Trauma-Informed Wellness Education for YOU through Art Therapy and Self-Care
Meet Dawnita
Professional
I am an artist, art therapist, and educator who believes creativity and empathy are powerful tools for understanding ourselves and one another.
Much of who I am has been shaped by my lived experiences — my education, my work, being a mom, and the many moments in life that have stretched me, challenged me, and deepened my perspective. Over time, I have come to believe that we are more alike than we are different. When we slow down long enough to understand our responses to trauma, loss, and stress, we begin to see ourselves and others with greater compassion.
As an artist, I am most at home in the process of making. I primarily work in fibers, though I enjoy exploring many materials including ceramics, found objects, fine metals, glass, and wood. I am especially drawn to the experimental stages of creating — the space where curiosity leads and discovery unfolds. I believe creativity lives in all of us. It is not about talent or perfection, but about allowing ourselves the freedom to explore.
As an art therapist and educator, my work focuses on helping individuals and communities discover meaningful ways to care for their mental, emotional, and creative well-being. Through my work with COPE, I help individuals and communities understand themselves differently and strengthen their innate ability to cope and grow.
COPE is rooted in the belief that when we approach ourselves with empathy — and extend that same empathy to others — space opens for deeper understanding, resilience, and connection.
Whether working in schools, community spaces, or wellness settings, I am continually reminded that beneath our roles and responsibilities, we are all navigating the shared experience of being human.
My Story
Personal
Through my own personal healing journey, I feel inspired to share and support others. I do not see healing as a final destination, but rather as a continuous process of learning, understanding, and growth.
In my adolescent years, I made choices out of desperation and a lack of understanding about their outcomes or consequences. I knew I wanted something different for my life, but I did not yet know what that might look like. The ways I coped with the stressors in my life were common in the environment around me, and for a time they felt like the only options available. Over time, however, I began to see that the choices I was making were having a negative impact on my life, yet I did not know how to stop or make the changes necessary to break the cycle.
In my young adult years, it was my children, my education, and my art that gave me the leverage and motivation to begin creating a different path. These influences helped me find the strength to break cycles of addiction and unhealthy relationships. But the work did not end there — in many ways, it was just the beginning.
While studying psychology with great interest and building my career, I also began applying what I was learning to better understand my own life. I started to recognize how trauma, loss, and everyday stress had shaped many of my experiences and were at the core of much of the pain I carried. Although I had begun to move away from unhealthy ways of coping, the deeper layers of that pain did not simply disappear. In some ways, they became more visible.
Through my art, I began to uncover and process those layers. Creative expression became a way to explore the source of my pain with curiosity and compassion. Over time, daily self-care practices helped me reach a place where I feel strong and grounded enough to sit with difficult experiences, reflect on them, and receive the messages they hold.
I am grateful for my journey and for everything it has taught me — especially the strength and sense of worth I have come to know beyond the limiting beliefs I once held.
My Artist Statement
Art is beautiful, functional, and healing. My work as an artist is predominantly in fibers, although I have experience with many other mediums such as ceramic, glass, found object, metal, and wood. While I love them all, I am also drawn to the healing properties art holds. Through building and layering, exploring and discovering there is much to learn and share in an art making experience.
My own work often represents the path I am on at that particular moment in my life. I like to use recycled materials as a way of taking what seems to be nothing and creating something. This is not only cost effective, but also respectful to our environment.
I believe creating art gives us the opportunity to slow down and enjoy life. Whether it is working in clay, fiber, metal, glass, or wood there is meaning in the many layers needed to create an art piece. I truly love the process and the materials I work with and most of all I love being able to share this with others. The art-making experience is a gift for us all, not just for the talented.