At Shepherd’s Door—a safe haven for survivors of domestic violence—a group of women gathered just before Mother’s Day to participate in a guided art experience centered around affirmations, identity, and healing. For many, this was more than a workshop. It was a rare window of time to reflect, reconnect with themselves, and speak life into their futures. 

Before the workshop, several participants expressed feelings of emotional heaviness, transition, and burnout. As mothers, survivors, and women trying to rebuild from trauma, they carried more than most people see.

During the workshop, participants created custom affirmation cards using vibrant colors, stencils, markers, and watercolors. Participants selected affirmations that were meaningful to them and personalized their canvases with care, color, and intention. The phrases they chose said everything: “Just Be You,” “Never Give Up,” “Slay the Day,” and “Dream. Create. Inspire.” The room was filled with joyful energy, mutual encouragement, and powerful AHA moments. One participant shared, “Thank you for creating a safe space where I could finally see myself as fearless, brave, and strong. It took me a long time to believe those words belonged to me.”

What emerged from this exercise was more than art—it was a return to self. One woman said, “Holding my card felt like I finally gave myself permission to be seen. I named it ‘Just Be You’ because that’s the hardest thing—but also the realest.”

At the end of the workshop, each woman left with a set of self-care cards and a commitment to practice speaking their affirmations aloud, providing small, actionable ways to extend wellness beyond the workshop. Some placed theirs by mirrors or tucked them into purses. For others, the cards became quiet companions, reminders that their voice matters and that healing is allowed to bloom at its own pace.