Hi, I'm France... from Belgium

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I have always been a creative soul... fluttering as a kid and teen between ballet, drawing and music classes. I majored as a fluitist, then became a middle school French teacher. As I had been scrapbooking for over 10 years, I organized scrapbooking activities for the kids at school.

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After a severe accident in 2010, I got to redefine my entire life. Through scrapbooking, I discovered mixed media and art journaling in particular, which just swept me off my feet... and the rest is history.

It very quickly became an evidence that that is where I belonged and what started as a form of search of mindfulness, grounding and growing became a full time activity. My mission was clear: to give those in search for it tips, tricks and guidance to use art journaling for well being, mindfulness and growth, through connection with their creative enthusiasm. 

I got invited to teach workshops internationally and a growing community of beautiful Butterflies, art journaling alongside with me, came into existence. 

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Over the years, my style evolved, yet the mix of soft grunge, earthy color and rusty accents always remained the main ingredients of my creative work. The focus too always remained the same: mindfulness and connection. Connection with the deeper self, with others and with life.

To tell my story, I like to play with inky techniques, just like a writer juggling with words. In my classes and tutorials, these techniques based on product knowledge, allow me to offer a comfort zone to the participants, while guiding them to mindfully art journal, with a sense of creative self-confidence. I use my experience as a middle school teacher to share what lies close to my heart: following the spark of creative enthusiasm we each have within us!

Sharing is such an important part of art to me, that in November 2011, I started a video series on YouTube called 'Journal on Monday'. Over 180 videos are now up in that series.

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As promoting mindful art journaling on a daily basis is my mission, I launched the A Layer A Day challenge in  2018. Showing how little time it can take to actually put down one single layer each day, I invite all the participating Butterflies to also reflect on and connect with their deepest self during the live prompts. At the start of the 5th year of the A Layer A Day challenge, in 2022, I created an art journaling app: a mindful art journaling habit tool that ignites connections among like minded people.

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In 2021, I graduated as a coach in art therapy, to ensure the quality of the exercises I offer as well as the safeguard working around emotions and feelings requires. I continuously follow trainings to extend my coaching offers.

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Over the years, I became an established traveling instructor and published designer, I  had my work exhibited in art galleries. From February 2013 till December 2017, I designed a signature stamp line for Stampotique. In January 2018, I launched my own product line of stencils.  In April 2020, I became a member of the Paperartsy tribe, as a signature designer.