I had the beautiful privilege of being able to walk through this work with Minette several years ago, and I don't think I could have known then how much it would influence the way I would eventually work with others.
Minette didn't simply teach me how to incorporate art into a workshop or group experience. She helped me understand how creativity can
become an invitation—an invitation to slow down, listen inwardly, notice what is emerging, and discover something for ourselves that words alone may not have been able to reach. That distinction has stayed with me.
Today, as I create and facilitate experiences for women, expressive art has become an important part of how I invite people into reflection
and self-discovery. I am not there to interpret someone's art or tell her what it means. I get to create a safe, thoughtful container, offer the
invitation, ask meaningful questions, and then trust the woman in front of me to discover what is hers to discover. ♥️ That is one of the
greatest gifts Minette's work has given me.
She also helped give me permission to create from my own voice rather than simply reproducing someone else's work. Over the years, that seed has continued to grow as I have developed my own workshops, groups, curriculum, and way of walking alongside others.
But there is another reason Minette's work remains important to me, and it may be the most personal one.
The kind of art Minette invites me into is not necessarily art I would choose to do on my own—and that is exactly why I need it. Her work
continually invites me outside the familiar ways I think, process, and problem-solve. It gives me permission to put down the role of facilitator and become a participant again. I don't have to create something for someone else, figure out what comes next, or turn the experience into a lesson. I simply get to make, notice, listen, and discover.
♥️In a life where I spend so much time creating spaces for other people, Minette's work helps me keep a space for my own reflection
sacred.♥️ That is why, years later, I still want to return to her work.
Not because I need another collection of techniques or another certification to put after my name. I return because I know what happens when I allow myself to enter a creative process without already knowing where it is going. Minette's work stretches me beyond the ways I would naturally explore on my own and helps me remain curious, open, and willing to be surprised by what I discover. And I believe that makes me a better guide for others, too.
Minette has a beautiful ability to provide enough structure for you to feel held, while leaving enough space for you to discover what is
uniquely yours.
If you feel as though there is something inside you that you want to bring into the world—a workshop, a circle, a retreat, a program, or simply a different way of serving the people entrusted to you—Creative Alchemy isn't about teaching you to become more like Minette. It is about creating the space for you to discover what is already waiting to emerge through you.
I am deeply grateful that I got to be there at the beginning. And I'm even more grateful that the journey continues. 🥰