Life is hard.
Get creative and find calm.
Join us for Artist's Way Retreat!
Join us for Artist's Way Retreat!
Break free from anxiety, flex your creative muscle, and learn how to relax with art in The Artist's Way Week! Join us for a free step-by-step guided experience to kickstart your journey through Julia Cameron's famous "The Artist's Way" program! You'll get access to LIVE The Artist's Way workshops led by the founder of the Center of Mindful Art & Writing, Katie Goodling.
Artist’s Way Retreat Starts Soon. Save Your Spot:
Embrace the healing power of a paintbrush and pen…
The Center for Mindful Art & Writing helps folks going through *a lot*, like chronic illness, anxiety, depression, grief, and big life transitions, let go of the "what ifs," embrace the present moment, and find calm and creativity in a compassionate community with guided watercolor, mixed media, and writing workshops focused on mindfulness, healing, and self-care.
Find Peace and Creativity in a
Supportive Art & Writing Community
Stop Neglecting Your Self-Care
We teach you how to finally prioritize yourself with our guided art and writing practices designed to nurture your mind and spirit. Embrace daily moments of mindfulness and creativity that rejuvenate your soul in just a few minutes!
Build Resilience to Handle Anything
In every workshop, you’ll learn something new about art or writing while also developing inner strength that equips you to face life's challenges. Our supportive community helps you grow stronger, more confident, and more calm every day.
Say Goodbye to Feeling Lonely & Hopeless
This is a safe space. You’ll connect with like-minded folks who understand and uplift you in your journey. Find solace and inspiration in a community that transforms isolation into meaningful connection with amazing people across the world..
Express Your Inner Artist with No Judgement
Express your creativity in a safe, welcoming space where your unique expression is celebrated. Here you’ll explore and create without fear of criticism or judgement while learning how to paint, write, and meditate - all at the same time!
Get Back to What You Love:
free workshop
Watercolor Waves Meditative Watercolor Workshop
Discover the healing impact of getting into a flow state with one of our most popular Peaceful Painting Club classes: Watercolor Waves. Learn to create stunning wave patterns with step-by-step guidance in this workshop replay. This is perfect for both beginners and experienced artists.
free art supply guide
Get Your Mindful Art & Writing Supply Guide
We focus on art and writing supplies that feel good to use. In this guide, you’ll learn about the various supplies we’ve tested thoroughly and recommend for your painting and writing practices. The guide is complete with tips, tricks, and shopping links. Have fun experimenting with your new supplies.
free color mood guide
Calming Colors Guide: How Your Palette Impacts Your Mood
In this guide to Calming Colors, you’ll find a comprehensive resource designed to enhance your painting experience through the mindful use of colors. You'll discover the profound impact that colors can have on our emotions and overall well-being.
Start your Mindful Art & Writing practice today with guided watercolor, mixed media, art journaling, and writing workshops:
Paint, Write, & Heal with our Proven, Proprietary Processes:
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Peaceful Painting Process
Ease in to a deep flow state with our signature approach to starting & nurturing a consistent painting practice for self-care, even if you’ve never painted before in your entire life. We use watercolors, mixed media, and other supplies to explore a freeing and liberating paintng process.
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Worry-Free Writing Process
Say goodbye to writer’s block and hello to healing self-expression without your inner critic. We use inspiration from writers like Anne Lamott, Julia Cameron, Mary Oliver, and Natalie Goldberg to explore different types of writing, thinking, and reflecting.
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Mindful Art & Writing Success Path
Creating for self-care a few times is easy and fun, but the true benefits unlock with a consistent creative practice. We give you a roadmap to show you exactly how to start, nurture, and benefit from painting, writing, and exploring your creativity through small, imperfect actions. COMING SOON
Meet our Founder, Katie.
Katie Goodling is an award-winning art and writing teacher, marketing & communications professor, artist, and writer.
She dabbled in painting, crafting, and journalism (ask her about the time she interviewed Maroon 5!) before starting a career as a marketing executive at one of the largest agencies in the United States.
After experiencing severe burn out from her career, combined with an elective surgery, existing depression & anxiety, and the sudden passing of a best friend, Katie got so sick, depressed, and traumatized that she didn’t leave her house for months and months… at age 36.
Eventually, she was diagnosed with multiple autoimmune diseases (including Celiac Disease) and new mental health diagnoses (learning you have ADHD in your 30s, anyone?).
Filled with anger, grief, and confusion, she no longer had the capacity to lead a team of ~50 and resigned from her “forever” job and started back at zero.
Sitting at home alone, depressed, anxious, and lonely, Katie started exploring the creative hobbies at her breakfast table. She slowly started to build a mindfulness and self-care practice using painting, writing, and crafting.
After realizing the profound impact of art and writing on her mental health, nervous system, and mindset, Katie started studying mindful art and writing from some of the most respected artists and writers in the world.
Fast forward a few years and she’s shared the magic mindful and healing power of the pen and the paintbrush with thousands of people across the world through hundreds of live virtual workshops.
Real Stories of Healing with Art & Writing
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"This group was the perfect recipe for carving time to be creative, without overwhelming me with tasks and things that take up valuable time. I am a full time student and I’m in a busy apprenticeship and I was still able to make time for this class. The creativity, joy and peace that this writing group offered actually seemed like it created a way for me to have more time to truly live. I absolutely loved it and can’t wait for more writing in 2024 with this group!" -Alysia
Alysia
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“Taking Katie's classes has helped me tremendously with my confidence in opening up and taking chances. Being a part of a wonderful community has helped me a lot with not only my confidence but also my depression. Creating art and or working on writing helps me a lot. When I create by writing or making some kind of art I'm in my happy place. Feel very happy and free like I can conquer anything.”
Erinn
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“I joined this community and it has been a complete game changer for me. From using art as meditation, introducing me to art supplies that I had never heard before or been intimidated by, trying new styles of art and how to bring a little practice of art into your life everyday - it has been incredible!"
Lisa
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“There's no judgement with painting with Katie. It’s just about mindfulness, relaxation and feeling the paintbrush on the paper and just experiencing that. The skills that I’ve learned from Katie is just to experiment and have fun.”
Carla
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"This is big for me. I just submitted a poem to a magazine for publication. I've never done this before. I don't share my poetry with anyone... The fact that I sent it to strangers who are actually going to read my poem is significant, liberating."
Darcie
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"In our morning pages, I fought my inner critic hard, and it turned into a beautiful outpouring of affirmations and love, I was in flow and writing without thinking so hard."
Marissa
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"Katie has created such a welcoming and nurturing community in her groups! She's MADE to facilitate, and guide people deeper into their creative, wonderful selves. It doesn't hurt that she has a fantastic sense of humor :) If you're seeking connection and community, I encourage you to join one of Katie's groups—I'm so glad I took the leap! I can't think of a better way to greet 2024 than with some great books and meaningful connection♥️"
Tanya
