Meet Erin Scaia

We recently connected with Erin Scaia and have shared our conversation below.

Erin, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I believe my purpose is to show people how to use mindfulness practices to empower themselves and improve their lives. I found my purpose by going through my own struggles with anxiety and panic attacks. My struggles forced me to take a look at the subconscious beliefs that were driving the feelings of anxiety and panic. Using mindfulness, which is basically cultivating a conscious awareness of thought patterns, emotions and beliefs, led me to powerful insights about the source of my anxiety and what I could do to resolve it. Now mindfulness is a part of my daily life. It’s an invaluable tool to maintain my sense of well-being.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I have been making art since I was 2 1/2 years old. I got a degree in graphic design and did that for 16 years before switching to fine art. I wanted to combine my passion for mindfulness meditation with art, which lead to the creation of Living by the Brush.

Living by the Brush facilitates mindful art-making experiences where the focus is on the process, not the outcome. I provide a safe, non-judgmental space for adults to explore and express themselves through creativity.

I guide people through simple and fun creative processes, such as collage, doodling, and intuitive painting. My workshops and classes are an opportunity to give yourself permission to explore, express and play through creativity.

What I most want people to know about mindful art is that you don’t have to be “good” at art to do it. The mindful art practices I offer are simple and accessible to everyone. One need not be an “artist” to participate in these practices. It’s not about what you see in front of you at the end. It’s about what you discover about yourself during the process.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, I think the three qualities I possess that were most impactful in my journey were self-awareness, determination, and trust in myself.

Self-awareness was key because it told me what I was longing for on a deeper level. It provided me with invaluable information that fueled my determination and trust in myself to do something scary and step into the unknown.

My advice is to cultivate a sense of self-awareness through things like journaling or meditation. Determination comes from knowing what you really want out of life. Develop trust in yourself by reviewing all the things you’ve accomplished and all the difficult situations you handled. When you trust in yourself then it’s not so scary going into the unknown, because you believe in your ability to handle whatever happens.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I want to create a mindful arts center in the Columbus, Ohio area. This would be a center where people can explore different mindfulness practices such as mindful art, breath work, meditation, tai chi and qigong. I’ve got the mindful art down, so what I would love is to find practitioners in the other areas I mentioned to collaborate with in perhaps a collective or co-op setting. I want to collaborate with people who are passionate about mindfulness practices and have a desire to empower people through these practices. If anyone reading this is a mindfulness practitioner and interested in possibly collaborating with me, then they can connect with me at livingbythebrush@gmail.com.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Resilience
Where do you get your resilience from?

Resilience is often the x-factor that differentiates between mild and wild success. The stories of

Productivity
Beating Burnout

Often the key to having massive impact is the ability to keep going when others

Leadership Development
Finding Your Why

Not knowing why you are going wherever it is that you are going sounds silly,