ArtCafe Studios, LLC

06/17/2026

One of my favorite parts of photographing children is asking a simple question:

"𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞?"

The answers are never boring. 😅 They range from a pilot flying through the clouds to a mermaid exploring the ocean or a superhero, fairy, dragon trainer, or an explorer discovering hidden worlds.

What I love is how quickly they answer. There's no overthinking or worrying about whether it makes sense. Kids are confident in their imagination.

Research shows that imaginative play helps children develop confidence, problem-solving skills, creativity, and emotional resilience. In other words, all those hours spent pretending are doing a lot more than keeping them entertained.

I think that's wonderful!

As long as I can remember, I've been drawn to fairy tales, storytelling, and imagination. As a child, I got lost in books and loved to make up stories.

This hasn't really changed. I loved reading to my children when they were little, and now, I have the joy of helping other children bring those imaginary worlds to life.

These portraits capture so much more than what a child looks like at a certain age. They capture the stories they tell, the adventures they imagine, and the endless possibilities they see for themselves.

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠. 💛

06/16/2026

A few weeks ago, I started sharing some thoughts about how easy it is to lose ourselves in the responsibilities of everyday life. Between work, family, endless to-do lists, and taking care of everyone around us, many of us forget to make space for our own thoughts, creativity, and growth.

I've also been talking about meaningful conversations. The kind that make you think and stay with you. The kind that remind you that you're not the only one trying to figure things out as you go.

Today, I'm excited to finally share what I've been working on behind the scenes.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲, 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞.

It's inspired by Brené Brown's The Gifts of Imperfection, but it's about much more than reading a book together.

We'll explore the ideas in the book through discussion, reflection, creativity, and connection. There will be thoughtful conversations, simple creative exercises, weekly reflection emails, and plenty of space to share, listen, learn, and grow together.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲.

I've written more about the vision behind it on the blog, and I'll share details about dates, registration, and a special Founding Member invitation very soon.

https://artcafestudios.com/2026/05/creative-reading-circle-gifts-of-imperfection/

For now, I'd love to know:
What was the last book that truly made you stop and think?

Join a warm Creative Reading Circle inspired by The Gifts of Imperfection. Meaningful discussion, mindful creativity, and connection for women.

06/15/2026

𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲

Last week, I shared the 5-Finger Hand Trace, a simple breathing exercise that took me just a minute.

A minute...

A few days later, I was cleaning my desk and found the hand outline sitting there. I picked it up, looked at it, and thought, "Well, since I used watercolor paper for no apparent reason, I can't just throw it out."

So I added a pattern, and a few minutes in, I was hooked. Before I knew it, I had spent way more time decorating a hand than I actually had time for.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.

That realization made me think about how often we allow ourselves to do something simply because we enjoy it. Most of the time, we do things because our job requires us to or to check them off a list.

How often do we do something just because we like it and it gives us joy?

When was the last time you lost track of time doing something you genuinely enjoyed?

Did we forget that not everything needs a purpose or justification?

Why do we feel guilty taking time for ourselves?

Just some food for thought.

Over the past few days, I spent quite some time drawing patterns inside a hand that was originally supposed to demonstrate a breathing exercise.

And you know what? 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 😆

06/13/2026

Yesterday was the last day of school for many kids around here, and somehow that always feels like the unofficial start of summer.

The neighborhood gets a little louder, the pools get busier, and cars start getting packed up for road trips.

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲.

Whatever your weekend looks like, I hope it includes something that makes you 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞, 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡, 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐱, 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞.

After all, that's usually where the best stories come from. ☀️

06/12/2026

Over the last few weeks, I've written about how easy it is to lose touch with yourself when you're busy taking care of everyone else. I've written about the kinds of conversations that stay with us long after they're over and the role creativity has played in helping me slow down and reconnect with myself.

None of that has been random.

𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰.

Something that brings together many of the things I care most about: meaningful conversations, personal growth, creativity, reflection, and genuine connection.

