PROGRAMS are
facilitated by Laura Halsey Brown
I am an artist and a mental health professional. I have a Masters of Fine Art and am a certified Art Peer Support Specialist; having used art to work with clients at a Mental Health Center. I am a graduate of the UCLA Arts and Healing program, and have taken many trauma informed training courses, including receiving certification from the Association of Mental Health Coordinators. Before working at the intersection of art and mental health, I worked for 20+ years teaching Arts-based Social and Emotional Learning to youth – and am certified with the WA Public Education Board (OSPI).
I’m not a therapist.
Spring class at GHCC.
Art Journaling for Mental Wellness
Class at the Grays Harbor Community College – Ilwaco branch. 208 Advent Ave SE
Fee: $150.00
Dates: 5/7/2026 – 6/11/2026
Times: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 6
Location: Ilwaco
Building: Columbia Education Center
Room: 103
Instructor: Laura Halsey Brown
Reconnect with your creativity and discover the restorative power of making art. In this six-week course, participants will create a personal art journal while exploring a variety of expressive techniques, including mixed media, collage, drawing, and painting. Guided prompts and hands-on experimentation will encourage participants to follow their curiosity, reflect, and develop their own creative process. Designed for both experienced artists and those who may not have made art in years, this class is grounded in the belief that creativity is something everyone is born with. Through regular journaling and creative exploration, participants will discover personal ways to use art as a reflective practice, deepen their relationship with themselves, and cultivate a sense of calm, presence, and renewal.
Note: This class is for personal enrichment and is not a substitute for professional therapy.
Supplies should be purchased in advance. The supplies list has links to Amazon, but it is not required that you purchase these items from that specific site. You’ll be using the supplies beginning in the first class, so be sure to order early and have the items shipped directly to you.
Workshops with a Recovery Center.
ArtWell.studio facilitates trauma-informed weekly groups to support SUD clients.
These take place at different venues around the peninsula, such as Willapa Retreats, Ilwaco Clay Studio and The World Kite Museum.
See Gallery for works made by participants.
Workshops for Retreats.
Workshops are individually designed for retreats; with a focus on using art to deepen a relationship with nature, and self. Projects focus on concepts such as balance, community and renewal.
ArtWell.studio has worked with Enchanted Life Supply, Snowpeak Campfield, Roots to Wings Collective and North Coast Action Coalition.
Projects included using natural materials to make mandalas and cyanotypes – but can take any form based on the needs of the retreat.
Program Philosophy
Process, not Product.
You do not need to be an artist. Art is used as a processing tool. All you need is an openness to your own innate creativity.
You do You.
Participants are encouraged to focus on their own individuality, and create their own projects based on open-ended prompts. Students work in a supportive social and emotional learning environment.
Safe Environment for
Self Exploration.
Participants must agree to treat others with respect. Any kind of judgement will not be tolerated. There is a focus on forming a supportive community.
“I found I could say
things with colors and shapes,
that I couldn’t say any other way-
things I had no words for”
Georgia O’Keefe