A Spring Equinox Gathering: Art, Healing & Honoring Life
I’m writing this and continuously feeling so thankful that I said yes to bringing this vision to life, especially with everything that was happening around the time of hosting this Art + Healing paint gathering.
Just days after my grandmother’s passing, I found myself standing inside Sprigs Studio, sunlight pouring through the windows, twenty women gathering around long, family-style tables. Paint brushes resting beside cups of herbal mocktails. Conversations beginning softly, then unfolding with ease.
We gathered on the Spring Equinox, the astrological start of the year. A threshold moment. A reminder that even after loss, life insists on blooming.
This gathering became something I couldn’t have planned if I tried. It was an offering. A celebration of life. A quiet honoring of my grandmother. A choice to meet grief with color, presence, and shared joy.
Sprigs Studio held us so beautifully. The space felt alive: sun-filled, grounded, and open in a way that invited connection without forcing it. The long tables created something sacred and simple: the feeling of sitting down for a family meal, except instead of plates, we shared paint, stories, laughter, and tears.
As the afternoon unfolded, women began opening up. Not in a heavy way, more like a gentle remembering. Stories surfaced about childhood, creativity, tenderness, moments that shaped who they are now. There was a softness in the room that felt rare. The kind of softness that allows your inner child to peek out and say, I’m still here.
I’m deeply grateful to Sprigs Studio for trusting me to curate this experience within their space and for believing in the power of art as a connector.
Thank you to Eat Well with Jamie, founded by my dear friend Jamie Castellanos, an herbalist, nutritionist, and soul-led creator. Thank you for nourishing us so intentionally! The herbal mocktails were crafted with such care: nervine herbs to support the nervous system, blends to gently activate the voice, and flavors that felt uplifting. It felt like being held by plants in liquid form.
A huge thank you to Cutz of Grace, founded by Bre Bradshaw, for the most joyful charcuterie boxes I’ve ever seen. Each box featured yummy bites that kept us fueled and energized throughout the experience. The charcuterie boxes were more than just food. They were another layer of care, playfulness, and abundance woven into the experience.
What struck me most was how naturally the room softened. No one needed to be told to slow down. It happened on its own. Brushes moved intuitively. Conversations flowed without urgency. There was laughter, quiet moments, and a shared understanding that being here was enough.
Hosting this gathering so soon after my grandmother’s transition felt like a personal ceremony. A reminder that grief and joy are not opposites. They often sit side by side. That choosing joy can also be a way of honoring love. That creating space for beauty is sometimes the most honest response to loss.
This day reaffirmed why I’m building Art + Healing the way I am. Not as events to attend, but as moments to feel. As spaces where women can come back to themselves. As gentle reminders that creativity doesn’t ask us to perform, only to listen.
If you were in that room, thank you for trusting me with your presence.
And if you weren’t, know that more moments like this are coming.
With so much gratitude,
Zebrina 🌿
