ArtCafe Studios, LLC

I hear some version of this in almost every mindful art class I teach:

“𝐈’𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞.”

Usually, it comes from someone who has already decided that creativity only counts when the finished result is beautiful enough to frame.

The classes I facilitate are 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬. We are not planning a finished piece or working toward something that is supposed to look a certain way.

The methods I share 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, giving our busy minds something gentle to focus on while we follow the process and see where it takes us.

𝐈’𝐦 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞.

The creative exercises will help us reflect, notice patterns, quiet some of the mental noise, loosen perfectionism’s grip, and give whatever we may be carrying a place to land for a little while.

You may draw a few lines, work with color, write in a journal, or respond to a visual prompt. Nothing needs to be beautiful, clever, or worthy of showing anyone else. Although, as I’ve seen many times, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.

You also will not be pressured to share personal details, either. You can join the conversation, listen, reflect quietly, or pass on a question. Some weeks, you may have a lot to say. Other weeks, simply being there may be exactly what you need.

𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.

What usually stops you from trying something creative: lack of time, perfectionism, or the belief that you simply aren’t artistic?

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐𝟎, and the interest form will remain open through July 15.

If you’re curious, take a look at the details and complete the short form here:

📖 https://artcafestudios.com/upcoming-creative-reading-circle/

I’ll contact you personally so we can talk and see whether the Circle feels like a good fit. 💛

I’ve noticed that my days usually feel calmer when I don’t hand them over to my phone first thing.

I like to journal, go for a walk or exercise, and have a peaceful cup of coffee before checking messages and notifications. After feeding the kitties, of course. They have very firm opinions about morning priorities. 😅

It doesn’t happen perfectly every day, but when it does, I feel more grounded and a little less rushed before the world starts asking for my attention.

Do you have a morning routine?

Since announcing the 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞, I’ve had a few people ask 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨 during our seven weeks together.

We will read The Gifts of Imperfection in manageable sections and use the ideas as a starting point for 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

The book gives us something to gather around, but the Circle is really about what happens when we 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 long enough to talk about how those ideas show up in real life.

Some weeks, we may 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰 using simple practices inspired by Zentangle® or the AM Method™. We may 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥, try a gentle 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 exercise, notice a pattern we keep repeating, or look at a familiar expectation from a completely different angle. Nothing will require artistic experience, special supplies, or perfectly organized thoughts and ideas.

You will not be expected to analyze the book or arrive with a life-changing breakthrough every Monday night. There are no grades, no quizzes, and no prize for sharing the deepest insight. You can join the conversation, listen, reflect quietly, and contribute in whatever way feels comfortable.

My hope is that we won’t simply highlight a few sentences and put the book back on the shelf. We’ll give the ideas enough room to become part of conversations that stay with us.

We will meet on 𝐙𝐨𝐨𝐦 for 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 beginning August 3, with a Welcome Call on July 20. The group is limited to 10 women, and the Founding Member offer is $245.

𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧?

You can read all the details and complete the short interest form here:

👉🏻 https://artcafestudios.com/upcoming-creative-reading-circle/

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. If you’re curious, take a couple of minutes to fill it out, and I’ll contact you personally so we can talk and see whether the Circle feels right for you.

𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲!

I hope your day includes good food, people you enjoy, plenty of cold drinks, and enough air conditioning to survive the hundred-degree heat. 🎉

Stay safe, stay cool, and enjoy the day!

Children change quickly. We all know that.

Parents often remember what their children looked like at a certain age, but some of the little details get fuzzy over time.

I'm not an exception here. I wish I had more photos of the silly moments, and I wish I hadn't stopped writing things down after several failed attempts at keeping a journal.

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐭, 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐝, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨?

We always think we'll remember those things.

But then life gets busy, one year turns into the next, and somehow those little moments slip by faster than we expected.

Capturing those stages through fantasy portraits is one of my favorite things to do.

Years from now, they'll still show a child's smile, eyes, and face. But they'll also tell a story about who they were and what captured their imagination at that moment in time.

And those stories are worth holding onto. 💛