Creativity is an essential life skill and our most renewable and valuable natural resource.
— Laura Jaquays, ART HOPE Founder
Our Mission
ART HOPE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to promoting creative wellness for the community at large through education and raising awareness about the importance of creative self-expression and self-care. We offer a practical approach to healthful, artful living that explores the healing opportunities of art-making, art-taking, and art-giving. Our education programs and products support self-directed learning for individuals, and are relevant for communities, corporations, educators, healthcare providers, mental health counselors, wellness groups, artists, and creative seekers of all ages.
Create Wellness
Wellness is a dynamic, hopeful state of positive health in mind, body, and spirit, in any moment or environment, that nurtures the creative potential in all aspects of living. It exalts our best qualities and is an empowered state that takes time to develop. Wellness is a healthy personal balance. Creative wellness is the measure of our health, happiness, and creativity in daily experience. Wellness is not a product. It is a way of living that makes us feel well and whole. It isn’t an elitist state. Wellness is for everyone. We can create it by recognizing and practicing everyday creativity. ART HOPE is the way to creative wellness.
A Call To Action
Now more than ever, there is an epidemic of stress affecting the greater population. Creative wellness supports health because the experience reduces stress. Whether we are ill or well, high levels of mental, physical and emotional stress negatively impacts overall health, and our work, relationships, and daily life. Minimizing it maximizes the immune system and prevents illness. Less stress = more health. It is often difficult to manage the burdens of stress and take the time needed for self-care. Creativity is the ready remedy. It an essential life skill and our most renewable and valuable natural resource. At every age, creativity improves learning and memory, supports health, enhances personal growth, and celebrates life. ART HOPE offers an experiential creative process designed to relieve stress and encourage a healthy personal balance.
Ideas grown from the grassroots
Since 2006, ART HOPE has cultivated ways to promote the creativity and health of individuals and communities through the expressive arts and creative wellness education.
Our nonprofit has grown from the vision of Laura Jaquays, the founder, and her pioneering work in Maine with educators, artists, healthcare providers, and wellness groups. Her creative wellness programs, in clinical and community environments, engage intergenerational participants in the arts for self-expression and self-care. The education products and ideas offered on this website reflect her original and uplifting approach to teaching people to tap their unique creative potential for health, well-being, and enjoyment. Learn more about her art and writing at laurajaquays.com .
Support ART HOPE
Proceeds from the sales of education products on this website support the nonprofit for the development of creative wellness programs and raising awareness about the importance of creative self-expression and self-care. Please consider a tax-deductible contribution.
ART HOPE is a Registered Trademark - United States Patent and Trademark Office.