Inside the Mental Bytes IPS Retreat: Art, Dialogue & Real Growth

The first Mental Bytes retreat has come and gone, and it still lingers, like a song that won’t leave your head because it meant something. It was a weekend full of laughter, honesty, and free expression through arts.

“I came here carrying some very heavy feelings, and I am glad that I could sit with them, while being surrounded by all of you.”

We gathered with a group of IPS (Intentional Peer Support) core-trained participants who filled the space with warmth, humour, and curiosity. It felt less like an event and more like a coming-together of people who are willing to show up, listen, and be real with each other.

Mental Bytes is here to improve and nurture mental wellbeing, a space where people can express what is hard to put into words, and find strength in each other’s lived experience. This retreat was exactly that in motion. There were no experts and clients, no scripts, no tidy conclusions. Just people meeting as equals, trying to make sense of being human, together.

“I felt challenged a lot, but I am proud and surprised with myself for doing it all.”

Mutuality was our compass. We practiced active listening, not the kind where you wait for your turn to speak, but where you actually hear the pauses, the hesitations, and the things that stay unspoken.

It wasn’t always comfortable. There were moments that stirred something. Confusion, frustration, vulnerability. But they were good moments, because we stayed open, curious, and kind. Our group reflections helped us make sense of what we can take out of these experiences to enhance our lives.

“The way you welcomed me met my hopes and exceeded my expectations. I felt comfortable and safe doing all the activities you organized with us.

The experience of making art together with others makes it easier to deal with the strong emotions that come out, because you are no longer alone with them, they get dispersed through the group.”

The retreat blended experiential learning and expressive arts, and generated learning that doesn’t sit neatly in a notebook. We moved, painted, wrote, and created together. A poem turned into a conversation between its writer and its reader; a painting became a mirror for the community we are growing together. The arts gave form to what was too complex or fragile for language, the personal truths that needed to come to light.

“I think we all need these opportunities to make more art and to express ourselves.”

We shared everything: meals, stories, silences. Every breakfast, lunch, and dinner felt like a continuation of the same conversation. Every activity was shaped by the people in the room. What began as a plan became something organic, unpredictable, but somehow exactly right.

Day one began with energy and a bit of nervous excitement. Day two stretched long and deep, full of breakthroughs and laughter that turned into late-night dancing and songs that no one quite knew the words to. Day three arrived softly, quieter, reflective, full of gratitude and that bittersweet feeling of not wanting it to end.

“I am very happy that I joined you. Can’t remember the last time I danced. It was a lot of fun and it was good for me to get out of the house, be among people and try new things.”

By the final circle, something had shifted. You could see it in people’s eyes, tired, open, alive. It wasn’t a change you can measure, but one you carry home quietly and notice later, in small ways.

This retreat reminded us why Mental Bytes exists in the first place: to build spaces where people can connect without masks, explore through creativity, and find strength in honesty.

“I didn’t expect any of the activities you did with us. I was inspired and I am seeing many new possibilities. Although I knew everyone already, the retreat leaves me feeling much more connected and loving all of you.”

To everyone who joined us, thank you. You made this weekend what it was: a small, bright, beautifully imperfect moment in time that we’ll carry with us for a long while. And for those who are curious, maybe next time, the story will include you too.