Creativity isn’t limited to artists—it’s a part of all of us. It fuels innovation, strengthens adaptability, and enriches our well-being.
Yet, many of us hesitate to create, convinced we’re not “creative.” The truth? Creativity is innate; it’s already within you, shaping the way you move through the world every day.
"You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have."
– Maya Angelou
Image by Steve Johnson
Details
Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 pm, please arrive by 6:30 pm
Location: Love Lab Studio, 26 Brackett Street, Portland, ME
Fee: $75* for beverages, apps, art supplies, and an intimate discussion with two professional artists.
*A portion of the proceeds will be given to In Her Presence, a non-profit that empowers immigrant women through educational programming. As we develop different types of events, we are working on prices to make these events sustainable. If cost is a factor, we want to help. For each event, we set aside tickets just for this purpose. Please email us at hello@heldportland.com.
Cancellation policy: All sales are final and non-refundable. However, your tickets are transferable to an individual. If transferred to someone, please email us their name and email address at hello@heldportland.com.
We’re officially at capacity! We’re so grateful for the incredible response and can’t wait to see you at a held event soon!
What to expect
Opening Remarks—Hosts Tenaya and Mary Beth will welcome attendees, introduce the evening’s theme, and highlight our partners.
Getting into the Creative Flow—Seated at tables, we’ll engage in a short, playful painting exercise designed to loosen up our creative minds. Using vibrant watercolors, attendees will explore the movement of the brush and paint, expressing on paper an initial mood or thought. No rules—just color, observe, and have fun!
Fireside Chat on Creating—Seated in front of the room, we’ll dive into an insightful discussion with Sarah and Christina, guided by Tenaya and Mary Beth. Topics will include:
Reframing the idea of what it means to be creative
Changing how we speak to ourselves when creating
Overcoming perfectionism and creative blocks
How creating is essential to being human
How to cultivate and sustain a creative flow
Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage with Sarah and Christina.
Hands-On Creativity—Inspired by the recent discussion, we’ll return to creating our second piece of work in a relaxed, supportive space, fostering connection with those around us. No experience is necessary, just a willingness to explore.
Sharing & Reflection—We'll go around the room for those who wish to share a couple of words about the process of creating with watercolors. Listening is generous, too.
Closing Remarks—Tenaya and Mary Beth will wrap up the evening with heartfelt thanks to our panelists, sponsors, and all of you. We’ll take a moment to appreciate how creating together has sparked new energy in our minds and bodies—leaving us a little lighter, looser, and more inspired. With that, we’ll send you off!
Our partners
Sarah Madeira Day
I am a Maine native in love with the outdoors. I draw endless inspiration from the beauty of my surroundings. With a BA in Studio Art and Economic Theory from Wheaton College, I've ventured through various career paths until turning my passion into a full-time profession in 2017. Now, I specialize in creating original canvas paintings and transform them into affordable print reproductions to suit diverse budgets. I firmly believe that art should be a daily luxury accessible to all. My mission is to create captivating, accessible artwork inspired by the people and landscapes that around me.
Christina Bechstein
Christina is the creative director of The Love Lab Studio. As an artist, mama + teacher, she has created and taught in all kinds of spaces. Christina is deeply grateful for her many mentors and visionaries who continue to influence the studio, one in particular, Josephine Herrald Love, Detroit Arts leader – who told her that the job of an artist and teacher is to learn about children and that if all she ever did was make self-portraits with children over and over to learn about them, that would be a job well done.
Christina makes her home in Maine with her daughter Melu, Pippy (the cat) and winter surfing, tech advisor husband Pete, but she was born in the midwest and lived all over the country growing up. She has taught pre-school children all the way up to college students at places like: University of Detroit School of Architecture and area schools, Kingswood Academy of Art, Interlochen Center for the Arts, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Rhode Island School of Design, Advent elementary School in Boston while doing other community based, public art and collaborative teaching gigs. Most recently, as Associate Professor of Art at Maine College of Art here in Portland. As an artist, she’s shown her work both nationally and internationally and has been fortunate enough to receive awards and grants to help make that possible.
Sponsors
