Once a month, I get to sit with a bunch of women and men, many who are friends, and play – we draw, we paint, we sculpt. It’s such a cool  break from our everyday lives. We take the lessons we’ve learned and teach them in schools. It’s a fantastic program called Young At Art designed by parents, to make up for the lack of funding for the visuals arts in schools. We get to go out into the schools and work with thousands of kids every month or so. It’s really fun.

When you make art, you can literally feel your brain shift gears, and the tension leave your body. That’s why I love making the DIYs for “Trace.” It’s guilt-free fun, and an easy meditation.

Apart from the mental health benefits, you can re-create expensive items for a fraction of the cost, and put together personal gifts for friends and family that they’ll cherish. Giving a gift you’ve made yourself is such a rarity these days (in L.A. anyway), that your friends will never forget it, if they believe you actually made it in the first place!

So, make some time for yourself, and make something beautiful! Here are my latest finds from the DIY world…Japanese printed bowls (source: thelovelydrawer.com)

Crystal topped trinket boxes (source: homeyohmy.com)

Woven Floor Pillows (source: retropolitanhip.blogspot.com)

Painted pallet & paver outdoor bar (source: 1001pallets.com)

Water color coffee cups – made using nail polish! (source: Audra Kurtz on YouTube)