THE QUIET SEASON
NOVEMBER 12–16, 2026
ISTRIA, CROATIA
OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT / APPLICATION ONLY
A slower, more considered space to step away from daily noise and reconnect with your creative life. Across five days, we will explore presence, perspective, positioning, practice and place through guided sessions, reflective exercises, shared meals and honest conversations. Designed for creative professionals at any stage of their journey, The Quiet Season offers time to pause, think clearly and return with a stronger sense of direction.
Modern creative life rewards speed, visibility and constant output.
For many thoughtful creatives, this creates a strange contradiction.
You may be doing well, but feel scattered. You may be visible, but not necessarily clear. You may be productive, but disconnected from the deeper reason behind your work. You may be surrounded by inspiration, yet feel overstimulated by the amount of noise around you.
The Quiet Season was created as an antidote.
A slower, more beautiful space to breathe again.
For five days, we gather in the Istrian countryside to pause, listen, reflect and reconnect with what matters. Through guided conversations, practical sessions, creative exercises and informal time together, the retreat offers a rare opportunity to step outside your usual rhythm and look at your creative life from a wider perspective.
The intention is simple: to leave with more clarity, more presence and a more honest sense of direction.
Hosted at San Canzian Hotel & Residences near Buje, Croatia, the retreat brings together a small group of 15 creative people for guided sessions, reflective practices, honest conversations, shared meals, local exploration and spacious time to rest.
This is not a productivity sprint, a wellness escape or a conference in the countryside.
It is a carefully held space for presence, perspective and creative rejuvenation.
Together, we will look at where you are now, what is asking for your attention and what kind of rhythm, practice and creative life you want to move toward.
What We'll Explore
A slower way of arriving, paying attention and creating the conditions for deeper focus. We will look at the hidden cost of always being available, visible and responsive and explore what becomes possible when we pause before rushing into decisions, ideas and production.
A clearer understanding of the pressures shaping modern creative life, from attention fatigue and overstimulation to comparison, visibility and constant output. Together, we will look at how noise affects our focus, imagination and ability to make meaningful decisions.
A more grounded way of becoming known in a noisy and increasingly AI-shaped creative landscape. We will explore direction, reputation, relevance, visibility and how to communicate your work with more substance, without turning yourself into content.
A more intentional relationship with your creative work, built around rhythm, standards and care. Rather than asking how to do more, we will ask what deserves more of your attention and what conditions allow meaningful work to emerge.
Istria as a source of inspiration through food, landscape, materials, atmosphere and slower observation. We will explore travel as a creative practice, looking at how place, attention and the act of noticing can become creative fuel.
A setting for honest connection with other thoughtful creatives, shaped around conversation, reflection and exchange. Through shared meals, feedback circles, fireside conversations and guided sessions, the group becomes part of the experience itself.
Program Overview
November 12 (Thursday) to November 16 (Monday), 2026
MAY 16, SATURDAY, 3—6 pm GMT+2
MAY 23, SATURDAY, 3—6 pm GMT+2
MAY 30, SATURDAY, 3—6 pm GMT+2
5 DAYS / 4 NIGHTS
The workshop will take place online through live group Zoom calls. Each of the three sessions will consist of that week’s lecture, followed by a Q&A discussion.
Art Direction Exercises & Templates
DOING THE WORK
This is not a static online course, it’s a workshop. Each week you’ll receive new assignments and, if needed, appropriate templates, including the art direction brief, so it’s easy to get started and explore.
2-month Access to Private Community Group
INTIMATE CREATIVE COMMUNITY
We use the Circle platform to host a private online discussion forum. It’s a place to continue the discussion from the lectures, ask questions between the sessions, share your progress and connect directly with kindred creatives.
1× Group Closing Session & Q&A
JUNE 25, THURSDAY, 4:30—6 pm GMT+2
IMPLEMENTATION & REFLECTION
A 90-minute session to review your progress, address remaining questions and consolidate key learnings. We’ll close the loop together, so you leave with confidence in your next steps.
Facilitators
Armin Tehrani
FOUNDER OF DIRECTION BUREAUX
Armin Tehrani is a photographer and art director from Vancouver, currently based in Copenhagen. He has been involved in creative entrepreneurship by owning a women’s clothing brand, a multi-brand boutique, and a greeting card company. Armin has worked with clients, including Norse Projects, Barbour, Fredericia, Soho House, Monos Travel, Kinfolk, New York Times and Vogue. He is working as a Senior Art Director at VIPP and running his creative agency, Direction Bureaux, while continuing his photography career. Armin’s debut photo book, Sicily, was released in 2025.
