The Art of Wellness is an experiential series designed for artists and creative professionals. Developed by Serena Ryder and ArtHaus, the series offers weekly virtual sessions where participants develop tools and practices to artfully manage stress reactions and find balance within themselves.
We work with a diverse range of therapists and wellness professionals to design courses for different facets of the artistic community — with different sessions focused on BIPOC, LGBTQ2S, Indigenous, Black men, and other communities. Accessibility is crucial to these programs, and we have worked hard to keep them free for participants, partnering with several Canadian music and media companies to help fund the programs.
Click on a program to learn more!
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Featured Program 14
Inviting all LBGTQ2S+ peoples
Registration closed
What is The Art of Darkness?
Help us to continue all of our Art of Growth Programs by purchasing our Community Coffee! Launched in collaboration between ArtHaus, Unison Benevolent Fund and Propeller Coffee Co, our Art of Darkness specialty dark roast supports counselling, emergency relief services and mental wellness initiatives across the country.
Participant Testimonials
Scroll through below to read a few words from some of the folks who have joined us in The Art Of Wellness programs.
Art Therapy: Express Yourself - Maria Geary - Warner Music Canada
"The facilitator's teaching was wonderful." -KM
"The teaching was delivered with as much an approachable familiarity as it was informative and highly skilled. It was the creative support I needed for connecting to myself and allowing art to be a healing practice. I gained insight and inspiration; renewed ways to get in touch with my inner guidance." -NC
"This was fascinatingly fun, warm, creative and very enriching! It was very helpful to find new creative and fun ways to deal with my mental health. I gained creative, flexible and very fun tools to deal with my body, mental and emotions in a way that make feel and see to much options to keep healing." -EB | Community Organizer
"I was highly positively affected by this course. I learned so many incredible tools that I have committed to continuing to use longterm to regulate my health, my mood, my productivity and my creativity. I am beyond grateful for my time in this course and hope to participate in future wellness programs through ArtHaus' programming. I highly recommend the Art of Wellness courses to anyone interested in exploring self growth and self love." -Brunna Ribeiro | Singer, songwriter
Higher Vibrations: Mastering Frequency for Success! - Kerrin Daniels - Manitoba Music
"I feel inspired to keep going, to not. quit and to share my art no matter what. This was inspiring and healing, and I gained self knowledge!" -Brandi Vezina
Getting Out of Your Own Way: Pathways to Liberation - Naomi Gaskin & Ausar Stewart - Allan Slaight Juno Master Class
"This course was eye opening. It simply showed me new ways to approach my mental wellness as an artist, and how to turn that into creative energy. Being reminded about maintaining a healthy state of mind is always important."-MC
"The facilitators were very knowledgeable and caring individuals. I gained validation and trust from my one-on-one session." -SS
"Four years ago, I remember talking about the JUNO Masterclass as this distant dream that was on a career wish list for us. Finding out we were going to be in the program was a level of excitement I can’t begin to explain. It was truly everything we had envisioned and more. The teachers listened and catered their knowledge to a variety of artists in different places with differing experience, making sure we all were addressed and listened to. Being in this program was a huge step in my career as an artist, in an unending amount of ways. It gave me one on one experiences with industry professionals, take home practices and tools to further my career and advice tailored to my own unique situation. In this ever changing and sometimes hard to navigate music landscape, this was an incredibly helpful, career changing experience that I won’t forget. Thank you." -Charlotte Command | Singer/Songwriter
Love Evolution: Body Sense - Jose Luis Lopez Vargas, RP & Moin Subhani, RP & Paula Fernandez, RSW - Sony Music
"Being stuck in a "zoom box" is our new normal, but this class helped us step out of the box using our senses. It taught us to give ourselves permission to take a "Me Moment", and helped us reach out to our co-workers through the screen." -NR
Medicine Wheel - Tia Kennedy - Bell Let's Talk
"The facilitator was great, very humble, friendly and down to earth. If they have new courses, I will so join in! I gained a lot of new knowledge. I wish it was longer." - Pearl Marshall
"Tia Kennedy is a generous and open spirit. Her energy was refreshing; Hiy hiy to this young knowledge keeper. The course provided a safe space to come and explore each others connection to our culture and to one another." -NA | Filmmaker/Media Artist
"Genuine, wise, and authentic! Through Tia’s facilitation process over the four weeks, it woke me up and brought so much clarity, gratitude and safety to the process in connecting to my ancestors, where I come from, my language, the practices, and my way to spiritual alignment with the 7 sacred teachings. It changed my life and I keep learning and seeking more. Wela’lin. Activating and connected so many dots for me as I gained and built an entire new trusting support system in my ancestors that I never realized I had all along. I also gained new friendships with peers from within the group. Incredible changes and so powerful to learn from one another. So beautiful and supportive." -Mickie Bowe
Finding Balance: Passionate Practice - Dr. Anita Shack - Music Ontario & CIMA
"The teaching was clear, concise and inspiring, it provided a new focus, and I gained some new ways of thinking." -JB | Textile Artist, Retired Occupational Therapist
"Caring and warm and accessible. The course tackled a lot of things buried deep that I didn’t even realize needed tending to. An immensely helpful hand on my mindfulness journey and my struggles with anxiety. I gained the ability to acknowledge my hard moments and the tools to face them." -SW | Musician
"This was very necessary, especially in these times. This course was just what I didn't know that I needed. I gained a new groundedness and peace." -Camille Gratton | Hair Dresser
"The Facilitator's teaching was perfect! Anita was absolutely amazing. This program was wonderful and very insightful. I gained a lot of knowledge about various techniques and practices." -SS
