Boosting mental health skill building
New vintage fabric and recycled paper collage • 16 × 16 inches • 2026 A Lake Ontario Apple Orchard Collage Fall has arrived along Lake Ontario. The air has begun to cool, but the sun still offers a warm invitation to leave town behind and follow the countryside into apple-picking season. My new collage, An …
Continue reading “An Ontario Garden of Glittering Gems: The Drama and Comfort of an Apple Orchard”
A Rain Lover’s Question Some people see a rainy swamp and think gloom. I see music, movement, and the quiet pleasure of a gray day. That may be because of my rainy-day collage, I have recently discovered a word for people like me: pluviophile, a lover of rain. Are you one, too? Behind the Studio: …
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Looking for practical social emotional learning resources that help students feel seen, valued, and connected? This 3-resource SEL bundle is designed to make student community building simple, meaningful, and engaging for teachers, counselors, group leaders, and support staff. Why Student Belonging Matters Students are more ready to learn when they feel safe, included, and connected …
An art coach I follow suggested artists introduce their audience to their studio pets. Immediately, I thought, I can’t do that. I don’t have a pet. But then, I realized I do have a studio pet. In fact, I have many. They just aren’t real. They’re inanimate. Most of my studio pets either hang from …
No More Feeling Awkward When Someone You Care About Is Hurting We Want to Help, but We Do Not Always Know How Someone you know is experiencing a difficult time. It may be the death of a loved one, chronic body aches, recovery from a medical procedure, a cancer diagnosis, the loss of a job, …
When Fear Gets Big When fear gets big, it can make small moments feel impossible. A first swim lesson, a new school, a doctor’s visit, a night in a separate bedroom, or even an everyday change can suddenly feel too big to face. That is exactly why I created the Fight BIG Fears™ Bundle: to …
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Help for Parents Finally, help for parents of anxious kids! The “Fight BIG Fears” picture book and plush Bundle is now available. Parents of anxious kids, this is for you. Step away from your frustrations and, with your child, enter the world of Phoebe and her phearnik!® Both of you will not only be charmed …
A Tool for Overthinking, Avoidance, and the Freeze Response Fear doesn’t disappear when we grow up. It just becomes more socially acceptable to hide. Instead of saying “I’m scared,” adults say: But underneath those phrases is often the same nervous system response children experience — activation, overwhelm, and sometimes a freeze response. You’re Not Alone …
Continue reading “How to Manage Fear as an Adult: A Simple 5-Step Tool”
Entering a New Phase of phearnik!® If you’ve been following along on this journey, you know that phearnik!®, a mental health plush, hasn’t just appeared overnight. This little Courage Buddy™ has grown through intentional, thoughtful phases — each one stretching me as a creator and as a business owner. In my earlier post about theCourage …
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Overcoming Writer’s Block There’s an unmistakable moment for every writer: sitting before a blank page, feeling equal parts excitement and uncertainty, a need for overcoming writer’s block. You may have your favorite pen or keyboard ready and ideas swirling in your mind, but somehow, starting that first sentence feels overwhelming. It’s not the act of …
Continue reading “Overcoming Writer’s Block: A Way for Writers to Start with Confidence”