The older I get, the more I realize that growth doesn't always happen through another course, another podcast, or another thing to add to our already overflowing to-do lists.

It happens when we slow down enough to think about the bigger questions, when we hear someone else's perspective, or when we realize we're not the only one who feels the way we do.

And sometimes it happens with a good book, a cup of coffee or tea, a journal, and a group of thoughtful women willing to have real conversations.

I'm putting the finishing touches on something that I can't wait to share with you soon.

If you've been nodding along to these recent posts, I think you're going to love what's coming next.

06/11/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐧!

Many of the participants in yesterday's class were trying Zentangle for the very first time, and look at what they created.

One of my favorite things about teaching is watching a room full of people who think they're "not artistic" slowly relax into the process. By the end of the evening, every single tile looked different, every single one reflected its creator, and every single one was beautiful.

Thank you to everyone who spent part of their evening drawing and creating with me. It was a joy to watch these tangles (all 10 of them!) come to life one line at a time.

And a special thank you to for continuing to create a space where people can slow down, connect, and try something new.

I can't wait to see what we create together at our 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟏𝟎𝐭𝐡!

06/10/2026

𝐍𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭?

Or maybe you do, but they mostly involve laundry, dishes, answering emails, or finally getting around to that thing you've been putting off. 🥱

How about taking a couple of hours just for yourself instead?

Tonight is my Summer Sunshine Beginner Zentangle® Class at Wellness Loudoun in Ashburn. We'll spend the evening drawing simple patterns, being creative, and enjoying a little break from the usual routine.

And if you have a child or grandchild who loves to draw, they're welcome to join us, too.

🎟️ https://www.wellnessloudoun.org/event-details-registration/summer-sunshine-beg

See you tonight?

Take a relaxing, beginner-friendly class where Certified Zentangle Teacher Kerstin Becker guides you in creating a charming art piece using simple Zentangle® patterns—no art skills needed. Bring your child (late elementary + up) for screen-free creativity that doesn’t feel like homework.

06/09/2026

Have you ever thought about how many conversations we have in a week?

We talk about work, family, weekend plans, the weather, what to make for dinner, and whether or not we really need that thing we just added to an online cart. 🤪

Most of those conversations are useful. Some are even fun.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

Maybe someone shares a perspective you hadn't considered before or puts words to something you've been feeling but couldn't quite explain. Maybe you walk away thinking about it for days afterward.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝.

Life is busy, and most of us are moving from one thing to the next so quickly that we rarely slow down long enough to explore the bigger questions. The ones about who we're becoming, what matters to us, what we're learning, or what we might need more of in our lives.

I think that's one of the reasons I love books so much.

𝐀 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝. 𝐈𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭, 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧, 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭.

Sometimes the best part isn't even the book itself but the conversations that happen because of it.

06/08/2026

𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲

A few years ago, if someone had told me that tracing my hand on a piece of paper could help calm my mind, I probably would have laughed. It sounds almost too simple.

But sometimes the simplest things are exactly what we need.

The next time you feel overwhelmed, anxious, or like your brain is spinning with too many thoughts, place your hand on a piece of paper and slowly trace around it with a pen.

✏️🖐😮‍💨 As your pen travels up each finger, take a slow breath in.
✏️🖐😮‍💨 As your pen travels down the other side, breathe out.

That's it! No artistic talent or special supplies required. The great thing is you can do it anywhere.

What I love about this exercise is that it gives your busy brain a job. Your eyes follow the line, your hand moves, and your breathing has a rhythm. Instead of replaying the same thoughts over and over, your attention comes back to what's right in front of you.

Researchers and therapists often use techniques like this because they engage multiple senses at the same time. You're seeing, feeling, moving, and breathing. All of those things help anchor you in the present moment.

If you're someone who tends to worry about tomorrow's appointment, replays yesterday's conversation, or tries to solve next month's problems before lunch, grab a piece of paper and give it a try. It might surprise you how quickly something so simple can help you feel a little more grounded.

06/08/2026

Why can't I let it go??? 😅