Creativity as a Way Back to Ourselves

Back in September, I held a retreat for a group of women. We set intentions. We journaled. We made art.

And the entire time, there was one woman who felt completely closed off.Guarded. Arms crossed. Distant.

It seemed like nothing I was offering was getting through.

Until the very end.

During a silent, meditative labyrinth walk, she approached me quietly and said,“I’m actually a cop. And I haven’t felt this relaxed in decades.”

That moment stayed with me.

At first, I thought it validated a talk I gave a few years ago at Renaissance Weekend—about using creativity to fight burnout—where I outlined a method I now call SPARK:Stay present. Pay attention. Allow play. Release outcome. Be kind to yourself.

But the truth is—it didn’t start on a stage.

It started much earlier.

The Sanctuary I Didn’t Know I Was Entering

I came to the United States at thirteen, an immigrant from Moldova, fleeing a political crisis that now feels like a chilling precursor to what we’re witnessing in Ukraine. I landed in a New Jersey high school at the height of Cold War fear.

Kids repeated what they heard on TV.Names were called.Stones were thrown.

Those were not gentle transition years.

Then my mother found an art teacher.

Twice a week, we drove through unfamiliar New York neighborhoods, windows rolled up tight, until we reached a crumbling factory building perched above a highway. From the outside, it looked like nothing special.

But inside, it was a sanctuary.

I thought I was learning how to draw.

What I was actually learning—without language for it at the time—was how to listen to myself. How to slow my breath. How to regulate my nervous system. How to stay with discomfort without collapsing or hardening.

For hours at a time.

While many kids around me turned to numbing, I had this outlet.

And it saved me.

Art as Nervous System Regulation (Not a Luxury)

So now, when I encounter a burned-out executive, a guarded police officer, or an overwhelmed teenager, I recognize it instantly.

It’s universal.

We are living in a culture of chronic activation—constant input, urgency, performance, screens. Creativity interrupts that cycle. Not by force. By invitation.

When we create, we soften.We breathe again.We find our way back into flow—and back to ourselves.

This is why I believe so deeply in art as a form of mindfulness, and why my work spans corporate art workshops in Massachusetts, art classes in Brookline, and immersive retreats for adults, teens, and children alike. Art doesn’t ask us to explain or perform. It asks us to notice.

And that noticing changes everything.

Stepping Into Practice This Winter

If this story resonates—if you’re feeling the pull to begin the year more grounded, regulated, and connected—there are many ways to step into this work right now at my art gallery and studio in Massachusetts.

Our Winter Semester is launching, and it’s not too late to join:

• An adult abstraction class focused on intuition, layering, and release starting January 6th

• A creative retreat experience rooted in restoration and nervous system recalibration on January 11th

• Kids and teens art classes in Brookline, designed to build confidence, focus, and creative flow

• A wine pairing + art evening—an intentional pause filled with beauty, play, and connection

Whether you’re seeking healing, expression, or simply a meaningful pause, there is space for you here.

Here’s to beginning the year gently—and drawing our way through change, together.

Happy New Year ✨