Many professional writers and artists dream of being chosen for a prestigious residency like Yaddo, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., or MacDowell in Peterborough, N.H. But even amateurs can benefit from the intense concentration a residency allows. For them, select programs offer the opportunity to pay their own way for a few days or even weeks, sometimes at affordable rates, to create art.

“A lot of people don’t realize that they can do residencies and not be someone who has chosen art as their career, or music or dance,” said Alicia Toldi, 34, an artist living in Paonia, Colo. Together with Carolina Porras-Monroy, a collaborator she met during a formative residency, Ms. Toldi has documented American residency programs in five regional editions of “Piney Wood Atlas.”

Participants at Château du Feÿ can forage, go on nature walks and learn about permaculture in between events.Credit…Camille McOuat

Residencies offer participants an environment for production as well as reflection, Ms. Toldi said. They provide chances to try new methods that can foster creative growth in ways that spa, yoga or wellness-related tourism do not.

To attend, a brief application is often required, sometimes months in advance. Prospective participants should consider the resources and amenities they will need. Many programs include meals and room cleaning to maximize creative time. In return, participants should expect limitations: Some programs have rules about quiet hours, screen time and alcohol.

The Brooklyn-based author Christene Barberich, 56, recently designed her own writing retreat to work on a book proposal, an initiative she wrote about in her newsletter, A Tiny Apt. After having created a few such itineraries, Ms. Barberich has a few productive guidelines for herself: plan a minimum of one day; limit interruptions, including time spent on social media; pack inspirational material; resist the urge to go with a friend. Most importantly: Establish what you want to get out of the time, and be disciplined with yourself.