We Came for the Art, We Stayed for the Sisterhood

We came for the art… and left with community, connection, and conversations we didn’t even know we needed.

In this episode, Rachael Ashe and I talk about the power of routine and how tiny daily habits build a sustainable creative practice — especially when life is already full. We dive into discipline over inspiration, internal deadlines, and why tidying your studio still counts as showing up.

We also talk about strength training, perimenopause, bone density, and how women are finally having honest conversations about what’s happening in our bodies. What started as art night turned into real talk — about ocular migraines, muscle mass, motivation, and why gathering as women matters more than ever.

Because sometimes you think you’re just going to make art…

And you leave feeling seen.

Two Takeaway Tips

1. A “Stroll” Still Counts.

You don’t need a perfect two-hour studio session. Ten minutes. Cleaning brushes. Sketching badly. Lifting light weights. Showing up consistently builds identity. Discipline creates freedom.

2. Build Your Creative Circle.

Host an art night. Join a group. Start small. Being around other creatives, especially women in similar life seasons, creates support, accountability, and those healing “me too” moments that remind you you’re not alone.

You don’t retire from being an artist. It’s not a job title , it’s the way you move through the world.

What if your creativity could take you across the world, and then back home to yourself? In this beautiful and grounding conversation, I sit down with art therapist Emily Sharp to talk about what it really looks like to build a creative life that supports your nervous system instead of burning it out.

Emily shares her journey from running two fast-paced art therapy offices in New York, filled with back-to-back sessions, home visits, and constant hustle, to creating an online practice that aligns with her move to Copenhagen and her new season of family life.

We talk about making art anywhere in the world, how creativity is something you never age out of, and why being an artist isn’t something you clock in and out of , it’s a way of living.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your creativity could carry you somewhere new… this episode is your permission slip.

Two Takeaway Tips:

1. Design Your Creative Life Around Your Energy — Not the Hustle.

Burnout isn’t a badge of honour. If your creativity is draining you instead of fuelling you, it might be time to reshape how you work. Online offerings, retreats, community spaces — there are more ways than ever to build a life that supports your art and your wellbeing.

2. Make Art Wherever You Are.

You don’t need the perfect studio or the perfect season of life. Creativity travels with you. Whether you’re in New York, Copenhagen, your kitchen table, or Greece — you are still an artist. It’s not something you retire from. It’s who you are.

Art has a way of staying with you: through joy, through grief, through the moments that change everything. Sometimes it’s not about what you make, but what making gives back to you. - -Brandi

In this deeply honest and inspiring episode of Colour Me Happy, Brandi sits down with artist Shana Blakley to talk about the real life behind a creative career. The pivots, the pauses, the grief, the joy, and the moments that quietly (or loudly) change everything.

We talk about how trauma can unexpectedly become a gift, a lens that strips away the noise and shows you what truly matters. How so many women find their creative calling not despite hard moments, but because of them. And how art can be the one constant that holds you steady when life doesn’t.

Shana shares the behind-the-scenes journey of building a sustainable art practice with her new new Heirloom Collages.

This episode is for artists, creatives, and anyone who needs permission to trust their instincts, honour their story, and remember that art can walk beside you through every season of life.

1. Let life inform your art — not silence it.

Big moments, including trauma and loss, don’t disqualify you from creating. Often, they clarify what matters most and bring depth, meaning, and honesty into your work.

2. Sustainability comes from truth, not burnout.

You don’t have to say yes to everything to be successful. A sustainable art practice grows when you listen closely to what feels aligned, even if that means pivoting away from what once worked.

Have you ever tried painting your partner?

Fair warning… things get weird fast 😆

In this Valentine’s episode of Colour Me Happy, Brandi is joined by her husband and partner-in-life, Charles, for a hilarious paint-your-partner challenge that quickly turns into belly laughs, classic partner squabbles, and one unforgettable portrait reveal (yes, we talk about how Charles’ painting of Brandi turned out 👀).

But beneath the laughter, there’s something deeper too.

Right before Brandi’s mom passed, she kept saying: “You’re in charge of your destiny.”

