Pastel Nagomi Art is a soothing Japanese art form that anyone can enjoy—no artistic experience needed! Using just soft pastels, any type of paper, and simple tools like fingers or cotton pads, you can create soft, dreamy images that evoke peace and relaxation.

Developed in Japan by Hosoya Norikatsu, this easy-to-learn technique focuses on blending colors gently, making it perfect for beginners. It’s more about the experience than the result—like a form of mindfulness that melts away stress.

With affordable materials from the Dollar Store, you can begin your creativity journey to brighten your space - internally and externally. Whether for personal relaxation, creative play, or a shared activity with friends and family, Pastel Nagomi Art offers a simple, calming way to express yourself.

No fancy supplies. No experience needed. Just soft pastels, paper, and your fingertips—get ready to explore the joy of color!

Creativity isn’t just for the studio or stage—it’s a way of seeing and engaging with the world. Whether through problem-solving, cooking, decorating, or connecting, everyday creativity makes life more vibrant, meaningful, and fulfilling. This panel will showcase how creativity appears daily and how small, intentional acts foster joy, resilience, and self-awareness. It’s about shifting from “I’m not creative” to recognizing creativity as a birthright and a powerful tool for living more fully and authentically.

Guest Panelists: Amanda Jensen and Michol Mae

Moderator: Elizabeth Johnston, Host of the Own Your Creativity Festival

Our lives are shaped by the places we’ve been—both physical and emotional. In this workshop, you’ll explore your personal geography by mapping the locations, memories, and experiences that have shaped you. Through guided prompts, we’ll chart a visual and symbolic representation of your journey, revealing connections between past and present. This process is a powerful way to awaken deeper self-awareness, uncover hidden stories, and gain new creative insights. Whether you’re a writer, artist, or explorer of personal meaning, this session will give you a fresh perspective on the landscapes that define you.

Poetry is more than words on a page—it’s an experience, a story, a visual journey. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll receive a poem and learn how to transform it into a visual script, mapping out scenes, emotions, and movement. Whether you're a writer, a visual artist, or simply someone who loves creative expression, this process will engage your imagination and storytelling skills in a new way. You’ll leave with a creative blueprint that allows you to bring poetry to life through imagery, pacing, and visual rhythm.

Creativity is a pathway to healing and self-discovery. In this hands-on session, you’ll craft a small booklet using simple watercolor techniques, turning it into a personalized chapbook—a space to capture poetry, reflections, or a visual diary. As we explore the role of chapbooks in creative expression, you’ll experience how making something tangible with your hands can enhance mindfulness, joy, and well-being. This workshop is about transformation through artistic creation, helping you connect with your inner voice in a way that is both grounding and inspiring.

Welcoming creativity back into your life shifts everything—your energy, mindset, resilience, and identity. Creativity isn’t just about making things; it’s about transforming your engagement with the world. This panel explores creativity’s role in personal reinvention and transformation. Panelists will share how embracing creativity helped them navigate major life changes—overcoming burnout, rediscovering themselves in midlife, finding healing, or stepping into a more aligned, purpose-driven life. Discover how creativity unlocks new possibilities, resilience, and a deeper sense of self.

Guest Panelists: Girisha Andrea Steigler, Jennifer Behm Lazzarini, and Klara Goldy

Moderator: Elizabeth Johnston, host of the Own Your Creativity Festival

When you welcome creativity back into your life, everything shifts—your energy, mindset, resilience, and sense of identity. Creativity isn’t just about making things; it’s about transforming how you engage with the world. This panel explores creativity’s role in personal reinvention and transformation. Panelists will share how embracing creativity helped them navigate major life changes—overcoming burnout, rediscovering themselves in midlife, finding healing, or stepping into a more aligned, purpose-driven life. Discover how creativity can unlock new possibilities, resilience, and a deeper sense of self.

Guest Panelists: Jennifer Behm Lazzarini, Girisha Andrea Steigler, and Klara Goldy

Discover how managing your inner energy activates hidden strengths, leading to breakthroughs in creativity and overall well-being. By reconnecting with your creative spark, you’ll unlock confidence, fulfillment, and unexpected opportunities. This experience introduces essential mindset shifts to help you overcome self-doubt, embrace your creative instincts, and harness creativity as a powerful tool for transformation in your life, career, and relationships. Through guided meditation and somatic embodiment exercises, you’ll engage in deep internal energetic work, rewiring your nervous system to support lasting change. Step into your creative power with clarity and confidence, ready to express your brilliance unapologetically.

