I tried taking myself for a retreat, once, twice three times in the past 18 months. You can ask my wife.
Just to get away, process my thoughts and think about my next steps. It’s coming to my 5th year as a picture-book illustrator, and the strategy for the first 5 years is different from the strategy for the next 5.
Three times I nearly booked. Three times something got in the way: a deadline, a clash in the calendar, money. There was always a reason to do it later.
So when Sofia wrote to me to invite me to host a retreat in her beautiful property in Monsaraz, Portugal, I knew it was a big YES!
I would like to invite you to joining me on the retreat!
I’m calling it Drawing Playful Picture Stories, because there is going to be a huge emphasis on playfulness and its importance on serious work. The goal is to get you from blank page to ugly drawings and then from ugly drawings to finished illustration or what we will be calling picture stories.
Because an illustration is a picture that tells a story.
Inside these 5 days I’ll be showing you the ingredients and the steps for making Picture Stories for your own satisfaction or even for the biggest names in publishing the process is the same. I’m giving you the recipie.
And it’s probably much simpler than you imagine. (And more fun too!)
It’s not that complicated!
You don’t need what you think you need…
Most people who want to make picture stories believe the door is locked from the inside, and cannot be unlocked without first..
Going to art school
Mastering anatomy and perspective
Going on a multi year quest to “find their style”
Studying every medium and every piece of software
Making beautiful sketchbooks spreads (really ugly drawings will do)
I believed some of this too.
I’ve been teaching myself illustration since I was 11, and it took me 29 years to go professional. I wasted a lot of that time on steps I didn’t need. I lacked clarity and direction. Mostly, I lacked a way of thinking, and I overcomplicated everything.
Then I spent a decade in startups, and I watched ideas turn into working businesses in a single weekend. Not because those teams worked harder, but because they thought from first principles. They cut every redundant step and they did the right steps in the right order.
When I turned 40, I took that thinking back to drawing. Within five years I’d published 15+ children’s books with Bloomsbury, HarperCollins, Walker Books, Penguin, Magic Cat, Happy Yak, Simon & Schuster and more.
Here’s what I learned: most of the steps on your checklist are distractions. With the right ingredients, in the right order, a ten-year journey can be completed in ten months.
And you can go from stuck to making work you love over a long weekend, and I want to show you how.
Here’s what we’ll do.
At the retreat, I’ll share the recipe I use for every picture story, from blank page, to ugly drawings, to finished illustration. The ingredients are surprisingly simple.
We’ll learn to strike the right balance between research and drawing from what’s already inside of you. I’ll share 4 ways that make drawing ridiculously fun and easy, yet yield professional results.
And I’ll show you an ancient composition philosophy from the Far East.
I’ll give you a recipe you can use again and again, for personal projects or professional ones. It’s also the same process I use to make books that pay five-figure advances. (During the trip I’ll tell the story of how I broke into publishing at 40)
Ugly drawings are insanely valuable
The hardest part of any picture story isn’t the final illustration.
It’s the messy middle that feels like trying to remember a dream, we’re going to reframe this part as the fun part. Instead of getting stuck and giving up. We’ll play with ideas and gain confidence in this messy phase.
I’ve designed this retreat as a series of drawing games. Each one leads you to the next step, and along the way I’ll show you the secret doors and power-ups that get you unstuck.
More importantly I will show you how to find your own secret doors and build your own power ups!
Better in person
I’ve taught this playful approach for years, through my newsletter, online workshops and one-on-one mentoring. People I’ve mentored have gone on to sign with agents and land book deals and just have so much more fun with drawing.
But some things can only happen in person.
When I ran design sprints for startups, we used collaborative tools to turn a room full of ideas into clear decisions and feedback fast.
I’m bringing those tools to drawing and sharing them with you.
We’ll to learn with and from each other. You might think you’re the ‘worst in the room’, but inexperience can often lead to the most creative and surprising solutions.
Surrounded by inspiration minus the distraction
There is a village on a hilltop wrapped in medieval walls.
Whitewashed houses are trimmed with colour, narrow cobbled lanes, tall chimneys, and at the top, a castle with a stone tower. On one side, the Alentejo plain rolls to the horizon. On the other, a vast lake glitters all the way to Spain.
This is Monsaraz. Being here feels like stepping back a few centuries. In March, before the crowds, it can feel like the village is yours alone.
We are going to turn this into a playground for your characters and their stories.
