Meet Our Team

FOUNDER & FACILITATOR

With a degree in Journalism/Public Relations, Daune has spent most of her career in corporate roles.  A published article in Country Living magazine she wrote before graduation about a landscape architect building his home between two rocks on a side of a cliff helped her land her first job out of college as laborer/foreman of a landscaping crew. She went on to hold various leadership positions in administration, finance, and human resources over the past 40+ years, mostly in the field of commercial landscaping or related industries. 

She began making art again about 20 years ago as a hobby and gravitated to the art supplies and influences of her childhood.  Becoming so enamored with its transformational, self-healing powers, she became certified as a Restorative Teaching Artist. In 2007, she started an Art for Therapy Program at Broad Street Ministry for people struggling below the poverty line. 

After the unexpected loss of her teenage daughter in 2012 to a rare blood cancer, she became certified as a Grief Support Specialist.  She started a legacy project called Blooming Peace, partnering with community organizations offering creative expression experiences as grief support for transformation and well-being.  In the fall of 2024, she was presented with the opportunity to open Blooming Peace Studio @ Whitemarsh Learning & Wellness Center.  She knew that it was a gift from God, so she took a leap of faith and transitioned out of the regular corporate world to embrace this endeavor.

"The studio and creative expression experiences are just the means to a greater vision and mission, to create a World of Peace & Well-Being Movement—a self-care and social engagement ministry of life support for those with grief symptoms related to loss, change, and passages of all kinds—making peace in the world one heart at a time." — Daune Marie

FACILITATOR

Gabrielle has been teaching art to adult students for over 15 years. She wants her students to enjoy making art and embrace the learning process. To that end, her classes and workshops are geared toward having fun and accepting mistakes.

“When we’re kids we just naturally draw and paint for fun and we don’t worry about if we’re any good at it, but as we get older we become much more critical of ourselves. We accept the myth that artists are born with some magical ability that we don’t have, and so we give up. In reality, it’s all about learning to see like an artist, and having fun along the way.”

Learn more about Gabrielle here.

FACILITATOR

Lauren is a psychotherapist and embodied art and movement educator. Her playful and soulful workshops are designed to give you artmaking experiences that deepen your connection with yourself to flow with creative energy. She will lead you to go beyond talk where you can discover your favorite way to hear and express your authentic voice, letting you experience the awe and endless ability to heal, renew, and recreate your life no matter what stage you are in.

“Expressive art is therapeutic. It softens the voice of our inner critic so we can listen to our brave and wise intuition for more ease and self-compassion. An extensive background and training in play therapy, expressive dance, creative arts and psychotherapy have shown me how spontaneous movement and artmaking can deeply impact our mental and emotional well-being for good. These activities expand our inner resources for joy and problem solving and provide integration for new insights gained. Creative energy and transformation are encoded in our make-up, and artmaking is a powerful activator!”

Learn more about Lauren here.

FACILITATOR

Lori is a long time social worker who unexpectedly discovered alcohol inks a few years ago, serendipitously unleashing her inner artist. She used all her free time during the pandemic to experimentally learn multiple techniques and improve her skills while working with this magical, mercurial, and very fluid medium. She opted to start taking some art classes in other mediums at her local art league and was met some amazing life-long artists who encouraged her to develop a beginner workshop and become an instructor. Desperate for a change and with a desire to reinvent herself, she rose to the challenge.

She has taught over 100 one-off and 5-week session workshops at numerous locations including The Norristown Art League, Evansburg Vineyard, and Mt. Airy Learning Tree. She volunteers with Expressive Paths in Norristown teaching disadvantaged teens. With a penchant for abstract florals, she has sold some of her reproductions as small note cards in a variety of stores in Montgomery County, including Valley Forge Flowers in Wayne, PA.

“I have never been happier and simply want to earn a living making art and introducing others to this medium as well as talk about the importance of mental health and using creativity as a way to relax, soothe, and distract from the challenges of life. I can be found on Facebook @Lori Lorraine, @zanymom on Instagram.

FACILITATOR

Sue T. has been creating art for as long as she can remember. She was an art major in high school but ended up being a nurse for over forty years. She has her Master in Nursing Education.

Throughout her nursing career, she continued to be creative and used her art as a form of self-care. She is an accomplished paper artist and has taught rubber stamping and paper crafts over the last twenty years.