Welcoming creativity back into your life shifts everything—your energy, mindset, resilience, and identity. Creativity isn’t just about making things; it’s about transforming your engagement with the world. This panel explores creativity’s role in personal reinvention and transformation. Panelists will share how embracing creativity helped them navigate major life changes—overcoming burnout, rediscovering themselves in midlife, finding healing, or stepping into a more aligned, purpose-driven life. Discover how creativity unlocks new possibilities, resilience, and a deeper sense of self.

Guest Panelists: Klara Goldy, Girisha Andrea Steigleand Jennifer Behm Lazzarini

Moderator: Elizabeth Johnston, host of the Own Your Creativity Festival

What if the stories you hide from the world are the very ones that could set your creativity free? In this experiential workshop, you’ll embark on a journey of self-discovery, exploring the rich, untapped material within your own life. Through guided exercises, you’ll uncover the hidden themes and emotions that shape your unique voice. This hands-on session will help you reframe your deepest experiences—not as obstacles, but as creative gold. Whether you express yourself through writing, art, or another medium, you’ll leave with new insights and inspiration to channel your truths into powerful, transformative creative work.

Reclaim Your Creativity Panel Discussion with guests Laurie Morse and Ryanne Siddiq

Moderated by host Elizabeth Johnston

This experiential workshop invites you to explore simple, process-based creative practices designed to foster self-connection, release perfectionism, and nurture your authentic creative voice. It’s not about making “pretty art” but using creativity as a tool for self-care, healing, and personal discovery. Through grounding exercises, guided meditative writing, spontaneous mark-making, and layering techniques, you’ll engage in expressive, playful exploration. No prior art experience is needed—just an open heart. You’ll leave with practical, repeatable exercises to reduce stress, a deeper trust in your creative process, and a renewed sense of clarity and connection as you navigate life’s transitions.

Creativity isn’t just for the studio or stage—it’s a way of seeing and engaging with the world. Whether through problem-solving, cooking, decorating, or connecting, everyday creativity makes life more vibrant, meaningful, and fulfilling. This panel will showcase how creativity appears daily and how small, intentional acts foster joy, resilience, and self-awareness. It’s about shifting from “I’m not creative” to recognizing creativity as a birthright and a powerful tool for living more fully and authentically.

Guest Panelists: Michol Mae and Amanda Jensen

Moderator: Elizabeth Johnston, Host of the Own Your Creativity Festival

Creativity isn’t just for the studio or the stage—it’s a way of seeing and engaging with the world. Whether it’s how you problem-solve, cook dinner, decorate your space, or connect with others, everyday creativity has the power to make life more vibrant, meaningful, and fulfilling.This panel will showcase the many ways creativity shows up in daily life and how embracing small, intentional creative acts can lead to greater joy, resilience, and self-awareness. It’s about shifting from “I’m not creative” to recognizing that creativity is a birthright and a tool for living more fully.

When you allow creativity back into your life, everything changes—your energy, your mindset, your ability to handle uncertainty, and even your sense of identity. Creativity isn’t just about making things; it’s about reshaping the way you experience and engage with the world.This panel will dive into the powerful role creativity plays in personal reinvention and transformation. Panelists will share how embracing creativity helped them navigate major life shifts—whether overcoming burnout, rediscovering themselves in midlife, finding healing, or stepping into a more aligned, purpose-driven life.

At some point, many of us stop seeing ourselves as creative. Whether it was a teacher’s critique, societal expectations, or the weight of responsibility, we learned to silence our creative impulses. But here’s the truth: your creative voice never left—you just need to reclaim it.

This panel will explore how to break through fear, self-doubt, and perfectionism to rediscover the joy of authentic expression. Panelists will share their journeys of reconnecting with creativity—whether through art, writing, music, or unconventional outlets—and how it has reawakened their confidence, energy, and sense of purpose.

Reclaim Your Creativity Panel Discussion Guests: Ryanne Siddiq and Laurie Morse

Moderated by Elizabeth Johnston