A Very Scary Halloween Cupsleeve Event!

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Sometimes you walk into a room thinking you're there to teach people how to paint.

And you leave realizing you gave someone a moment they desperately needed.

Recently, I had the opportunity to host a private paint party for a family friend celebrating her 60th birthday. It was supposed to be exactly what you would expect from a birthday paint party: good company, laughter, creativity, and a chance for everyone to relax and make something together.

I came prepared to teach.

What I didn't expect was to be reminded of why art matters so much in the first place.

I Thought We Were Just Painting

The project for the evening was a watercolor painting. As I guided everyone through the process, people were chatting, laughing, experimenting with their colors, and making their paintings their own. That's what I love about private art parties.

They aren't really about everyone creating the exact same picture. They're about giving people an experience. A reason to gather. Something to talk about. A chance to try something new. A little time away from everything else. And sometimes, without realizing it, you create something that means much more to someone than you ever intended.

Then I Learned Her Story

During the event, I learned that one of the guests was using the watercolor project as a way to honor her son, who had recently passed away.

I don't think she came into the room expecting the painting to become part of that experience. And I certainly didn't walk into that party knowing that someone there was carrying that kind of grief. But suddenly, the little watercolor painting in front of us meant something completely different.

It wasn't just paint and paper anymore. It was a way to remember. A way to create something while carrying something heavy. And honestly, it stopped me in my tracks.

You Never Know What Someone Is Carrying

This experience reminded me of something I've seen again and again through teaching art:

You never really know what someone is carrying when they attend your art workshops and experiences. Someone might be celebrating. Someone might be lonely. Someone might be overwhelmed or going through a major life transition.

Someone might be grieving.

And you may never know their story. That's okay. Because art doesn't always need to know the whole story to help.

Sometimes, you just need to create a little space for someone to breathe.

Art Gives Us Permission to Feel

There's something special about making art with your hands. You have to slow down. For a little while, your attention is somewhere other than the things that are weighing on you.

That doesn't mean art magically fixes grief, anxiety, stress, loneliness, or any of the difficult things people experience.

But it can give us a moment of relief within them. And sometimes a moment of relief is incredibly valuable.

Art can give us a place to process feelings that are difficult to put into words.

I'm Grateful I Get to Be Part of That

I went into that private paint party thinking I was there to help celebrate someone's 60th birthday.

And I was.

But, I left with a deeper understanding of what my work can mean.

I'm not a therapist.

I'm not a grief counselor.

I'm an artist and an art educator. What I can do is create an invitation:

Come sit down.

Take a breath.

Spend some time with other people.

Make something.

See what happens.