professionals will offer participants much-needed assistance in the way of resources to plan and execute their business ventures. Participants will also leave with a playbook and a network of supporters and peers.
“Think of this as a gentle, adult boot camp. The work will be concentrated and accelerated but highly considerate of the stress participants experience day-to-day,” states Patton.
Do you know any women who need a respite from crazy to concentrate on their dreams? If so, have them e-mail Patricia Patton at boomerwiz@gmail.com for information on the retreat and other coaching plans.