This episode is a reminder that when life feels heavy, sometimes the bravest thing you can do is look around and choose joy, even in the small, silly moments.

Two Takeaway Tips

1. Take charge of what you can control.

   Your attitude, your presence, and how you choose to show up for the people you love matter more than perfection ever will.

2. Leave space for joy and connection.

   Life can feel heavy — that’s real. But laughter, creativity, and shared moments are medicine. Make time for them on purpose.

   
   

   If you’re local: Join us for our Valentine’s Paint Night on Thursday, February 12th. Come laugh, paint, connect, and make a memory together.

   
   

Art isn’t about perfection. It’s about surviving the chaos with humour and showing up again.

By far the most hilarious episode we’ve ever recorded (right up there with Jann Arden), this conversation had our cheeks hurting from laughter.

We’re joined by art educator Jamie Hamilton aka heymamapaints, who we first met after she took our portrait class, and quickly realized she was our kind of human.

We dive headfirst into major art fails, unforgettable classroom moments (yes, someone once mixed hand sanitizer with Model Magic 😳), the mysterious obsession with white glue on everything, and all the things no one warns you about when you decide to become an artist or teach art.

But underneath the laughter are solid art tips, permission to loosen your grip on perfection, and a reminder that sometimes the best thing you can do — in art and in life — is laugh, pivot, and keep going.

Because life is messy. Art is messy. At least we have our artist friends.

1. Not every “mistake” is a failure — some are just future stories.

If it didn’t work, congratulations: you’re officially experimenting. Learn, laugh, and move on without letting it shut you down.

2. Humour is a creative survival skill.

When things go sideways (in the studio or in life), a sense of humour keeps you creating instead of quitting.

Being creative means you can pretty much do anything! Your brain is wired with problem-solving superpowers. The magic happens when you stop waiting and start creating! - Brandi 

This week on Colour Me Happy Podcast  What if being creative means you’re actually equipped to do anything? In this episode of Colour Me Happy, Brandi Hofer sits down with artist Tracy Verdugo to talk about the real superpower creatives carry: creative problem-solving.

Together, they unpack the challenge of juggling endless ideas, letting go of traditional “art rules,” and choosing process and empowerment over outcome-driven expectations. This conversation is a reminder that no one is coming to knock on your door with permission or opportunity—you create it yourself.

By thinking outside the box, making bold moves, and leaning into community and connection, creatives can build momentum, confidence, and a practice that truly feels like home. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment, this is your sign to get going.

Takeaway Tips:

Create the opportunity! Don’t wait for it.Try unconventional approaches in your art practice, pitch your own ideas, start the project, send the message. Momentum comes from action, not permission.

Connection is your creative best friend.Reach out, find your people, build community. Creativity thrives when it’s shared, supported, and celebrated together.

Self-love isn’t selfish—it’s how we remember who we are and give ourselves permission to shine.

Local business owner and founder of Power of Pink, Kim Newsted, joins me on the Colour Me Happy podcast for a conversation every woman needs to hear.

This episode is an invitation to refocus on your power, your goals, your wants, your needs, and your health—without guilt. Kim reminds us that when we truly take care of ourselves, the right people, opportunities, and energy naturally begin to flow into our lives.

This event (and this conversation) is about changing the narrative. It’s a reminder that women deserve to shine, recharge, and step fully into their power. When we reclaim our sparkly pink, we don’t dim others—we light the way.

If you’re craving inspiration, alignment, and permission to put yourself back on the list, this one’s for you.

1. Focus inward first.

   When you get clear on what you want and need, everything around you begins to align more effortlessly.

2. Self-care creates ripple effects.

   Taking care of yourself isn’t indulgent—it’s how you show up stronger, brighter, and more present for everyone else.

Ticket HERE - don’t miss it!

“Sometimes art isn’t about building a career—it’s about holding onto the part of you that’s still yours.”

Enjoy this candid and deeply relatable conversation with two Canadian artists as we talk honestly about creativity, motherhood, imposter syndrome, and the messy middle of following a dream you love.

