Hey friend,
Let’s start with a little reminder: The real magic happens when we stop trying to get it right.
Can I be honest? I love my dad but when I was a kid on a math test if I got 9/10 he would say, "where's the other 1?"
He was half joking, and he didn't realize what he was saying. I forgive him, I really do - but for a long time the "not good enough" stuck with me. Trying to get everything perfect, because simply that's what was engrained in me.
Fast forward to my first day of art therapy school, no.. maybe the first week (it's all a blur) but there was a class we had with both the first year and the second cohrort. The instructor asked us about Yalom's Therapeutic Factors and quickly, hands shot up and people started naming off things like, "Universality!" "Group Cohesion!" "Recapitulation of the family unit!"
I had NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON!
I raised my own hand and said, I'm sorry, I have no idea what we are talking about because no one told me to prepare for this.
The instructor (bless her heart) replied....
"Who taught you to be perfect right from the very start?"
QUE.
THE.
WATER WORKS !!!
It was a huge insight. My mind said, omg, my dad. My dad did. Then I spent the next two years training in art therapy school and applying ALL THE THEORIES to myself, to my own art work, and unpacking it all weekly with my own art therapist.
Art therapy not only changed my life, it saved my life. I'm a completely different person from the experience. The opportuntiy to create so RAW-ly with no pressure, no skill, no expectation.
The most meaningful art of my life came out of those two years, and the reason I have such meaningful insights is because of the active reflection after the making with my own art therapist. Art therapists help us translate it all, and bring it back to the world and into our life.
But my art was..... messy!
Chaotic!
IMPERFECT !!!!
Even at the heart and soul of rewriring trauma and challenges, the art was playful. Experimental. Expressive - I made art like a kid again, every single, day.
(pictured above: lil old me 6 months into my program with my own theraoy art behind me on the walls. and yes, I made a heck of a lot more over the two years).
So anyway, I digress... Let's get back to the PLAY...
Think back to when you were a kid—fingers covered in paint, doodles running off the page, no plan, no pressure, just pure play.
Remember how good that felt?
(pictured below: the real cover of my sketchbook I made as a kid in 1999, yes, this is really it. My parents sent me picture of it).
Somewhere along the way, though, most of us started believing that art had to be “good” to be worth making.
Straight lines (with rulers), perfect colors (beacuse we got marked on our art projects), a final product worthy of display (because that was the badge of honour somehow?!).
But here’s the thing:
That was never the point.
Not too long ago I made a peice of art celebrating my inner child, inner artist, and embracing the mess. I made art "like" I would have as a kid surroudnign a photo of me as a kid. Lemme tell ya, it was a healing experience!
This month in Discover Art Therapy Monthly, we’re exploring the magic of art-making and self-discovery through the theme of Curiosity & Play—because sometimes, the most healing thing we can do is let go of the need for perfection and rediscover the joy in creating & expressing ourselves.
🎨 Playing Without the Pressure
Here’s your permission slip from me this month...
You don’t need fancy art supplies to create magic!
✨ Grab those half-used crayons under your kids bed.
✨ Dust off those old markers sitting in the box.
✨ Tear up some magazines and make a collage.
✨ Play with oil pastels and smudge them just because it feels good.
Each material brings its own magic.
Crayons bring nostalgia. Paint invites flow. Markers add bold confidence. Collage pieces tell unexpected stories.
The joy comes from exploring without the need for perfection. Because sometimes, the process of choosing, layering, and creating is the insight.
This Month’s Newsletter Prompt...
Fill your page with joyful marks!
That’s it. Simple. No plans. No purpose. Just pure creative play.
Swirls. Dots. Lines. Blobs of color that bring you JOY. Let them overlap. Let them run off the page. Let them be messy. Let them be.
While you create, notice:
🖌️ Which colors feel good today?
✨ Does my body relax when I stop planning?
🌼 What patterns keep showing up?
No judgment. No rules. Just you and the joy of making something that doesn’t have to “be” anything.
đź’¬ Reflect with Curiosity:
- Did anything surprise me about what I made?
- Where did I feel tempted to make it “look better”?
- What would it feel like to bring this sense of play into other areas of my life?
Because this—this playful, curious making—isn’t just about art. It’s about how we live.
🎉 Let’s Keep Playing Together
Let's talk about whats happening at Discover Art Therapy this month!
1) Join in on the freebie "Curious Collage" Invitation
2) Join us for 14 prompts over the month of March in the Doodle & Discover Membership - each designed to help us to embrace making "Perfectly Imperfect" art and have deeper self acceptance through curiosity and play! + you gain access to all past creative invitations & prompts too
Subscribe to the membership for just (10$) or join us for the prompts this monthly only for just (14$)
3) The Make Space Therapeutic Art Membership is making its long awaited return!
Doors open March 1st and you're invited to join us!
Live sessions & replay portal, it's pretty epic.
4) Workshops for therapists & helping professionals coming soon! (I'm so excited!)
5) A new workplaybook to explore letting go of perfectionism will be lauching later this month too. Keep your eyes peeled!
6) As always, best seller BRAIN ART ebook is still available, but don't miss the bundle of the e-course and workshop replay if you haven't grabbed them already!
7) Did you know you can bring art therapy to your workplace?? Corporate workshops for wellness, team bonding and stress relief can happen virtually and in-person.
Sometimes, the most magical thing we can do is stop trying to be perfect.
Art therapy shows us that the magic is in the making.
The discovery is in the doing.
And the joy?
The joy is yours for the taking.
Let’s stay curious this month. Let’s play.
Let’s make art just because it feels good.
PS - My 1-1 art therapy caseload is still full but if you've been hoping to join an art therapy group with me, The Make Space might be a good option to dip your toes in!
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