Meet Forrest Elliott

We recently connected with Forrest Elliott and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Forrest, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

Imposter syndrome has definitely shown up at different points in my journey — whether stepping into the art world, launching new offerings, or creating Your Inner Awakening Retreats. What’s helped me most is remembering that the work isn’t about proving myself; it’s about showing up authentically and offering what I know can support others.

Painting has been my biggest teacher here. The canvas doesn’t ask me to be perfect — it asks me to be present. That same lesson carries into Reiki, teaching, and hosting retreats: when I focus on the process rather than the pressure, I remember that I’m already enough. My workshop, Painting from Within™, has also been a practice in quieting self-doubt. It’s about giving both myself and my students permission to let go of the inner critic and connect with creativity as a tool for trust and self-discovery.

I’ve leaned on practices like meditation, journaling, and manifestation work to rewire old beliefs and recognize that my unique perspective is what makes my work valuable. Surrounding myself with community — mentors, collaborators, students, and friends has helped reflect back the truth when self-doubt gets loud.

My advice to anyone struggling with imposter syndrome is this: trust that your lived experience, your perspective, and your voice are exactly what someone else needs. The more you honor that, the less space there is for comparison or doubt.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a contemporary painter and multidisciplinary creative based in York, Maine. My work explores the dynamic relationships between color, intuition, and the act of seeing, and my studio practice has always been about creating space for presence, trust, and flow. Over time, that approach to painting expanded into a broader vision of helping others connect with their own creative energy, which led me to develop classes, workshops, and most recently, my new retreat company, Your Inner Awakening Retreats.

What excites me most is bridging art, energy work, and personal growth into experiences that feel both transformative and deeply nourishing. Through my Painting from Within™ classes and retreats, I guide people to move beyond self-doubt and into authentic creative expression, often weaving Reiki healing and intuitive practices into the process. It’s about more than making a painting — it’s about rediscovering your own voice, cultivating gratitude, and reconnecting with beauty and wholeness.

This fall marks an especially exciting season with the launch of Your Inner Awakening Retreats, which will offer immersive experiences that combine intuitive painting and other creative classes, Reiki, journaling, and community connection in inspiring settings. Our first retreat will take place in the Fall of 2026. More details will be shared between now and December 3rd when registration goes live on our website (www.YourInnerAwakeningRetreats.com). Alongside that, I continue to co-curate exhibitions at Blue Door Gallery, where we also recently launched a Luxury Fragrance line with my dear friend Janice Santini, State of Being, and I serve on the Visual Arts Advisory Committee at Portsmouth Music and Arts Center.

At the heart of all these projects is the same mission: to create spaces where creativity and healing converge. Whether through a canvas, a retreat, or designing a manifestation journal, I want people to feel empowered, uplifted, and more connected to themselves.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, I would say the three most important qualities in my journey have been intuition, resilience, and community-building.

Intuition has guided every step of my artistic and professional life — from trusting the brush when I paint, to creating Painting from Within™, to launching Your Inner Awakening Retreats. Learning to quiet the noise and follow your inner compass is a skill, and the more you practice it, the more it strengthens. My advice: give yourself space to listen — whether that’s through journaling, meditation, or creative practice — and trust that your instincts have wisdom.

Resilience has allowed me to keep going through the inevitable ups and downs of being both an artist and entrepreneur. Not everything works the first time, and sometimes the vision takes longer than you expect to unfold. I’ve learned that staying adaptable and viewing challenges as lessons rather than setbacks makes the difference between stopping and growing. For those starting out, resilience can be built by reframing “failure” as part of the creative process.

Community-Building has been transformative. I wouldn’t be where I am without the support and inspiration of the people around me — whether it’s curating exhibitions at Blue Door Gallery, guiding students in workshops, or collaborating with partners in the arts and wellness community. Connection fuels creativity. If you’re early in your journey, seek out people who align with your values, and invest in those relationships. They will enrich both your work and your life.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

When I feel overwhelmed, I see it as a signal that there’s energy in my system that needs to be redirected rather than suppressed. Overwhelm, to me, isn’t a “bad” thing — it’s information. My go-to practices for moving that energy are a combination of self-care, exercise, and spiritual work.

I often turn to running or riding my Peloton, because movement helps clear mental clutter and shifts my state almost immediately. On the more restorative side, I use Reiki and meditation to ground myself, reconnect with my body, and bring my nervous system back into balance. I’m also a big believer in manifestation work, which allows me to reframe challenges and align with the deeper goals I’m calling into my life.

My advice to others is to create a toolkit of practices that allow you to reset. Overwhelm doesn’t have to derail you — if you can recognize it as energy that simply needs a new channel, you can choose how to redirect it. Whether that’s through movement, stillness, or creative expression, the key is to pause long enough to ask: Where does this energy need to go? Once you answer that, things begin to flow again.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Photo of Forrest Painting: Courtesy of Blue Door Gallery
Photo of Forrest: Amy Caramihalis
Painting: Courtesy of Forrest Elliott Studios
Photo of Blue Door Gallery: Loose Rein Photography
Painting: Courtesy of Forrest Elliott Studios
Photo of Forrest Teaching: Courtesy of Blue Door Gallery
Photo of Forrest Teaching: Courtesy of Blue Door Gallery
Sunrise Image: Courtesy of Your Inner Awakening Retreats

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