Welcome to Beauty For Ashes website! This blog exists for the purpose of your self care using art, creative writing, inspirational quotes, devotionals, and creative lifestyle ideas. I desire to help you find meaning in the ashes of dark situations in life. Perhaps your dark situation is depression, grief, stress, or fear. Perhaps you are simply tired and need inspiration to lift your spirits. Whatever your situation in life, I am here to offer you a chance to see the beauty found in these situations and in everyday life.

Art therapy has been in practice for many years with the focus of visual art being used as a therapeutic approach to emotional and physical healing. In this blog, I will be introducing some art therapy techniques and theory to help you along in your self care along with other creative lifestyle helps. I am not a licensed art therapist, but I am a degreed artist with knowledge of psychology and arts related benefits. I will also be providing other creative outlets such as creative writing, devotionals for your spiritual life, quotes to inspire you and even some creative recipes thrown in here and there!

Have you ever noticed when there is a fire, the ashes burn down and create a charcoal like substance afterward? For centuries, charcoal has been used to create artwork which conveys a story of life, emotion and depth of human history. These artworks are to be found on ancient cave walls all the way to gallery walls in beautiful museums. Charcoal which is used in modern day drawing is often created by burning down grapevines producing a fine and slender stick called Vine Charcoal. In my own artwork, I use Vine Charcoal quite a lot. It reminds me often that something that was once destroyed, can be used as a tool to create something very beautiful.

This is the idea I want to welcome you with, that wherever you are in life, no matter how many ashes may be spread around you, they can become something beautiful. A quote by Pablo Picasso says it well, “Art washes away the dust of everyday life”. In this case, art and creative living can help you wash away the ashes of everyday life and help you to see beauty once again.