Isn’t it Lovely is delighted to kick off Season 6 by welcoming art therapist Lauren Callis to the podcast for a revelatory conversation about self-care, healing, creativity, and so much more! As the co-founder and executive director of Curiosity Studio, Lauren leads both in-person and virtual sessions to help her participants discover information about themselves, while developing empathy, connection, curiosity, and empowerment. Lauren addresses the ways art therapy is a legitimate form of therapy and how it serves as an alternative method of self-discovery and communication to more traditional talk therapy, while also discussing the importance of removing barriers to make art and art therapy more accessible. Lauren encourages listeners not to fear failure, but rather to embrace it as a meaningful part of the creative process, letting go of perfection to build the scaffolding that helps focus on self-identity, relationships, and the greater community. Tracy channels her inner Madonna to pronounce Lauren a Material Girl; Rachel is thrilled at the mention of yarn.Episode Mentions:Curiosity Studio Website: https://curiositystudioclass.com/Curiosity Studio Instagram: @curiositystudio_Curiosity Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CuriosityStudioClass/Art TherapyAdrienne Maree Brown: https://adriennemareebrown.net/Pat Allen: https://www.patballen.com/Laune Bread: https://launebread.com/Third Space TheoryLake Street, Minneapolis, MinnesotaWhat Are You Loving:Lauren: Worn: A People’s History of Clothing by Sofi ThanhauserTracy: Farm fresh eggs and the Elite Gourmet Rapid Egg Cooker https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F0RDRFS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1Rachel: Lauren Callis*This episode was recorded in May during Mental Health Awareness Month