Following the Breadcrumbs: A Journey of Small Steps and Big Meaning

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Life’s Tiny Clues

Life has a way of whispering to us when we least expect it. Little signs, gentle nudges, or what I’ve come to call breadcrumbs. Sometimes they glimmer like a beacon—a too-good-to-be-true opportunity landing in our path. Other times, they’re so faint you only recognize them in hindsight, like faded footprints on a forest trail.

Lost, But Creating Anyway

When I first began my journey into mixed media art as a way to heal, I wasn’t walking a well-marked path. Honestly, I wasn’t walking anywhere at all—I was stumbling, hands full of paper scraps and a heart weighed down by grief. I pieced together bits of torn paper, fabric remnants, and shards of my own story, layer by layer. I did it every single day. It was my lifeline.

I still remember one of my earliest collages—a made part of a puzzle that became her protective shield, almost like a turtle’s shell. Each piece and texture I added to the canvas felt like a little conversation with myself, a way of untangling emotions I couldn’t quite name. Slowly, something started to take shape. I didn’t know where I was heading, but I trusted those breadcrumbs—those tiny, quiet moments of creating—to guide me.

I keep this early piece as a reminder of just how much I had to say and how willing I was to pour it all out onto my canvas.

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The Trail I Didn’t See

Now, when I look back, I see that those words and fragments weren’t random. They were my breadcrumbs, marking the trail toward something I couldn’t yet imagine. They led me to where I stand today: creating workshops, making art that heals, and connecting with people who are on their own journeys of self-discovery.

The endless journalling, sentimental symbols and materials, didn’t feel significant at the time, but together, they tell my story. They pieced me back together. And now, that same process is one I am blessed to share with others—to help them find their way, just as I found mine.

And yes I journaled across this entire canvas… I had a lot to say!

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Trusting the Messy Middle

The thing about breadcrumbs is that they rarely look like much when you’re picking them up. It’s only when you step back that you see the possibility they may offer. Most of the time, following them feels messy, uncertain, and sometimes a little hopeless. But here’s the magic: when you keep showing up and trusting the process, those breadcrumbs become something bigger—a mosaic of moments leading you somewhere new.

For me, the mosaic is all about connection. It’s about creating spaces where others can gather their own breadcrumbs—whether they’re healing from loss, rediscovering their creative spark, or simply yearning to express what’s inside. Every workshop I teach, every blog post I write, and every moment spent at my art table feels like another breadcrumb on my trail, leading me closer to the person I’m meant to be.

Finding Your Own Breadcrumbs

Maybe you’ve been collecting breadcrumbs without even realizing it. The materials you’ve stashed in drawers, the idea you keep revisiting, or the longing to pick up an old hobby, talent or passion—these are your signs. Maybe today’s the day you follow one. Tear some paper, dip a brush in paint, or even just sit in stillness and imagine where your trail might lead. Breadcrumbs don’t need to be big—they only need to be picked up.

This is why I create my workshops: to help others find their way back to creativity and healing, one tiny step at a time. If you feel ready to explore your own trail, I’d love to walk beside you for a while.

The Collage of Our Lives

Breadcrumbs, to me, are like the layers of a collage—some bold and bright, others delicate and barely there. Together, they form a piece that tells the story of where you’ve been while quietly pointing toward where you’re going.

Your trail is there, even if it feels hidden right now. It might look like a half-finished project, a workshop you’ve been meaning to join (or finally finish), or even just a whisper in your heart saying, What if? Those breadcrumbs matter. Trust them. Pick them up. And let yourself be surprised by the beautiful, messy, magical places they take you.

Where My Breadcrumbs Have Led

For me, the path led to mixed media collage—a way of turning brokenness into beauty. But it didn’t stop there. It also led me to share my art so that others could connect with, admire, and bring it into their own lives. The healing in my art doesn’t just stay on the canvas—it reaches out to those who view it, those who feel a spark of recognition in its layers, and those who buy it to take home as part of their own journey.

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It’s an extraordinary feeling to know that the art I make becomes part of someone else’s story. Whether it’s a painting hanging in their home or a piece they’ve created in one of my workshops, my work has a way of weaving itself into others’ lives.

This journey has also led me to build a community—an incredible circle of artists, seekers, and healers. Together, we help each other follow our breadcrumbs, encouraging one another to take the next step, no matter how small or uncertain it may feel. I make art, sell art, share art, and teach art, and through that process, I’ve discovered how interconnected we all are.

It’s a full-circle moment for me. Those first tentative steps I took into mixed media art weren’t just for my own healing—they were leading me to this beautiful, shared space where creativity becomes a bridge for connection and healing.

And the breadcrumbs keep appearing, guiding me forward to places I could never have imagined.

Your Trail Awaits

So today, I want to ask: What breadcrumbs are waiting for you? What small step could you take to follow them?

I’d love to hear about your trail. What’s one breadcrumb you’ve picked up recently—or one you’re ready to pick up now? Let’s gather our clues, piece them together, and see what kind of artful stories they lead us to create.


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I live and create on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabeg peoples, lands that remain under their original stewardship. I honor their enduring connection to this place and their care for it over generations.

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