HI THERE!
MY NAME IS THI…
LIKE “T” OR “TEA” OR “TEE”
(definitely not like “thigh”)…more on that later…
I’m an artist and creative educator of painting for mindfulness. On any given day, you’ll probly find me sipping on coffee with oat milk or some Oregon Pinot Noir, bobbing my head (not on beat) to music, and trying to paint with one hand while giving my dog belly rubs with the other (my pup will accept nothing less).
I am deathly afraid of: small talk
I am passionate about: using the universal language of art to bring more meaningful connection, kindness, and mindfulness to busy doers
(as a busy doer myself, I see you!)
It was in the tea leaves
At the long-celebrated Vietnamese 1st birthday tradition of “Thôi Nôi,” my mom laid out random objects in a tray in front of me - a book, measuring tape, scissors, toys, pen, etc., and the belief was that whatever object I chose first would predict my future. I bent forward and grabbed the pen. Welp! There ya go, mom and dad! They were hoping the pen meant something else like…doctor or pharmacist ;)
Okay, real talk…
My mom has always been my biggest role model for strength, grit, and resilience. She and my dad had escaped Viet Nam after the fall of Saigon by boat in search of freedom and opportunity. Every opportunity and privilege I enjoy is thanks to their sacrifices.
Amazingly, despite the horrors and traumas she witnessed and endured, I grew up knowing a mom who was optimistic, hopeful, warm and loving. I attribute much of that to her innate strength but also to her lifestyle of mindfulness.
But in the early 2020’s, my beloved mother fell sick and everything changed (if you want to learn more, I shared her story in this podcast interview). She stopped meditating because with her disease, she couldn’t quiet her mind anymore. And as she lost weight, she became weighed down by all the demons in her mind. Right around that time, I had started exploring painting for mindfulness.
Not too long after, beneath a summer morning of pastel skies, I put a paintbrush in my mom’s frail hands. My heart felt both in tears and so full as I watched my mom shakily hold a paintbrush and went along with the basic watercolor techniques I showed her. She doesn’t talk much anymore (she used to talk my ears off) and now the silence can be deafening. So I filled in some of the silence with music and shared with her about the painting for mindfulness workshops that I teach in the summer
It felt full circle that warm, summer morning. I watched as my mom’s body relax, her energy lighten as she held a brush and observed the paint and water interact. Her mind finally quieting. That day, I got to use mindfulness – something my mom modeled to me my entire life – to help uplift her and it was both so nourishing and heartbreaking.
I get asked frequently how I’m able to seem so calm, optimistic, and “juggle it all” despite the grief and the busyness. There are many factors contributing to a holistic wellness, but a powerful one is through mindfulness. And I love using art as a gentle and beautiful way to introduce a nourishing mindfulness and self-care practice to other busy doers.
Certifications
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Mindfulness & Well-Being: Foundations
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Mindfulness and Well-Being: Living with Balance and Ease
Back to the “tea”…
So my name Thi is not pronounced “thigh” because my mom did not intend to name me after a limb (ha!). My mom named me “Anh Thi” to mean “bright poem” in Vietnamese, and my friend, my art is my bright poem to you. So when you invite my art into your home, let in all the loving energy that was poured into it.
If you’re dying to hear more, here are 5 things you might not know about me:
Born and raised in the beautiful, green Pacific Northwest
My love language is words of affirmation (like I said, art is a universal love language ;)
My weakness is pasta. And sushi.
I cannot live without mascara and makeup sticks (multi-functional? yes, please!)
I have a huge sense of humor ranging from silly to dry and sarcastic to downright dirty
