My Why

Have you ever met someone who once loved to paint, write, or play music, only to watch them slowly let go of that part of themselves? Or while sitting with an elderly person and listening to their life story, only to find out that they were once an artist, musician, or dancer but stopped for whatever reason? I used to wonder how anyone could give up something that brought so much joy and color to life. As someone whose days are anchored in creativity, I felt an ache for friends who set aside their creative passions, whether by choice or necessity. Over time, I came to understand. It wasn’t because they lost that spark; it was because of life’s demands or “higher-paying” career fields that quietly smother it. Now more than ever, I believe we all deserve gentle encouragement and a safe space to find our way back to what lights us up inside.

“A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be.”
—Abraham Maslow, Motivation and Personality

He used this phrase to describe the human need to fulfill one’s deepest potential.

I’ve fought so hard during my professional years to be creative and make art of any type all the time. When I was told many times by many people to get a “real” job, I was determined to stay in the art field in any way possible, as I knew it was my calling and that I would find inner peace in it. I knew if I didn’t, my skills would diminish and I’d lose all the muscle memory and practice I'd worked so hard to maintain. Most of all, I knew I would hate every minute of my life that I wasn’t in a creative field, and I’d spend my days being restless. Yet, I did an art job for many years that was not challenging; it was in art, and I was not happy. This wasn’t my path, but it helped me pay the bills I needed for my family, so I stayed as long as possible. All while slowly building a creative career path that would give me more satisfaction and joy. This was when I started to understand my friend’s situations. One of my favorite artists, Leonardo da Vinci, said, “The good painter must paint two things: a person and the essence of his soul.” My soul was yearning for more, and I learned I must listen.

I’m going to go back to when I realized that not only were the arts my passion and purpose, but I couldn’t survive if I wasn’t creating. In late 1999/2000, I spent two weeks caring for my boyfriend as he was recovering from pancreatitis at his apartment in a different city. I had no art supplies with me, and I was on call in this tiny apartment with nothing to do but watch TV and prepare safe meals for his healing. After two weeks, I couldn’t understand what was wrong with me. I was going into a deep depression I had never experienced. I wasn’t even thinking about projects I could work on or art at all because I was consumed by the roles of nurse and chef. As an empath, this was not the place for me, as I absorb everything. It was no wonder I fell into this state. I can only now imagine the money and time spent in therapy and working other jobs, not knowing why I was still depressed. As soon as he felt well enough to leave the apartment, we went to Borders Books. I was on a new mission to grab every graphic design and art book I could and reabsorb all I could to fill my soul. Borders always had live music on weekends, so both my musical and artistic sides were finally restored that evening. I felt like myself once again, and that day I told myself I could never do that again.

Once I had kids, I told them that if I was ever lying in a hospital and they wanted me to live and I couldn’t talk or move, to bring me art. Let me see art; bring me supplies if I can at least draw or feel clay. And this will heal me. We’ve all heard about art therapy, and it really is therapy. Pablo Picasso said that “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

I had never known a week, or even a day, when I was not using my creative talents, since I could hold a pencil and draw at age 4. This was the first time I had ever experienced withdrawal. My childhood was always filled with art and music. I was also creating in so many different ways. Drawing, painting, clay sculpture, sewing, chalk art, cardboard, papier-mâché, designing forts, treehouses, mini-golf courses, creative play in the creeks, playing multiple instruments, and my many artistic jobs in my teens and during college. Art and music were always encouraged. If I was on vacation, I found outlets for creating, from building sandcastles and attending musicals and shows to crafting with my grandmother.

I now protect this at all costs and with determination. So I think about my creative friends. The ones that gave up art, music, writing, because they got those real jobs or they tried at commercial art and became burned out and walked away, and I can’t imagine that inner yearning for their souls to create again. To create without boundaries and to play like their 5-year-old self did with full-on messy hands in finger paints and bubbles. That inner joy that gives them their spark and life.

I started teaching in 4th grade. During lunch hour, I would give art lessons to my friends. I then taught after-school art classes at the elementary school when I was in high school. After having children of my own, I began teaching again. I’ve taught all ages and many types of art. I love that one day I’m working with elementary-aged kids and the next I’m at an assisted living facility holding the hands and brushes of my “adopted” grandparents as they try to see the art I’m having them create with their faces just inches from the canvas.

The more I’ve taught, I started realizing I have a greater purpose than just creating art and being an artist. I believe it’s much bigger than me now. It’s helping others find the joy in being creative. Helping them rediscover their passions and love for something they once did, even those who never pursued it but now feel like they have a chance too. Because with every class I teach, I’m listening to both their words and their hearts. I’m watching their posture, body language, and expressions at the end of each class. As an illustrator with animation training, I've been drilled to observe human, animal, and machine behavior. A great animator fully understands these details to convey the character’s mood, personality, and movement. I wouldn’t fully know the transformation they experienced at the end of each class. Still, the feedback in emails, text messages, comments, and in person would fill my heart as I could hear the excitement in their souls about the awakening they were experiencing. One of my favorite lines from students a few days after a class is, “You got me thinking” or “You said something.” I sometimes hold my breath when they do because it could easily go two ways or sideways. Yet it doesn’t, and they then tell me, with great excitement, their ideas and explorations in the arts.

I find excitement when I see my fellow creatives succeed in their creative dreams and goals. I often wonder if they can hear me cheering from where I am when I discover they did it! The arts win every time that happens. Every time a creative heart sings, humanity wins. We were designed to be creative. We were designed to ask questions and to be curious. We are designed to explore that curiosity in creative ways. What other creature can do what humans can in the way we can?

This is my “why”: I want to help you rediscover the sense of wonder and curiosity you had as a child. So you can reach your fullest potential and feel truly alive. My greatest joy comes from creating a safe, joyful environment where each person is encouraged to play, explore, and reconnect with their creative spirit. Just as I was supported growing up, I’m here to nurture your journey, surrounded by like-minded souls and a community that celebrates creative play.

Are you ready to gently rediscover the creative spark within you? I believe that creativity is for everyone, and sometimes all it takes is a patient hand, a caring word, and a safe space to begin again. My retreats are a warm, welcoming place where you’re invited to explore, play, and reconnect with your artistic self—at your own pace, in your own way. I’m deeply passionate about helping each person feel seen, heard, and supported, whether you’re picking up a brush for the first time or returning after many years. If your heart longs to create, you’re in the right place. Let’s nurture your creativity together.

Your Art Buddy,

Julie