Choosing between Personal Portraits and Soulful Stories for expressive mixed media art.
What it really means to grow as an artist.
Not just learning new techniques, but growing in depth.
In story.
In the way our art begins to reflect who we are and what we’ve lived.
If you’ve been feeling a pull to expand your mixed media practice, maybe you’re ready to try something new or explore a mixed media art workshop that invites deeper storytelling.
Over the last few years, I’ve created two workshops that support that kind of exploration.
Personal Portraits and Soulful Stories
They are different experiences, but they share the same heart. Both invite you to slow down, work in layers, and create art that carries meaning.
If you’ve been wondering which one might be the right fit for you, I’d love to walk you through what each one offers. As you read, simply notice which one sparks the most curiosity for you.
Personal Portraits
Creating a Meaningful Mixed Media Portrait
Personal Portraits is a self paced mixed media portrait workshop where you create a layered portrait using collage, photo transfer, paint, and meaningful materials from your own life.
If you’ve ever felt drawn to faces but unsure how to begin, this workshop was created with you in mind.
Many artists avoid portraits because they believe they need to know how to draw. In this process, you don’t begin with drawing at all.
Instead, I guide you through simple photo transfer methods so the face is already on your surface. From there, we build the portrait slowly in layers using paint, paper, fabric, and personal materials.
Inside the workshop you’ll learn how to:
• Transfer a face onto your surface without drawing
• Blend collage, fabric, and found materials so they feel integrated
• Build soft skin tones and expressive layers with paint
• Work with personal materials like photos, textiles, and keepsakes
• Create a portrait that reflects story and memory
The lessons are pre recorded and self paced, so you can move through them gently and return whenever you like.
Many artists tell me that creating their portrait becomes more than learning a technique. It becomes a way of reconnecting with their creativity and honoring parts of their story. For many people, it’s also the moment they realize creating a face doesn’t have to feel intimidating after all.
Personal Portraits is available now for $97.
Learn more about the Personal Portraits workshop here.
Soulful Stories
Expressive Storytelling Through Mixed Media
If Personal Portraits feels like creating a portrait of a moment in your life, Soulful Stories invites you to explore your inner world through more symbolic and intuitive artwork.
In this workshop you’ll create expressive mixed media pieces using collage, paint, journaling, texture, and personal imagery.
Rather than focusing on a face, the artwork becomes a space to explore emotion, memory, and symbolism.
Inside Soulful Stories you’ll explore how to:
• Layer paper, paint, and texture in meaningful ways
• Work with intuitive collage and symbolic imagery
• Use color and materials to express emotion
• Transform personal experiences into visual storytelling
Many artists find this process deeply freeing. It becomes a place to explore thoughts, memories, and feelings through the act of making.
Soulful Stories is available now for $67.
Explore the Soulful Stories workshop here.
Which Workshop Might Be the Right Fit for You?
Sometimes the easiest way to choose is simply to notice which description you feel more connected to.
Personal Portraits might be perfect for you if:
• You feel drawn to faces but have been hesitant to try creating them
• You want clear step by step guidance so you don’t feel lost in the process
• You love the idea of creating a portrait that includes meaningful materials from your life
• You’d like to learn how to blend collage, paint, fabric, and texture into a cohesive piece
• You want to create a portrait of yourself or someone meaningful to you
Personal Portraits tends to resonate with artists who appreciate a guided creative process that still leaves plenty of room for personal expression.
Soulful Stories might be perfect for you if:
• You feel called to create art that expresses emotions or life experiences
• You prefer intuitive, exploratory art rather than focusing on a face
• You enjoy collage, journaling, and working with symbolic imagery
• You want your artwork to tell deeper personal stories
• You’re craving a creative process that feels reflective and freeing
Soulful Stories is often loved by artists who want a more open and expressive form of storytelling through mixed media.
If You’re Feeling a Little Unsure
If you’re reading this and feeling curious, but also a little hesitant, that’s completely natural.
Many artists in this community have told me they’ve purchased workshops before and then worried they wouldn’t follow through. Life gets busy. Energy comes and goes. Creative time can feel hard to protect.
That’s one of the reasons both Personal Portraits and Soulful Stories are designed to be self paced.
There’s no schedule to keep up with and no expectation that you finish everything quickly. You can return whenever the moment feels right. Some people work through the lessons over a few weekends, while others come back to them again and again over time.
This is meant to feel like a creative space you can step into when you need it, not another obligation on your list.
A Small Gift for Blog Readers
Both workshops are available to begin anytime, so you can start whenever it feels right and move at your own pace.
If you decide to join either workshop, you’re welcome to use the coupon code:
10off
This will take $10 off the price of either workshop.
An Invitation
If you’ve been feeling a pull to create something meaningful, this might be a beautiful moment to follow that feeling.
Whether that happens through creating a layered portrait that holds your memories, or through expressive storytelling with collage and paint, art has a way of helping us reconnect with ourselves.
If one of these workshops is quietly calling to you, I would love to welcome you inside.
Stay Connected & Inspired
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to the Creative Delight Studio newsletter for more creative reflections, studio updates, and gentle invitations back to your art practice.
You’ll receive inspiration, prompts, and behind the scenes glimpses from my studio.
With heart,
P.S. If you’re not sure which one to start with, feel free to send me a note. I’m always happy to chat with you about where you are in your creative journey.
Nourish Your Creativity: Download My Free Creative Wellness Guide
Follow My Art Journey: Instagram
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.
Comments