Botanical Art by Laura Watson

Watercolor painting by Juliene Sinclair Hi there, beautiful internet friend! I’m Juliene, an artist and color educator who helps people pick up their paintbrush and rediscover the joy and healing of painting. Like many, I was an artistic child—always drawing, painting, and creating. But as I “grew up,” I stopped making art, and after earning my very un-artsy engineering degree, I found myself lost and depressed. I spent years in a creative drought until I finally listened to the voice inside me whispering: “Pick your paintbrush back up.”  For a long time, I ignored it, believing the adult-y myth that painting didn’t have much value—that art was just an “end goal,” something to do after all my responsibilities were in order. Ha! Eventually, that voice became impossible to ignore, like a leader desperately guiding the group to safety. So I picked up my brush again—and I’m so grateful I did! I learned firsthand that Brené Brown’s words are true: “Unused creativity is not benign. It me...