making space

A 6-week live, online broad-spectrum restorative art program that supports cognition, creativity, focus, emotional regulation and mood and overall well-being. Experience welcome but absolutely not necessary.  

Suggested Supply List
Note: You can do the program with a pencil, pen and / or a few crayons. The art materials I suggest are relatively inexpensive, and they can add another dimension to your experience, but they’re not required.

As a regular practice, like exercise, eating well and meditation, small acts of art - making it and beholding it - have been shown to enhance and improve our lives. I can attest to that!

Including an art practice in your life is not about being a “great” artist or becoming a professional artist (although you certainly can and I will cheer you on!).

It is about making room and time for art as a mindful, playful, simple practice and form of expression to help you feel more grounded and present, and learn more about yourself along the way. This is a program for exploration, discovery and being in the moment.

Our senses are always cross talking  to create our impressions and feelings about the world. And because the arts, by their very nature, are strong sensory inputs that engage multiple systems in our brain , they are uniquely capable of accessing the neural pathways that allow us to process emotions, name and express our feelings, and even work on accessing our unconscious psyche. When we put the arts to use, they help us amplify positive emotions, like joy and happiness, helping to usher in a overall sense of well-being.
- Your Brain on Art by Susan Magsamen & Ivy Ross

I love a good double entendre, and this one captures the intention behind the program. Making Space is a space for making and an opportunity to pause and make space in your life through an art practice … to notice, reflect, feel, connect and breathe. And make room for possibility, presence and peace. Intentionally, habitually and collectively, with others.

✔️ You’re curious about art and how it can support your brain and body and overall well-being
✔️ You were told once you weren’t “artistic,” or creative, and you believed it
✔️ You’re burned out, anxious or stuck in your head
✔️ You’re neurodivergent or you struggle with attention, focus or mood disorders
✔️ You can’t seem to stick to a traditional meditation or mindfulness practice
✔️ You crave more presence and peace in your day
✔️ You want to feel more alive, creative and grounded … and to play with art materials!

Nearly ten years ago, I had an urge to learn how to paint — mostly as a creative outlet but also to counter-balance a very stressful career and work environment.

I picked up a paintbrush with no training and no art background. I had no idea what I was doing.

I took workshops, watched videos, and dove into a world rich with color, wonder and experimentation. I was surprised by how meditative, nurturing and joyful it was — and how much it helped me manage stress, regulate my emotions and be present.

I didn’t expect that practicing art regularly would ripple out into the rest of my life — shifting my attention, increasing focus, reducing stress and anxiety, and opening up possibilities in ways I would never have imagined.

Reading Your Brain on Art by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross gave me language and validation for what I’d been experiencing which is why I quote the book so often here. The science of Neuroaesthetics is showing us the arts are fundamental to our well-being.

Now, I’m on a mission to help demystify and democratize art — especially for those who were told they had “no talent” or that art “wasn’t for them.”

Because it is! It’s fundamental to our humanness.

The arts are for everyone, and everyone needs the arts.

I want to help more people experience what I discovered: that making and beholding art is a grounding life practice that helps us become more compassionate, empathetic, calm, content and joyful. Art helps us understand ourselves and others better which moves us closer to a kinder, gentler, more peaceful world.

As shared in the book Your Brain on Art, author and Buddhist meditation teacher Sharon Salzburg says actively making and beholding art are some of the most meditative practices.

Making Space is grounded in Neuroaesthetics—the burgeoning field of how art and aesthetic experiences impact the brain and body.

The International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University and the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics at the University of Pennsylvania are important institutions pursuing the understanding of how natural and manmade art and beauty impact us, affecting our cognition, memory, attention, mood, and healing.

Thanks to this research, we’re beginning to understand that art changes us. It makes us more grounded, present, connected and compassionate.

I’m not a scientist or medical professional.

I’m a late-blooming artist and arts and humanities advocate who has learned how to paint and create without any special talent or formal art education. I’ve experienced first-hand the power of incorporating an art practice into my life. I want to help you do that too.

As told in Your Brain on Art, artist Judy Tuwaletstiwa shared, ‘When you make art and you don’t know what’s going to happen, you’re involved in the mystery that life really is. I’m thankful I wasn’t classically trained as an artist because all my work has erupted from the unconscious. I’ve had to find ways to express that stirring, boiling within, to try to map the ever-moving ocean. That’s where I think art is most healing. Our hands can lead us to healing. They have a special intelligence that helps us go inside ourselves — where only we can journey.”

• Oct program is in session now. Next program dates to be released soon!
• 60 minute sessions with an opportunity to join an ongoing practice group
• Live & online via Zoom with recordings
• Intimate group; 10 people max per group
• Simple, joyful art practices with prompts for reflection and discovery
• BONUS Session -  Looking at Art
• Supply List 

Do I need art experience?

For sure NOT!  But, you certainly can have art experience or even be a professional artist. Making Space is for anyone who wants to begin or continue exploring and experiencing how creativity, color and visual expression can support emotional regulation, focus, resilience and joy.

What materials will I need?

I’ve kept the supply list pretty darn minimal which was quite a challenge for me as a self-declared art materials junkie.  But you can do this course with a pencil if you want to.  That said, color is super fun, and I encourage you to pick up the very affordable watercolor supplies – paint set, paper, brushes – I recommend. If you have all that stuff or similar stuff like acrylic paint, pastels or gouache, use that.

If art materials don’t factor into your budget right now, you can bring in color with a pack of Crayola crayons, colored pencils or finger paint!  If you have questions after checking out the recommended supply list, I’m happy to help you find supplies that will work best for your budget, even if it’s next to zero!

What if I miss a session?

I record the sessions, and share them within 36 hours.