Come As You Are Art Therapy

10/25/2024

THIS NOVEMBER... Please join us in Coolidge Park (Downtown Chattanooga) for a Memorial & Dedication Service on Saturday, the 16th, honoring the Devia Family. 🤍🦋

Last year, the community was shocked by a tragic accident that occurred on Frazier Avenue, costing the lives of a mother and her 22-month-old son.

Members of the North Chattanooga Neighborhood Association & North Shore Merchants Collective are holding a memorial & dedication service for the community to reflect & celebrate the power of transformation. This event hopes to offer an opportunity for healing, together.

I'm honored to help participate in this event by engaging community members in a large-scale art project that is intended as a temporary art mural to be installed at the site of the accident (to then be permanently installed at a later date...🤞🏻) The entirety of this event wouldn't have been possible without a grant from Arts Build, Geno Wallace of the North Shore Merchants Collective, Mariah Friend (), Cassie Nice, and Alison Holly Poole of the North Chattanooga Neighborhood Association (), as well as Pastor Kimberly Laura, Ecotherapist Valerie Radu, and the loving members of the Devia Family.

On the day of the event:

🤍 12 - 3:30: Participate (with me) in painting a community mural in the Walker Pavilion

🦋 ALL ages & abilities are welcome to participate! 🎨

🤍 3:30: Remarks by Pastor Kimberly Laura

🤍 3:45: Forest Bathing/ Ground Blessing Ceremony for future tree planting w/ Ecotherapist Valerie Radu

🤍 4:15: Complete painting & leave messages for Devia family

🤍 5:15: Candlelight vigil & walk to corner of Forest & Frazier Avenue

We hope you and your loved ones can join us.

For those signed-up to Come As You Are Art Therapy's Newsletter, I will send a more in-depth email out to you in the coming days.

09/30/2024

Hurricane Helene has left hundreds of thousands still without power, damaged homes and property, and resources scarce.

As a South Carolina native, the Upstate is my home. And with being over 250 miles away from family & loved ones, I have felt at a loss considering the current condition of any route to get there and actively be of service in any miniscule way I can. (Also maybe grappling with some saviorism on some level? But, that's for me to figure out... ::adds to list::)

So, I've decided to contribute 18% of my paid services to the largest food bank currently operating in the state of South Carolina. Harvest Hope serves the Midlands, P*e Dee, and Upstate by providing over 20 million meals on average to families and homes in need. And now, as a client of mine, you can too.

If you're already an established client, there's nothing you need to do. Your contribution will be set aside and taken out of your regular appointment cost. As an example, that means that when you have a 60 minute scheduled session, a portion of the session total is already providing meals for a family of 4.

If you feel called to donate in addition to your automatic contribution as an established client, or even if you aren't a client, and have the means to do so...

-🤍CLICK the link >>> https://give.harvesthope.org/campaigns/34826-upholding-the-upstate

Any amount is appreciated, whether it's $1 or several.

Thank you for your support in this endeavor. 🤍

09/29/2024

To all the people I know back home, especially in Spartanburg & Greenville County, and Western North Carolina, I'm so sorry for all the devastation you're facing right now. Please, let me know how I might be of service or support to you in the coming days/ weeks.

I feel restless if I know people I care about are struggling, especially if there's obstacles keeping me from being there, in the physical and taking actionable steps. (It's always hard for me to be reminded of just how much is outside of my control, but then I always try to find ways to work within my own limitations.) I'm in Chattanooga, and there's no telling how long it'll be before there's a clear route home/ to the Asheville area. But I'm hopeful and here to offer what little support I can from afar.

Please, if you're reading this and you feel comfortable, update me on how you're doing. Maybe we can start a thread of people within a specific radius to one another to be of help. Love you all. 🩷

08/02/2024

One of the most rewarding things about my work as a therapist is celebrating life wins with my clients, current and past. And, being completely frank, it can be a difficult balance when it comes to tending to my own garden, assuring that my needs as a human are met, healthy boundaries are maintained and upheld, and that this validation of, "Well, at least I'm providing something that people can prosper from." isn't the ONLY thing that inspires me.

Some days, doing it for the love of it isn't the lowest hanging fruit. And, when I find myself feeling burnt out, isolated, uninspired, I know that it's only due to me negating myself in certain areas.

But there's things I wouldn't ever trade...

Like the caliber of people I'm fortunate enough to work with and get to know.

Smiles and tears shared, sometimes both... simultaneously.

Witnessing an individual discuss their artwork and find themselves surprised at their welling-up of emotion, and then them saying, with relief and gratitude in their voice, something to the effect of, "I don't know why I'm crying right now?!" And I have the honor of being present with them as I sit back and watch them connect to their own deep wisdom.

Freedom and flexibility in my work role.

Co-creating with another.

The passion felt behind empowering others.

Watching as individuals take the concept of creating with their own hands, in session, and take that same confidence, determination, and ability to dream and apply it to their external reality, taking risks and making intentional decisions to deliberately manifest the life they want.
..That's where all the honey is. 🍯💖🐝

05/04/2024

Y'all, my sweet Dad drove 5 hours in the middle of his work week to come deliver scaffolding, help me install my largest figure onto the wall, and all in an effort to save me the $200 it would take me to rent the stuff. He'll be honest though and tell you that he'll take any excuse to come see his girl.

