Hi! I’m Anna, 26, woman, she/her. Creating art has always been a constant in my life, except when I had a mental breakdown in October of 2023, I wanted to paint my trauma while it was still so fresh in my memory but instead of making me feel whole— it exasperated panic attacks/depression which led to a lot of isolation and confusion ((why isn’t my sole coping mechanism working anymore??)). Learning more techniques of Art Therapy is essential for me. It feels like a natural career move as well, I want to help others through life’s ebbs and flows.

Most of my art revolves around me squinting my eyes close as I make free forming shapes and scribbles, then I look and see what I can find within it. I mostly use Acrylic paint, I love only using primary colors so I can mix my own paint colors to the very tint or tone.

I love nature and anything all natural/holistic. I’m hoping to buy a van one day to travel and start WWOOF-ing (if you don’t know what WOOFING is, it stands for “World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms”). I would be staying at organic farms, to learn. In exchange for my labor (whether it be sheering sheep or foraging berries or pulling weeds) I’d get a room as well as meals throughout the day). My first adventure will be in Spring of 2025, on a farm in Wisconsin USA (maybe I’ll get the opportunity to visit farms outside of the country at some point as well, I’ve never been!). I grew up in Illinois, USA surrounded by corn and soybean fields. My family’s farm went Organic about 5 years ago, hell yeah uncle Mark!! I have strong maternal ties to gardening and cooking, god I love cooking.

I grew up in a very fundamental Baptist Christian home, I’ve deconstructed my faith over the last 8 years and recently have landed on being an “optimistic agnostic” and “a-bit-spiritual”. I’m captivated by old earth holidays like the four solstices. And May Day—oh my gosh imagine dressing up and dancing around a May Day pole. I do have an alter in my home where I do my breathing exercises and try memorizing an inspirational quote/poem. For the month of September I chose to memorize “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver.

“You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees a hundred miles, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves…”

Thanks for reading a little bit about me, I can’t wait to get started on these courses! Ahhh!

-Anna <3