I believe that when women feel connected to their creative soul, life becomes fuller, more beautiful and
filled with magic
Have you ever felt like making art is just a hobby for when the demands of life don’t get in the way?
You’re not alone in feeling like this, but have you noticed that life has a habit of not slowing down? Or perhaps the things we say ‘yes’ to and the many roles we adopt as women make it so.
One thing I know for certain is that your creativity is part of who you are — a deep longing, a calling from your soul — and you’re allowed to answer it, guilt-free.
As you straddle life’s big transitions (such as motherhood, becoming a grandma, grief, illness, an empty nest, losing a job, perimenopause, retirement …), the call of creativity often becomes louder and you may find yourself searching for an artistic outlet.
If you have a soul-deep knowing that there must be more to life: more magic, meaning and beauty, waiting to be channeled through your hands, but you’re struggling to fully claim creativity as a dear companion in your life, I can help!
Hi, I’m Laly!
Today, I’m a full-time artist and creative guide who has supported thousands of women to embrace their creative calling.
But it feels like just yesterday I was scared to even start.
Looking back now, I almost feel like my life before finding art wasn’t really me. Like I was living half a life. My very first painting felt like being born again. It was at that moment that I decided to fully embrace the artist in me. I never looked back. But it took me several decades to get there.
As a child, if you had asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, I wouldn’t have told you I wanted to be an artist. But a fairy? Maybe… I’ve always been the kind of girl who looks all quiet on the outside but is bubbling up with thoughts, ideas and emotions under the surface. My imagination was my refuge as I navigated life as an introverted, highly sensitive little girl who struggled with the feeling of never fitting in, being too much and also not enough.
Like a good girl, I’d learned to believe that art would always be "just a hobby". But the artist in my soul wouldn't settle for so little, so she retreated deep within. Locking herself up for a decade.
At 32, I was starting to wonder if I'd ever do something meaningful with my life.
I was disillusioned by an early career path that led me nowhere, and a disastrous experience as a would-be school teacher that burnt my self-confidence down to the ground. I definitely thought I’d never teach again!
At the same time, I was adjusting to the journey of motherhood, with two little ones who beautifully changed my world but kept me up most nights. The creative fairy in my soul couldn’t take it anymore. Frustration and exhaustion broke my heart open, and art rushed back through every crack.
I went googling like my life depended on it (in a way, it did), trying to find something, a creative outlet that would resonate.
I discovered two words I had never heard before…..
Mixed Media
They felt like a spark.
I ordered a lovely book full of painterly projects, a canvas and a few art supplies.
I can honestly say that the day I painted my first painting, was the day I was born again. To my real self.
The painting? A bird out of its cage.
Paintbrushes became my fairy wands; paint, paper and glue, the magical ingredients through which I could finally create beauty and give form to my dreams.
I never looked back and I kept painting, painting, painting, on my kitchen table between naps and meals, and late at night. Pretty soon I did my first art show at the community center where I was working, then another one, which brought me my first award. I couldn’t believe that hundreds of visitors really loved my art!
So I decided to go back to school.
I trained as a socio-educational and cultural activity leader. As part of the training, I worked for several months as an intern at an Alzheimer’s unit of a nursing home.
I had proof, right there, that when you peel back the layers of fear and social behavior, every human being is deeply creative, playful, and can find so much joy in art-making.
This was the magic I wanted to share, and it confirmed that I was meant to work with adults, women especially, to help them reconnect to their creative spark, just like I’d reconnected to mine.
The night before my final exam, I learned that my art made the cover of a favorite magazine in the US and I took it as a good omen; a sign that I was on the right track.
Shortly after graduating, I also got certified as a creativity coach, which allowed me to dive deeper, broaden my horizons and start figuring out the kind of creative guide I wanted to become.
I had zero confidence left in my ability to teach.
As is often the case when you’re on the brink of fully stepping into your own, I had doubts, I procrastinated.
Starting a business, learning the tech skills, showing up in a bigger way… it all felt so intimidating.
Thankfully, once again my inner fairy took charge, in a pretty radical way: after two weeks in bed with pneumonia, I emerged with a clear path ahead, a fire burning in my soul and the title for my first e-course: Layers of Light.
My husband William and I joined forces to research and invest in the tech side of things, while I was filling a whole notebook with ideas and lesson plans. I started filming, we both learned how to edit videos, then I took the plunge and opened a waiting list. It motivated me so much to see so many people eagerly waiting for what I had to offer!
Over 200 students signed up for the class on its first outing, and thousands have taken it ever since. Just like painting my first painting, creating this class felt like being born again, to a new and bigger version of who I am. Because this time it wasn’t just about me and my art, but about sharing the joy of creativity with others, helping them answer their own soul’s calling.
After many years of teaching online, I have had the honor of supporting over 10,000 students from all over the world!
My art has evolved, and so has my creative practice, as I’ve fallen in love with art journaling. What I’m most proud of, is to show our now-teenage kids that you can make your creative dreams come true, if you commit to growing your wings.
That’s what I wish for you too.
I’m just like you,
a creative soul on her artist journey, self-taught and slightly late-blooming, walking maybe just a few steps ahead.
My mission is to light the path for you to rediscover your own creative magic, offering you all the guidance, inspiration and encouragement you’ll need to fly.
Everything I do centers around these three pillars...
Dream
Art making is a pathway to embracing and expressing your rich inner world full of stories, dreams, emotions and memories that long to be expressed. I want to support you to find your own personal sources of inspiration and connect with your intuition.
Create
With just a few tools and art supplies, you can create anything your soul is longing for, right there on the canvas or in your art journal. By making art that's full of joy, peace, hope and love, you’ll notice you start to infuse your life with those same qualities and let all these good vibes ripple out into the world.
Inspire
I share every detail of my artist journey to inspire you on your own path. I know the challenges of self-doubt, perfectionism, procrastination and the inner critic and how to overcome them, so you can dare to share your art with the world and inspire others yourself!
4 things you might not know
about me...
My good luck charms are four-leaf clovers.
Ever since childhood, I’ve had a knack for finding them without even looking. In all my early paintings, I would hide some within the layers or glue one next to my signature.
If I wasn’t an artist, I’d want to be a Feng Shui consultant.
Feng Shui is the art of bringing harmony and good vibes to a space, and I’ve practiced it for myself since I was 16 years old.
My secret talent is growing roses.
I love to walk around the garden when they’re in full bloom, it’s completely magical and inspires me so much. I love to call them by their names, they’re my garden friends!
I’m a cat lady!
I have two cats, two brothers that we adopted as rescue kittens. Their names are Pollock (after the artist) and Galway (a favorite Irish city).
I believe that you have wings
Take a moment to close your eyes and breathe… can you feel them? If you trust them, they’ll take you to magical places you’ve never imagined!