Mario Depicolzuane
FOUNDER OF STUDIO8585 & CREATIVE.VOYAGE
Mario Depicolzuane is an art director and graphic designer from Croatia. Mario leads his branding and design consultancy, Studio8585. His clients include Kinfolk, Fritz Hansen, Audo Copenhagen, Design Hotels, SPACE10, Harvard GSD, La Cabra, New Mags, Only Way Is Up, and The Poster Club. He served as the art director for Kinfolk magazine for issues Fifty, Fifty-Five, and Fifty-Six. He also hosts the Creative Voyage Podcast, serves as the creative director of the Creative Voyage imprint, and is the co-editor of the branding tome Designing Brands, published by Gestalten.
FAQ
The Quiet Season is for creative professionals in any stage of their journey.
This may include designers, art directors, photographers, writers, strategists, founders, editors, stylists, architects, artists, producers, filmmakers, creative consultants and independent studio owners.
The common thread is not discipline, but attitude. The retreat is for people who want to work and live with more clarity, depth and intention.
No. The retreat is open to people at different stages of their creative journey. What matters most is that you are actively engaged in creative work and ready to participate with openness, care and curiosity.
Three Live Group Zoom Sessions consisting of lectures and Q&A discussions.
Workshop Exercises.
Complete recordings of the three sessions.
2-month access to the private community group hosted on Circle.
Because the group is a central part of the experience.
With only 15 participants, each person shapes the atmosphere of the retreat. The application process helps us create a balanced, thoughtful and generous group of people who are likely to contribute to one another’s experience.
We will review your application and, if there seems to be a possible fit, invite you to a 15-minute alignment interview. After the conversation, we will confirm whether we are able to offer you a place.
Not exactly.
There will be space for rest, quiet mornings, reflection and practices that support presence, but this is primarily a retreat for creative professionals. It combines personal reflection, creative direction, positioning, place, conversation and practical thinking.
Partly. The retreat includes guided sessions, exercises and group conversations, but it is not designed as an intensive classroom experience. It is intentionally spacious, allowing time for rest, meals, walks, informal conversations and personal reflection.
You can expect to leave with a clearer sense of where you are, what needs your attention and how you want to shape your creative practice with more intention.
You will also leave with new relationships, practical reflections, personal notes, prompts and a stronger sense of direction.
Yes. Four nights of accommodation at San Canzian Hotel & Residences are included.
If you have any additional inquires, email us at hello@creative.voyage.
About Creative Voyage
Our creative workshops have been attended by over 200 individuals from 5 continents and 25+ countries, including full-time employees (agency and in-house), freelancers, creative business owners, entrepreneurs and students.
Participants are working in diverse fields, including design (product, graphic, digital…), photography, creative/art direction, architecture, marketing, interiors, research, UX/UI, production, content creation, art and more.
The common thread is that all our students are looking to grow, learn, collaborate and create.
100% completion rate.
Reflections from Past Programs
Mario and Armin are professionals with top clients in their portfolio. They synthesized their diverse knowledge into a comprehensive and actionable course. The workshop helped me understand multiple layers of art direction and how each can be used to fulfil creative and business goals.
As a young person in the early years of my career, I was excited to get an inside look at what it means to be an art director. It helped grow my confidence in my own artistic vision and personal aesthetic. The tools shared with us have enormously helped in my current job and my personal projects.
The workshop has helped me dive deep into who I am, embrace my cultural influences to have a unique perspective when creating work and taught me to have visual intelligence. I am much more aware of how art direction can influence the outcome of a project. I was really inspired after the workshop.
Whatever field you are in, if you are looking for guidance from experts, a community of inspiring creatives, impressive case studies, honest feedback and perhaps a nudge to get going on your ideas, the classes and creative space will be more than worth your time. I have a newfound sense of clarity.
The instructors gave a great foundation about creative and art direction that was clear and refined. They also went in-depth on how this skill set is applied in different creative fields. They were open about their own work and experiences, which encouraged me to try new things and experiment.
This workshop helped me understand art direction and allowed me to transition into that role in my current job. I also look at things with a different eye. I was working on my first book design as I began this course, and point of view has evolved thanks to it. I approached the project more holistically.
Application Procces
The Quiet Season is application only.
This does not mean we are looking for a specific job title, level of achievement or perfect résumé.
The application helps us understand who you are, where you are in your creative journey and whether this experience is the right fit for you at this moment.
A retreat like this depends on the quality of the group. We are looking for people who are thoughtful, generous, curious and ready to show up for themselves and others. People who are open to conversation, reflection and participation. People who are willing to bring their questions into the room, not only their achievements.
Before applying, please read the dates, pricing, inclusions, exclusions and terms carefully.
After reviewing applications, we will invite selected applicants for a short 15-minute 1:1 alignment interview. This conversation helps us make sure expectations are clear on both sides and that the group is shaped with care.
There are only 15 places available.
THE QUIET SEASON
NOV 12–16, 2026
ISTRIA, CROATIA
5 days / 4 nights
Accommodation at a 5-star boutique hotel
Daily breakfast and shared meals
Guided sessions, workshops and reflection circles
Local cultural excursion
Spacious time for rest, journaling and conversation
Curated group of 15 creative professionals
Application-only participation