Listening to the Messages of Your Emotions
Art therapy serves as a gentle way to receive & respond to what is
Hello beautiful readers,
Welcome to April, it’s fun sharing this latest newsletter on April Fool’s Day. You know, as creative as I am, I’m not very innovative when it comes to two things- Halloween costumes and gags for April Fool’s Day. But I do love a good story, so if you have a fun story to share about April 1st, please do so!
This month I’m sharing a guidebook about how to use Art Therapy as your Emotional First Aid kit, which I will tell you more about in a moment. I’ve decided to switch up the monthly live workshop to be more general in focus. On April 22nd, we’ll gather to make art together as a community, the details are in the final section of this newsletter (along with the recording from March’s workshop if you want to do a little DIY). Would love to see you there!
April’s guidebook reflects one of the most valuable actions that I believe we can commit to for our health and wellbeing. This act is creating space for our emotions to speak to us. Our feelings are like messengers, their main purpose is to help us understand ourselves and our experiences better.
Of course, this is easier said than done. We can find ourselves struggling to sit with our feelings, and that can lead to a lot of suffering. I have deep compassion for anyone in this place, as I have been there many, many times throughout my life, both personally and professional when I hold space for my clients.
I’ve found that art can be an amazing way to gently release feelings. Time and time again, the act of creation and getting something out of your being and onto paper brings tangible relief that might seem counterintuitive until you try it.
Leaning into your pain and translating it onto paper is a powerful act of transformation that helps your body, mind, and spirit discharge the feelings that are inside. This kind of validation is potent. From this place, you can more readily find the self-awareness, understanding, and creative solutions that surface to support you.
On the other hand, art can be an incredible way to hold the energy of your blessings… of what you’re celebrating… of the gratitude that you feel in any given moment. Sitting with and expressing these feelings through art enhances the impact they have on how you feel and who you are. So if you’ve got something to celebrate, make sure your first aid kit is right by your side.
I hope you can join me on April 22nd for our art therapy live experiential. And if not, know that I am sending each and everyone of you a little sparkle of energy that says- I see you.
Warmly,
Stephanie
PS. By the way, I have availability in my schedule for 2-3 new coaching clients. If you would like to explore the possibility of working together, I offer a free consultation call to all who are interested. To learn more and set up a call, please visit my website.
What I’m listening to right now…
This is my go to playlist when I need and want to get some writing done: Peaceful Piano Playlist. It’s great for creating art as well!
Your Art Therapy Guidebook…
(P.S. you don’t have to be an artist to do this!)
Before doing this exercise, set yourself up for doing some art and writing. Any kind of art medium will work- so chose something you have on hand or treat yourself to a few supplies. Here’s my basic list for starting an art journal.
Click here to open the April Guidebook.
If you feel inspired to share this guidebook with others, they can receive their own copy when they subscribe to the newsletter. It’s my gift to you all, a perk for my subscribers that I hope will feel like a warm thank you from me to you!
I’d love to hear from you about how this prompt went for you. Feel free to ask questions and share in the comments below or email me directly!
Behind-The-Scenes Look at the Publishing Process
I’m getting back into querying mode for Beautiful Boobs. This entails refreshing my query letter, nonfiction book proposal, and tweaking the manuscript so that I feel like I’m putting my best foot forward.
Despite having been through multiple rounds of querying, I find that it’s best not to assume that everything is ready to go. Attending the Hay House workshops and reflecting upon everything I’ve learned and my manuscript, well… like everything in life, there’s always room for improvement.
I’ve also discovered that another publishing company I’ve long wanted to query now accepts unsolicited manuscripts, which means that you do not have to have an agent to query them. And while I do plan on querying agents with this next round, it never hurts to have an iron or two in the publishing house fire!
On the building platform front, I’ve challenged myself to post daily on TikTok for 30 days. If you’d like to follow me, here’s my profile!
Upcoming Workshops-
Recording of March’s workshop- Art Therapy for Anniversaries, Markers, and Milestones
4/22/2024~ Our Subscriber’s Perks Free Art Workshop, Art Therapy for Women: The Power of Creating in Community, from 6-7:15 pm EST. This is an opportunity to experience the soulfulness of art therapy with a community of women, who like you, want to see how art therapy can enhance their lives. It's also a great time to ask me questions about art therapy, the guidebooks, etc. while connecting with others who hold similar interests and aspirations as you do.
There’s not a specific theme for the event. It’s an open invitation for you to explore whatever is asking to be seen. It does coincide with Earth Day, which feels like a special way to honor Mother Earth if you feel inclined to.
This workshop is for newsletter subscribers only. So if you have someone that you’d like to invite, please do! All that I ask is that they become a subscriber.
XO,
Stephanie