Art was an escape throughout my childhood. When I couldn’t sleep or felt overwhelmed, I’d pour it all into drawing, painting or crafting. But, as I got older, I became more critical of my creations and of myself. I should be practicing, studying, working—not ‘wasting’ time, right?
Then, Gulfshore Life Woman of the Year and interior designer Lisa Kahn-Allen told me about her experience with Naples artist Marti Koehler’s “Fill Your Well” themed Art for Healing workshop—three hours of gently guided crafting and conversation available for sign-up January through April and during the summer through her website. When Lisa—whose life’s work centers on creating calm, restorative spaces—recommends a self-care experience, you get over your nerves and go for it.
Marti, best known to Naples for her whimsical beachscapes and paintings of swimmers, has been practicing art therapy for more than 30 years, working in schools and hospitals to help patients explore their innermost thoughts and emotions through the process of art-making. In the last 10 years, she’s condensed her practice, hosting three- to four-hour workshops from her home studio that use clinical principles in a more relaxed, exploratory format.
A few weeks later, Marti ushers me into her secluded home studio. She has me start with a small decoupage project to familiarize myself with the materials and get me out of my head. At first, I feel anxious—the worries of the day still present, the fear of embarrassing myself if I make a mistake. Then, I notice she isn’t watching me all that closely, and I start to relax into the moment, noting the sticky feeling of glue between my fingers, the way the weight of the materials’ textures. “Be curious, not critical,” she says. This is how she works: Notice the apprehension, and subvert it; keep the focus on the task at hand, but pay no mind to the result. By removing the pressure to think or please, she brings the subconscious to the surface.
Marti offers a prompt here and there. Some questions feel more like therapy: “How are you feeling right now? Why do you think that emotion came up?” But, mostly, she lets me talk or work silently, listening for internal cues. With the introductory craft done, Marti cues up the next project: a collaged cigar box. She steps out and gives me free rein of the room, where dozens of magazines, books and papers sit ready to snip and paste. The lack of direction feels liberating, not paralyzing.
Unlike with most wellness offerings, there’s no expectation to talk, share or do anything specific. The art therapist’s decades of counseling people have given her keen insight into how to read people, when to step in and when to let the art-making process lead. The goal isn’t to make any “good” piece of art, but to drop into the action and give the nervous system a break from self-judgment. “By accessing this playful mindset, we are more apt to allow access to unconscious thoughts and ideas that are blocked by scrolling or constant interruptions in an overstimulated world,” Marti says.
As I finish my box, Marti encourages me to privately write down what I’m feeling. The words pour out of me. I feel calmer, but also more connected with myself. In a life driven by deadlines, it’s hard to let go, but Marti helped me remember what I loved about art—taking what’s inside and bringing it into the world, not just to be beautiful, but to be for me.