Prior to the pandemic, Sue T. took a beginner Zentangle class. Zentangle called to her because it is an art form that anyone can do. Sue T. felt that she couldn’t draw well, but found beauty, satisfaction, and relaxation in Zentangle. It became an outlet for her during the extremely stressful times of being a nurse during Covid. She is a Certified Zentangle Teacher and loves to share the creativity and mindfulness of Zentangle with others.

Sue T. is married with two cats—Pixie and Petey—and an extremely supportive husband who doesn’t mind her drawing all the time.

Learn more about Sue here.

FACILITATOR

Anna Murphey, MSW, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker who has served the greater Philadelphia community through the arts, education, and healthcare since 2006. Her experience as a hospice social worker during the pandemic inspired her journey to become a therapist specializing in grief, loss, and life transitions. Anna’s therapeutic style is relational, holistic, and informed by 12+ years of Buddhist study and meditation practice. A certified Nature-Informed Therapist and ecotherapy practitioner, Anna enjoys working with clients outdoors on Philadelphia-area parks and trails, as well as in her office and via telehealth. Anna is the Founder and Director of Skylight Wellness Center, LLC.

FACILITATOR

I am a papercut artist, past President of the Guild of American Papercutters and a Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT).

I am an artist- 

A wife

A mother

A friend

A woman

And a fellow human being.

My love language is my art. I strive to share that with others through my work, teaching, engagement and communication. As a self-taught artist I understand firsthand what it is like to explore a new medium. I use my experiences and all my senses to inspire my students to find their own personal expressions.​

I create personalized papercuts by commission and teach as well. I love introducing students to the world for art through introductory and advanced classes. Both art forms are quite accessible to those with no art background.  

In addition to being an artist, I have worked in Jewish education for 38 years. View Mindy’s work at www.mindyshapiro.com.

FACILITATOR

Pam Jameson is a Certified Professional Coach specializing in a creative approach to Life and Leadership. As a trained artist, she teaches her clients to activate and engage their own core strengths and intuition through artistic process and mindfulness meditation practices. She has led expressive art workshops and retreats globally since 2008, teaches mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), and provides 1-on-1 coaching for those interested in personal growth through the transformative and healing power of art.

After retiring from a 30-year career in Pharmaceutical Drug Development, Pam longed to live a creative life and founded “Zenspired”, a mindful art studio in Ambler PA. She earned her certification to teach mindfulness-based stress reduction from the University of Pennsylvania and began teaching mindful art workshops for the Penn Mindfulness program. She is a certified Labyrinth Facilitator, SoulCollage Teacher, Zentangle Teacher (CZT), and certified Art4Healing instructor who trained in the Zagon Expressive Arts Method directly under Laurie Zagon.   

For more information about Pam’s mindful art workshops visit pamelajameson.com.

FACILITATOR

Naila Francis is a certified grief coach and death midwife, an interfaith minister and a writer/poet. As the founder of This Hallowed Wilderness, she serves as a compassionate guide for the grieving, helping them navigate their losses with holistic, heart-centered care and support.

Through her practice, she offers one-on-one coaching, workshops, community grief tending and rituals. Her work is often informed by her love of poetry, nature, and spiritual and mindfulness-based practices.

Naila is also a co-founder of Salt Trails, a Philadelphia collective holding space for grief through community rituals, and a recipient of a Leeway Foundation Art + Change Grant.

An ardent joy enthusiast, Naila believes in grieving well as a fundamental human skill that ultimately deepens our capacity for pleasure, connection and compassion.

You can follow her on Instagram and Facebook @thishallowedwilderness and learn more about her work at www.thishallowedwilderness.com

FACILITATOR

Emily Scheivert is a Certified Life Coach with a lifelong passion for storytelling and the transformative power of deep listening.

With a distinguished career as a radio journalist, she was the host of The Women’s File, a long running program on B-101 FM, Philadelphia. Honored for excellence by both the Associated Press and the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters, the show provided a platform for women making an impact in the world. Each week, Emily had the privilege of engaging in meaningful conversations with authors, artists, thought leaders, spiritual teachers, and activists—women whose voices and visions shaped the cultural and social landscape.

Now, building on her dedication to fostering connection and personal growth, Emily has expanded her work beyond the airwaves. Having completed Brené Brown’s intensive Dare to Lead training, she brings the principles of courage, vulnerability, and wholehearted leadership into her work. She currently leads a Story Circle at Blooming Peace Studio, creating a safe and supportive space where women share their stories, inspire one another and set intentions for lives of greater meaning.