I bet you can't tell we're related or anything... (You should see my baby pictures when I had just as little hair as he does now.) 😂

I owe a lot to this guy... This has been a more challenging project for me in a lot of ways. I work with clients so often in learning to work with the parts of themselves like their perfectionist or inner critic. Meanwhile, my own have been running rampant lately. I really think of my art as an extension of myself and my essence... And I'm someone who has an almost voracious appetite for wanting to grow, learn, and evolve... Which means that I also want that reflected in my artwork. And much like the concept of "healing", it certainly isn't a linear path.

This has been a process that's reminded me to chill out... And the value of allowing for "mess" and "mistakes" and a certain fluidity and looseness. While it's not a novel idea, it's reminded me that there's value in all of it... And I can motivate myself by being demanding and forceful internally or I can motivate myself by reminding myself who I make art for and focusing on how I feel when I'm creating... Whether it's art in the traditional sense, a yummy meal, or collaborating with another... Dad's always been a strong model of this, something I'm forever grateful for.

Keep scrolling to also meet my latest niece, Rosie... With such a healthy head of hair, too!

Stay tuned to see the completed design, community inspired and pup-approved!

04/29/2024

The weather this week doesn't look too promising for install, but we're gonna just show up and do what we can. 🤷🏻‍♀️☔

A big ole "thank you" though to everyone, family especially, who's been keeping us fueled & focused. It's been extremely helpful to not have to worry about cooking in a kitchen that has been taken over by paint trays, sponges, brushes, and piles of paint itself. It also saves me on time... It sounds dramatic, but when you're down to the wire, every hour matters.

04/25/2024

If you need me at all in the next week or so, you know where to find me... Just be sure to bring a hat with a wide brim. Specifically, if you happen to be a friend or family, you're welcome to bring a lawn chair and megaphone to keep me on my game. Also, if you just so happen to bring a couple of cups of ice cold lemonade, it definitely wouldn't hurt. 🌞🍋🥤👩🏻‍🎨

04/13/2024

It's April... That wild time of year when everything feels in bloom and all cylinders are firing. It's also when I start to really feel that Aries "0 to 100 revving" of energy with lots of ambition and limited time... And where finding and maintaining balance really poses as a consistent challenge. But hey! It's the excitement, joy, and problem-solving that creativity brings that ultimately fuels my fire. Woo!!! 🙌🏻🔥

1) latest color palette for this Spring's mural. Per usual, I had to rename them to suit my taste. 💁🏻‍♀️

2) a digital collage mock-up of the intended design

3) I'm officially a board-certified art therapist!... The final notch in my art therapy belt, for now, before going forward with continuing education courses.

I'm really grateful that I am in a position that allows for so much flexibility and freedom, giving me variety and different avenues to explore and play.

I'm thankful for all the supportive messages I've received from friends and clients (and even client caregivers) during this time, cheering me on in the process. You all are the bee's knees, no doubt. 🌻🐝💓

02/09/2024

Friday was such a special opportunity, getting to celebrate this year's launch of The Scout Guide Chattanooga's Volume 11! It's not only an honor, but an experience that has been filled with such fun & ease (at least from my end). This phenomenal team of creatives offers such time, energy, and attention to detail to allow each issue to support those of previous years, yet individually, they're strong enough to stand alone. (And shout-out to my personal cheerleaders, forever & consistently offering their support in all things.)
🤍🥂

As an artist myself, it's so inspiring to witness the magic of the TSG Chattanooga team. ✨

Also, as a side note- "The Wizard of Oz" was my all-time *favorite* movie growing-up, so it was a treat to finally take a trip to the Emerald City, haha. 🙆🏻‍♀️


And a big "thank you" to for capturing it all on camera! 📸

02/03/2024

Get ready.

It's only February & I've gotta lot cookin'.
Just over here flicking my wrist.✨
Jackson Po***ck style.🖌️🎨💁🏻‍♀️

🤍✈️🧳🌏

an intimate therapeutic & spiritual women’s retreatnestled on 100,000 sq meters of natural reserve in Mallorca, Spaincombining artmaking, creative writing/ journaling, mindfulness, and movement, all while leaving plenty of room (physically and energetically) for connection to nature, to self, and ...

10/31/2023

Khadijah Hall is the winner of the latest drawing to win an original 16x20" hand-painted portrait!

Khadijah's name was drawn out of approximately 30 entries! The portrait of her will also be a part of a body of work I'm intending to put together by this Spring and hopefully showcase later in the year. (I don't want to give away too many details just yet.)

A big "thank you" to everyone who participated in the drawing. I look forward to sharing the final product with all of you soon!

...and Happy Halloween! 🎃🎨

09/07/2023

https://www.comeasyouaretherapyllc.com/groups-and-workshops/2qs4nn2xxzi8rihmrc6jmtrje581si

This 7 week art therapy workshop combines art-making, creative writing & journaling, somatic experiencing, and sound healing as well as psychotherapeutic concepts such as "parts work" and "shadow work" to gently call forth and reconvene with our inner child, tending to its needs in a thoughtful, loving way.

✨Established clients are able to join for a discounted rate:
-1 Payment of $225
OR
-7 Weekly Payments of $35

🐦🐛Early Bird Discount Available NOW thru September 25th! 🎨

To learn more, follow the link in my bio & click "Creative Groups & Workshops".
- for adults 18+
- no previous art/ therapy experience necessary
- limited space available (12 participants total)
- in-person, 7 week workshop series Mondays, 7-9 PM EST @ The Om Room (Chattanooga, TN)