Wellness education for YOU through art therapy and self-care concepts.
About Dawnita
Professional
I am an artist, an art therapist, and an educator and I am truly passionate about the work I do. I am grateful for all that I have gathered on my journey through my education, being a mom, and being an artist as well as all my life experiences. So much of what I have experienced and witnessed has helped me to gain a better understanding about myself and others and how we respond to life’s challenges.
As an artist I work primarily in fibers, although I love to work with a variety of other mediums such as ceramics, found objects, fine metals, glass, and wood. I enjoy learning and exploring new techniques and lingering in that experimental stage. I strongly believe we all posses this creative vibe if only we allow it to surface.
As an art therapist I wish to inspire others to find self-empowerment to create a self-care practice that will be there for them throughout their lives. I believe trauma, loss, and stress are the root cause to a lot of what troubles us and through this understanding we can find compassion, empathy, and forgiveness for ourselves and others. We hold the power to true healing through our daily practices of nurturing and caring for ourselves. We are worthy of the time, energy, and effort that our daily self-care practice takes.
As an educator, I have such a passion to connect with people of all ages. It is with my own life experiences, as well as what I have learned through observation that has helped me to know we are more alike than we are different.
My Story
Personal
It is through my own personal journey of healing that I wish to share with others. I do not see this journey of healing as a destination to reach, but rather an ongoing process. In my adolescent years, I made choices out of pure desperation and ignorance of their outcome or consequences. I wanted something different but was not even sure what that might look like. The way I coped with the stressors in my life was acceptable and it was what seemed to be the norm. The choices I made were having a negative impact on my life and I was unsure 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 leverage to help me find the strength to break the cycles of addiction and unhealthy relationships. The work did not end there, on the contrary, it was just the beginning.
While I was studying psychology with great interest, and focused on my career, I applied all I could to understanding my own life. I began to see the stressors of trauma, loss, and everyday stress were the core source of my pain. I was able to break free from unhealthy ways of coping, but the pain did not magically dissipate and in some ways, it seemed to grow stronger.
Through my art I was able to allow the layers and the source of my pain to be revealed and it is through my daily self-care that I have been able to get myself to a place where I feel strong enough and comfortable enough to sit with my pain and sift through it to receive its messages. I am grateful for my journey and all that is has given me along the way to lead me to know my strength and my worth beyond the messages I once believed.
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 new. This is not only cost effective, but also respectful to our environment.
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. I believe the art experience is a gift for us all to enjoy, not just for the talented.