We’ll bring the characters we’ve created on sketch walks and discover the village and castle through their eyes.
A favourite moment will come when your characters come to life.
Feedback from me and the group will help you start a positive iteration process and suddenly your characters will be stepping into the worlds you’ve built and telling their own stories (there will be tons of prompts to guide you through each activity).
And everything else is taken care of: your room, your meals, lunch in the garden, olive oil and wine tastings, and a dinner inside the castle walls. For five days, your only job is to play, draw, and see what your character sees.
What you’ll leave with
A filled sketchbook and a repeatable recipe for turning ideas into picture stories
Characters you built, drawn a dozen different ways, that feel alive
Artist Friends: fellow artists as committed as you are, who’ll keep inspiring you long after you’re home
For some, this will be the beginning, or the reawakening, of a creative practice.
For others this might be a first/next step into a career you love.
What people say
Testimonials from Adam’s Newsletters, 1-1 mentor calls and, online workshops
“I got a spot with Adam Ming and I cannot tell you how much I learnt! It feels like I levelled up my art philosophy in 40 minutes! Thank you Adam for the amazing insights. You are so knowledgeable and so generous.”
Marzieh Abbas, Award winning Author
“I struggled to break into picture book illustration till I discovered Adam’s Substack. Adam’s thoughtful advice and the way he lays it out in a road-map style with easy to follow instructions helped me from getting overwhelmed and discouraged. Highly recommended!”
Rachel Foo, Illustrator
“Adam gives thoughtful advice and support for every stage of your illustration journey!”
Beth Spencer, Introvert Drawing Club
“Adam is unrelenting in his quest for creative success! His tips and techniques for consistent growth are top notch. ”
Jacob Souva, Drawing a Blank
“If you are looking for daily prompts to keep drawing, you couldn’t ask for a kinder, funner host!“
Wendy MacNaughton, DrawTogether with WendyMac
Here’s everything that’s included
3 days of hands-on workshops with Adam (16 hours of teaching)
A designer sketchbook, personalised by Adam with playful prompts and exercises, for the retreat and beyond
A one-on-one session with Adam on site, for your project, your portfolio, or anything you like
A follow-up call after the retreat: Q&A, portfolio review, strategy, or talking through a project
4 nights at Hotel Vila Planície, breakfast included
3 lunches and 3 dinners
Olive oil and wine tastings
Private luxury coach transfers to and from Lisbon Airport, with a stop at a local pottery workshop on the way home
11–15 March 2027 · 15 seats · €2,500 all-in
Early access: the first 5 bookings get 5% off, at €2,375.
No risk to reserve
You won’t be charged a cent until the retreat is confirmed. It goes ahead once 6 people have booked, so the first five aren’t just getting the best price. They’re the ones who make it happen.
Once it’s confirmed, you can pay in four instalments. If plans change, you’ll get a full refund up to 60 days before the retreat.
Is this for you?
This retreat is for anyone who wants to go from blank page to final illustration in a fun and playful way.
It’s for you if you want to experience new positive and uplifting ways to think about your creative process. And it’s for you if you want to experience creating alongside other passionate creatives.
All levels are welcome. Whether you want to create Picture Stories for your own pleasure, or have professional ambitions.
You just need to be willing to play.
This retreat is not just for people interested in Children’s Publishing, but if you are I have some uncommon perspectives that I know will be useful, that I share freely from personal current experience.
It’s not for you if:
… you take yourself too seriously to play
… you’d rather keep your work to yourself than share it and collaborate
… your life is already overflowing with good food, fresh air, and time to create
One last thing
I might run retreats again.
But this one, with this group, in this village, this March, will never happen again in quite the same way.
I followed my dream to become an illustrator at 40 because I realised a decade will pass whether you use it or not. I decided to use this decade to pursue children’s illustration, and it changed my life.
I don’t know what your dreams are, but I know decades will pass whether you choose to chase them or not.
If something in you has been waiting for the right time and place, this might be it.
To reserve your seat.
2. Insert your details in the Booking Form and you will be contacted with more details
3. Be the first 5 to gain a 5% discount: as soon as we get 6 participants paid the retreat is confirmed and you can book flights.
I’m truly looking forward to spending in-person time with you in March next year!
P.S. If you have questions reply to this email I’d love to chat with you further about the retreat or write to info@sofiainmonsaraz.site, Sofia is my partner and venue host for this retreat and I will be copied in all replies for your bookings