Finding Grounding in 2.5 × 3.5 Inches: Reflections on Our UUC Creative Wellness Workshop

Mindful focus in action: Participants of all ages blending handcrafted watercolors onto 2.5" × 3.5" Artist Trading Cards, anchored by their Pocket Grounding Spell cards.

There is a distinct kind of calm that settles over a room when people shift from passive listening into tactile creation.

This Sunday, I had the honor of offering a free Creative Wellness workshop as part of the workshops offered the last Sunday of each month at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Clearwater. I was deeply touched to see 15 of the 38 service attendees pull up a chair, sit around the table, and dedicate an hour to slowing down. Nearly 40% of the room chose to attend, connect, and explore—a powerful reminder of how much our communities crave accessible spaces for mindfulness.

Gathering for intentional connection: Fifteen participants across generations pulled up a chair after Sunday service at UUC Clearwater to slow down, ground, and create together.

Beginning Our Creative Wellness Workshop with a Ritual: The Grounding Spell

We began the session by centering our breath with The Grounding Spell, an original guided meditation I wrote to help quiet mental chatter and anchor the body to the present moment through the process of intentional creation.

So often, people hesitate around art because they carry old stories about “not being creative” or the fear of a blank white sheet. The Grounding Spell gently dissolves that pressure. Before any brush touched water, the intention was set: we were not here to produce gallery masterpieces; we were here to breathe, notice, and listen inward.

Deep focus and presence: Members of the congregation leaning into the quiet rhythm of mark-making and watercolor by the window.

The Magic of the Pocket-Sized Artist Trading Cards

From that quiet space, participants dove into creating Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) measuring just 2.5 by 3.5 inches.

Working at this scale changes everything:

• Zero Intimidation: A miniature card invites play. There is no daunting expanse of paper to manage—just a welcoming, bite-sized surface.

• Sensory Connection: Participants used our handcrafted watercolor paints, formulated with raw honey, distilled water, and clove oil. The bright colors and fluid flow of natural pigments instantly grounded the senses.

• Personal Archetypes & Intentions: Through repetitive line-making with waterproof fine-liners and fluid watercolor washes, participants brought their inner landscapes to life—from reflective symbolic archetypes to organic, meditative patterns.

  
  

Each person walked away with completed, original pieces small enough to slip into a planner, set on a bedside table, or prop up at a desk as a daily reminder of calm.

The power of the miniature: Adding detailed, meditative strokes to a 2.5" × 3.5" card alongside an intention-piece radiating the word "SHINE."

New Workshop Opportunities in October

Starting October 7th, we will be offering a weekly online Meditative Art Techniques Workshop. You can join the Zoom for $7 and learn new meditative and intuitive techniques to take with you through the rest of your week. Register your spot below.

Save My Spot on October 7th