‘Ikigai’ is a Japanese concept meaning “a reason to live” – a reason to jump out of bed in the morning. It’s the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Finding your ikigai brings purpose, meaning, and joy.

My Ikigai is simple: helping people discover the joy, thrill, and fun of creating art together.

It started back when I was an art teacher, creating murals with kids. (Technically, we were doing “marouflage” – painting panels in the art room and moving them onto the walls later – but who remembers that word?)

Then, becoming a parent to a child with special needs, I spent over ten years learning success strategies to make every activity fun and engaging. Laughter was a key part of learning.

As I ran community playgroups, holiday and after-school care art projects, and larger community projects, my passion for group creating became crystal clear.

The thrill of helping a group make something unique, together – wow!

Over the years, I continued running murals and large-scale artworks (1m x 1m) with all sorts of groups. I noticed that the systems I evolved naturally – ways to make it easiest for painters while creating the most beautiful outcomes – just worked.

Eventually, I created my website as an online business card to show my portfolio. A simple 3-page site, an email list, Pattern Play Pages for anyone interested, and case studies of my projects.

Then, as my mobility declined and I faced two hip replacements, I realised: I had been telling everyone they could do this too. So, I pivoted. I started creating online resources so anyone, anywhere in the world, could experience the joy of collaborative art with their group.

This past year has been a whirlwind. I’ve learned SEO to write weekly posts, mastered email consistency, explored Pinterest for traffic, and launched my podcast, Easy Collaborative Art – my latest adventure. Hearing my own voice share what I love to talk about in real life? Surreal.

And it all comes back to my ikigai: helping others create, explore, and enjoy art together.

If you’ve ever wanted to bring more creativity into your group, your classroom, or your home, I’d love to help you make it happen.

Podcast episode 6: 
Why Did I Start Creating Collaborative Art?

Discover how my personal journey inspired me to create collaborative art that’s fun, supportive, and beginner-friendly for everyone.

Read the transcript: Episode 6: Why Did I Start Creating Collaborative Art?⁠

Happy Painting,

Charndra

P.S. Spin the colour wheel and see what happens! Your 50% off code* works the same way. *Code works for single products - Bundles are already discounted. Peek at the product descriptions for ideas when you’re ready. Or grab my best-value product: the Pattern Play Starter Pack, which gives you three products for the price of two.

This week’s post is “Community Art Activities for Groups of All Ages and Abilities,” and it doubles as Episode 27 of the Easy Collaborative Art podcast. I’m making a smart shift in my second six months of podcasting — instead of creating two separate long pieces every week, I’m combining the blog and podcast into one helpful hub of collaborative art ideas.

That means you can now read the full Episode 27 transcript, “How to Create Community Art for All Ages and Abilities?”, right here ahead of Thursday’s podcast release. Whether you prefer reading or listening, you’ll have everything in one place to help you plan community art that’s simple, inclusive, and fun for every age and ability.