What is craft night? Craft night is a community open studio. When I was in grad school, I volunteered in an open studio offered to oncology patients and met a lovely group of ladies who opened my eyes to the world of community-based art therapy. We would get together twice a month and scrapbook, paint, create artist trading cards, practice embossing with inks for card decorating, good times! When I graduated, I found an oncology open studio at aurora in Milwaukee and met some amazing mount Mary interns along the way! In this open studio we did much more then painting. My supervisor Jill would load up her giant cart with anything and everything and had a second cart for other things that didn’t fit, and the interns would bring everything down set it up and bring everything back at the end. They still run the group however a bit different with covid, still have a main activity along with the rest of the supplies and its open to the community, not only oncology patients. Met many amazing attendees at this group as well! I want to offer this to others, a time to create or try something new, relax outside of everyday things. Chat and listen to music. I will have regular therapy groups starting February, for now monthly anxiety and depression support group. As I get more interest, I will add to it (one-night teens one-night adults prereg required)

Ahh, 2022, welcome! Looking over the past year, it’s exciting to see how far I’ve come. My business is going well, I have a new location, consistent referral sources, and some group offerings. (Which, with the rising omicron I may switch to virtual, comment if you’d be interested in that- and pre-registration to receive a kit of art supplies to use during the virtual group or to attend in general). I get to work from home some days and give my pets extra loving, have met some amazing other therapists in the area and reconnected with others I haven’t talked to in a while. Have there been ups and downs? Oh yes, many downs that I could have lived without. I’m choosing to think of the ups as we start this year. What are some good things you experienced in 2021?

This is exciting! I knew I had a few viewers on blogger, but it was very few. Today alone I have at least two more! Welcome! Feel free to comment what you would like to see or learn about or any questions you have in general.

As a reminder, for anyone local I do have open studio/craft night tonight! 4650 w spencer st, inside pamco property.

 Hello! 

I will be moving to my website http://www.peaceincolor.org as I now have learned how to use the built-in blog. I have transferred over all of my posts from here to make them easily accessible to you if you want to view older posts.  

Other updates:

Starting February I will be offering a monthly anxiety and depression support group for both teens and adults!  Teens will be the second Thursday; adults will be the 4th Thursday. The craft night/open studio for mindfulness and stress support (not a therapy group). Will continue to be first and third Friday (including this upcoming Friday the 17th!).   

For those interested, I will have a Keurig available with a selection of cocoa, cider and coffees.  At this time I’m not planning to have food or snacks due to health and safety with the unknown of covid-19 and pre-registration is preferred to help with social distancing – but you may stop by without preregistering if that’s easiest.

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