Emma Jane Lefebvre of EmJ Watercolour Studio shares how her art practice began in the margins of motherhood. Painting during nap times because she needed something that was just for her. What started without any plan to become a career slowly evolved as she began sharing what she knew, filming watercolour tutorials while her son slept (and sometimes woke up mid-intro—something longtime viewers will recognize).

We share practical, budget-friendly art supply tips, including ways to reuse “failed” paintings and give yourself permission to experiment without judgment.

This episode is a reminder that even when it’s hard, you can figure it out, one small moment at a time.

1. Create in the margins—those moments matter.

   Nap times, early mornings, and stolen minutes count. You don’t need more time; you need permission.

2. Take the pressure off your materials.

   Cut expensive paper into smaller pieces, keep a judgment-free sketchbook, and reuse “bad art” as abstract backgrounds or collage fodder. Nothing is wasted.

You don’t need the whole plan. You just need the courage to begin—and the right people around you. - Brandi

What if that creative dream you’ve been quietly carrying for decades isn’t too late… but right on time?

Catherine Rains is back on the Colour Me Happy podcast, and this conversation is a powerful reminder that creativity doesn’t run on a deadline. Catherine shares how she spent years thinking about her creative dream—and how, at 50, she finally decided to go for it without knowing exactly how it would unfold.

After transitioning from a corporate career into full-time art in her late 50s, Catherine opens up about the very real four-year struggle to make income from her work, the turning point that came from hiring a coach, and how surrounding herself with a creative community changed everything.

We also talk collage, creative retreats, the joy of “trash raccoon” collecting, women traveling solo, and why these experiences feel like such a gift to women craving connection, creativity, and courage.

If you’ve ever thought “maybe someday” about your art—this episode is your nudge.

2 Takeaway Tips

1. You don’t have to know the how—just honour the pull.

   Creative dreams don’t disappear. If they keep returning, they’re asking for your attention.

2. Growth accelerates when you stop doing it alone.

   A coach and a creative community can fast-track clarity, confidence, and momentum—especially in a creative career transition.

   
   

   👉 Be sure to check out Catherine’s collage course and her free creative offer on her website.

"Maybe this is all I can do right now—and that has to be enough."

We’re coming to you from a small hockey town in the middle of nowhere Canada—snowdrifts piled high, tiny coffee shops keeping us warm, and, yes… a lot of hockey. We didn’t bring all our podcast gear. We didn’t bring perfection. What we brought was gratitude.

Gratitude for you! For giving us a little slice of your time, your attention, and your dedication to this podcast. Especially during a season that feels loud, full, and overwhelming.

This episode (and this note) is a gentle check-in. A reminder to take care of yourself during the holidays. From one mom to another—this is coming from someone who recently cried in a closet because it all felt like too much.

We try to do it all. We juggle everything. And sometimes it feels like the balls are dropping all around us. Maybe this season isn’t about doing more—but about saying: this is all I can do right now… and the rest just is.

Ask for help where you can. Eat a snack. Take a bath. Make time for you—and book it in like the non-negotiable it truly is.

Your creativity matters. It’s powerful. And it has the ability to change your life. Let’s step into the new year with intention, softness, and courage—together.

Coming soon in the new year!

• Inspiring NEW artist interviews
• Local, in-person Memory Portrait Workshops & Summer Watercolour Day Escapes
• Our first-ever Art Retreat (applications opening soon!)
• Conversations that reconnect you to your creativity and yourself

👉 Sign up to be the first to know about the art retreats & Workshops (HERE)

Takeaway Tips:

1. You don’t need to do it all—and you certainly don’t need to do it perfectly. Decide what actually matters right now, and let the rest be good enough.
2. If it’s not scheduled, it won’t happen. Whether it’s a bath, a walk, journaling, painting, or five quiet minutes—put it in your calendar and treat it like a non-negotiable appointment.
3. This is your reminder that asking for help is not failure—it’s wisdom. Let someone bring the snacks. Let something be unfinished. Let yourself be supported.