Dewees Detox

Sometimes the Muse needs a refresher course—an Outward Bound to sharpen creative survival skills, a high ropes course for writers/artists who need a little endorphin spike, who have gotten so mired in the mundane it’s hard to tap into gut-level fear, trust, exertion, awe. Sometimes we just  need to get the hell outta everyday-Dodge and high tail it to…

… a treehouse.  An island treehouse is even better. Swiss Family Robinson style, only with a coffeemaker, ceiling fans, screened porches, down comforters on cozy beds, and nifty Ikea furniture— which is what House 126 on Dewees Island is. A sweet, dreamy, muse-inviting treehouse, on a near-deserted island, only 20 minutes from home. Heaven.

When we checked in, Judy Fairchild, the wonder woman of all-things-rental on Dewees (and a damn good naturalist to boot) told me the guy who had just checked out was a novelist from North Carolina. He’d holed up here for the last 3 weeks finishing his novel. Perfect. I could soak up his residual inspiration and work ethic. Absorb the imaginative vibe left in his wake. Even more, I envisioned what it might be like to do the same—escape for three entire solo weeks of endless marsh views, empty beaches, bird song that you can actually hear all day long because there is no traffic noise, no nothing, to drown it out—and write.

Dewees offers a detox from the intoxicating blur and buzz of real life. Instead of looking at the computer screen, I stare out from the screened porch tucked off the kitchen, some 90 feet above ground in this lovely treehouse, right at osprey nest level. Instead of errands by car, I walk sandy paths. On Dewees I turn it all off—even NPR–and tune in to nature’s frequency. I tap into the Muse’s musings.

This small barrier island in arm’s reach of IOP is an ideal place to read, to write, or just to daydream about one day returning with an almost finished novel and diving in to an uninterrupted stretch of time, space, and creative refueling to finish it off. This time I was out there to research an article about Dewees for an upcoming Charleston magazine story (stay tuned….) but next time, it’ll be for unfettered literary and creative indulgence. If your Muse needs a little jump-start, or if you could use a gentle reminder that life can move at a slower, more graceful pace, check out the Dewees blog. Better yet, make a reservation for a weekend stay, hop the ferry and get out there to see, and write/read, for yourself.