What December Taught Me About Community and Creativity
December was full in the way only December can be for me—layers of workshops, paint-stained tables, excited voices, tired feet, and full hearts. As the year came to a close, I found myself moving between two very different groups: holiday art workshops with children and teens aged 4 to 18, and art sessions with seniors in their 80s and 90s.
On paper, they couldn’t be more different.
In reality, they had more in common than I ever expected.
Workshop activity with North York Arts for the seniors communty in Thorncliff Toronto.
It’s wonderful to see the participants have fun creating art!
Creativity Has No Expiry Date
Some participants arrived slowly, with walkers or wheelchairs. Some were hesitant at first, quietly watching rather than jumping in. A few told me right away, “I’m not an artist” or “I haven’t held a paintbrush in years.”
And yet—once the materials were laid out, once color entered the room, something shifted.
Hands moved carefully, then confidently. Stories began to surface. A color choice led to a memory. A shape sparked a conversation. There was laughter. There were long pauses filled with concentration. No rush. No pressure to “finish.”
It was a powerful reminder that creativity doesn’t belong to youth alone. It belongs to anyone willing to sit with it.
Happy Participants!
The Beauty of Slowing Down
Working with seniors in their 80s and 90s requires a different pace—and what a gift that pace is.
Instructions needed to be gentle and flexible. Time stretched. We followed the rhythm of the room rather than a strict plan. If someone wanted to keep working on one small detail, that was enough. If someone simply wanted to watch and talk, that counted too.
In a world that constantly asks us to move faster, these workshops felt like an act of resistance. They reminded me that art doesn’t need urgency to be meaningful.
My holiday workshop for North Crest for kids between the ages of 4-18
Art as Connection, Not Performance
There was no talk of outcomes. No one asked if their work was “good.” The focus wasn’t on technique or perfection—it was on being there together.
Art became a bridge. Between strangers. Between past and present. Between memory and imagination.
For some, the workshop was about making something tangible. For others, it was about feeling seen, listened to, included. Creativity became less about the artwork itself and more about the moment it created.
Holiday art Workshop in action
What Stayed With Me
As I step into January—a quieter, more reflective month—I keep thinking about those rooms. About the steady hands. The thoughtful silences. The joy that arrived without fanfare.
December taught me that community doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful. That creativity doesn’t have to be ambitious to be important. And that simply showing up—with care, patience, and openness—is sometimes the most meaningful thing we can offer.
As I plan new workshops, new books, and new ideas this year, I want to carry that lesson with me.
Slow down.
Make space.
And keep showing up.