Civitella gave me a wonderful length of unstructured , unobstructed time to immerse myself in existing projects, and to play and explore on the outskirts of my normal practice. I made valuable progress on my book, but also was directly inspired by artwork from fellows that came before me, and the wildlife and environment of the castle itself. Not to mention making deep connections with the other residents. The experience will continue to be productive for years to come without a doubt.