I used to draw and paint often as a child, and for years it’s been something that I’ve longed to pick up again and get back to, only I could never seem to find the time–work, life, and responsibilities always seemed to get in my way. That all changed last year, when I got two opportunities to experience the joy and benefits of carving out time to get creative and paint. During a trip in November of last year to Toronto, Canada, I got to visit Fresh Paint Studio + Café, a community-focused cafe and art studio with a mission–to ” inspire kids and adults to embrace and explore the process of creating art fearlessly.” For Roxane Tracey, an artist herself and owner of the establishment, painting is more than a profession–the practice is part of her inner peace ritual. “As an artist, I have found the process of painting to be a calming force that settles my energy,” says Tracey. “It regulates me into a state of relaxation that is a needed balance to any given day. I would say the same is true for groups of individuals that we work with, who, when engaging in the process of doing art, the release of stress in the room is palpable. There is a calming energy that consumes the room. People relax, de-stress and their energy prepares them to receive the creative process.”
Tracey opened the business in 2016, offering painting classes and parties to youths, adults and seniors, and began offering virtual sessions in June of 2020 during the pandemic to allow people to connect socially, have fun, be creative, and release some stress in the process. With the pandemic behind us, Tracey continues to offer virtual classes as one of the ways that people can tap into and enjoy the benefits of painting as a form of play. “Most of us go through our day-to-day lives not thinking about the importance of play,” says Tracey. The professional artist, wife and mother says play is important, regardless of your profession or age. “Play opens up our imagination, and art opens up our willingness to explore creativity. Combining the joyful and playful process of art is just one more way to live life joyfully.”
At Fresh Paint Studio + Café I took an in-person class with Zoë Abbott, one of the studio’s art instructors and studio assistants. Truth be told, I was actually very stressed as I arrived at the studio because I only had about 30 minutes to complete a one-hour class, but Abbott cheerfully guided me through the session, all the while reminding me to just have fun with it all; a nice hot cup of tea warmed me up and helped to calm me down as I leaned into my creation, and I left there proud of what I’d painted and admittedly giddy from the experience.
Just a few weeks earlier during a trip to Florida with my baby sister, an overworked and overstressed middle school guidance counselor, I got to witness firsthand just how therapeutic and cathartic creating art could be. Together, we visited The Break Room and chatted with owner Christina Brown about why it is so important to make time to play with activities like painting. “We can all find ways to be too busy but we make time for the things that matter,” reflects Brown, a trained holistic practitioner who opened The Break Room in 2021 to help guests release stress. Brown offers, “If your health and mental wellness become a priority, then taking 10-15 mins a day to do something will be a habit you don’t want to live without – perfection is not required!”
It was wonderful to see my sister go from stressed to serene in a matter of minutes as she participated in a 30-minute Splatter Room session, wherein she literally splattered colored paints onto a 16×20 canvas to release stress and unlock creativity. Watching her, I was transported back to our childhood, a happy place that Brown says can hold both clues and keys to achieving better health and happiness. “The key to happiness lies in our pure joy,” says Brown. “For most of us, pure joy was found in childhood– before the weight of the world could push on us, before we ‘knew better’ and before we had responsibilities. We could play, and imagine, and dream, and laugh without much external validation or requirements. That’s why so much of healing comes back to doing inner child work.”
Fast forward six months later, and I found myself working lots of hours, with virtually no fun or play infused into my days. For 2024 I said that I would not turn to food and alcohol to comfort myself as I had in the past, so I decided to try to recreate the joy and creative spark that I enjoyed in my youth and had experienced in Miami and Toronto, with a virtual sip and paint session. I went to my local dollar store and bought a plastic paint smock, some candles, and some paper towels. Next, I ordered a watercolor kit, some paint sticks (think paint in the form of a retractable marker) and some brushes. I ordered my Online Paint & Sip™ class from Paint & Sip Studio New York because it reminded me of my childhood in Brooklyn and a time when I would draw to my heart’s content, just for the joy of it. I figured if I loved it, I could invite my sisters to join me for a group virtual session.
Since I already had the supplies, I did not have to purchase those–just the class, for $18. Because I’m on a serious self-love journey and would be taking the class during Caribbean Heritage Month and around the Juneteenth holiday, I chose a class called “Beauty II” featuring a bold and beautiful Black woman. Right before beginning the virtual class, I reached out to my in-person instructor from Toronto, Zoë Abbott, for any tips to make sure my very first virtual sip and paint class was an enjoyable experience. She shared that while students don’t get the benefit of having an instructor in person to assist and guide them, a virtual class can be even more enjoyable and relaxing than onsite, because it is in the safety, peace, and comfort of your own home.
Abbott encouraged me not to be stressed by the fact that I would not have someone to check in on my progress in real time, but rather to seek the joy of the creative process. “Set your expectations that you’re your own unique person, [so] you’re gonna make a unique painting. It’s gonna look different from the reference, and that’s a good thing. That definitely makes the process a lot more soothing and calming,” Abbott offered. She also offered the following tips to make sure I would be ready to relax and release:
- Have all the necessary supplies laid out and ready (like water to clean the paint brushes) so there’s no need to go looking for anything in a panic.
- Accidents can and do happen, so choose a location where you can paint comfortably and not be upset if some paint gets spilled.
- There’s no quiz at the end of the class, so remember to have fun! Taking this time for yourself can be a meditative activity, an act of mindfulness, and even an exercise in self-care and self-love.