"The program was inclusive, supportive, and very knowledgeable. It was a helpful time focusing on factors that create stress in our lives with many suggestions for simple practices that can make a big difference in shifting energy in a positive way. I gained a number of simple practices, especially breath work that can stop my stress from building and interfering with my work and goals." -Beth Jacob | Bookkeeper
"I found the course both informative and practically useful. It gave me some excellent coping tools at just the right time in my life, and opened up some new personal realizations about the way I operate in the world." -Colleen Brown | Musician
"The Facilitator's teaching was perfectly paced as we covered an array of topics and made everyone feel welcome. This course was an excellent way to discover new ways to ease anxiety and find peace. I gained a toolkit of exercises that I can use to deal with stress and anxiety in the future that every artist should have." -Grant Tilly | Composer, Writer, Actor
"This was inspiring in the unification of like-minded individuals who were looking for help. This course was a breath of fresh air standing out against so many clouded ideas of how to go about life. I gained some important tools to manage stress and inner dialogue" -Tyler Emond
"The facilitator's teaching was great and informative and had a very relaxed teaching style. This course provided me with a set of tools to use for relaxation, meditation and creative focus that was very helpful. I gained exercises I can continue to use after the course that will be helpful for my day to day life." -JW
"The teaching was inspiring - inspiring me to dedicate more time for self-care and integrate daily practices to make me a healthier self! This course challenged me to continue to dive into the work I need to do on my self-talk/negative voices. It sparked joy and hope - teaching practices to handle this chaotic world. I gained insight into parts of myself that need more nurturing and gained new tools to do so." -Trish MacAulay | Music Therapist, Psychotherapist, Musician
"This was inspiring. The skills I learned pushed me towards the change that I'm looking for but in a gentle and reassuring way that was easy to incorporate into my daily practice. This course was the change I needed. I gained a clarity and clearer perspective." -Kim Craig
"Incredibly thorough and provided a lot of information and exercises in each session that we could pick and choose from for our at-home practice. This course was a wonderful way to reset and have a sense of community during this pandemic. I gained valuable tools that I can return to everyday that help with anxiety and overwhelm." -Claire Doyle | Musician
Higher Vibrations: Mastering Frequency for Success! - Kerrin Daniels - Music Managers Forum
"The Facilitator's teaching was excellent and her rationale on how the practicum applies in real life was amazing. The course was very knowledgeable and provide me with invaluable major life skills. I gained valuable insight into why I am the person I am and how to change what I need to be on the highest frequency possible." -Anita Van Dinther"
"The tools shared were really useful; everyone I’ve heard from spoke very highly of the content and of the facilitator. Thank you all for partnering with us on this, the team was AWESOME and so helpful while we were setting it up and going back and forth about everything." -Music Managers Forum
Mindfulness Through Uncertainty - Terry Gardiner - Unified Feel Inc.
"Terry was very facilitating in making the dynamics of each session feel collaborative and safe, with zero judgment throughout. I never felt any sense of discomfort or anxiety when participating in the group exercises. This course was enlightening. I gained some helpful tools on how to deal with mental turbulence associated with depression and anxiety." -BK | Recording & Mixing Engineer, Drummer"
Sacred 4 D: Steps for Holistic Wellness - Cease Wyss - Red Music Rising & Nagamo Publishing
"I really enjoyed all the information around plants and how they can be used as medicine/preventative medicine. This course offered a new perspective on my surroundings and how abundant natural resources are! I gained a new appreciation for plants and how they can aid in my health. I also learnt more about the First Nations community and what I take for granted can affect the community negatively." -Stephanie Ramón | Animation Artist
"Cease was grounded in deep wisdom and insight. She shares what she knows with incredible generosity and joy." -Nadine Nakagawa
Harmonizing With The Mind And Body - Michelle Nicholls - Unison Benevolent Fund
"I found the sessions so full and rich with resources, I just need time to digest and incorporate what resonated. Using loving kindness meditation to deal with difficult people, releasing the need to label sounds in meditation. The only thing I would have changed was an announcement that it was our last session!"
Finding Balance - Dr. Anita Shack - Serena Ryder
“The Art of Wellness has been a wonderful resource for me during these pandemic times of uncertainty. It reaffirmed to me that healing comes within and that we have many tools readily available to us to connect with ourselves and help us through periods of discomfort.” -Hillary Kourkoutis | Producer and Songwriter
“I enjoyed this course so much! It was both expansive and healing, covering a broad spectrum of the mind and how we operate. I’ve left empowered with so many new tools I’ll carry with me forever.” -Meghan Kabir | Music Marketing Manager
“This program created a welcoming and safe space that encouraged deep reflection, and provided tools to help manage stress, anxiety, and negative thought patterns. I appreciated the holistic approach and enjoyed learning some of the science behind the cause and effects as well!” -Savannah Wellman
“The Art of Wellness provided an incredibly insightful and calming way to find your way into mindfulness and meditation, complete with information about the emotional, physical and mental benefits that will give you the 'why' you need to be able to self-sooth, find balance, and build real resilience to stress.” -Mika Collins | Writer, Actor, Musician
“This program was a great way to take time for my own well-being, to learn from a knowledgeable and sensitive teacher, and explore what habits or patterns might be keeping me from my personal best. I gained new insight into myself, a refresher of some teachings, as well a great deal of new information and many new ideas for self-care.” -Laurel James | Music Teacher, Songwriter
“This program was an opportunity to have a visceral healing from the struggle of the global health crisis which also culminated with healing a personal mental health matter. I gained excellent tools for artists and a feeling of being more connected to ArtHaus.” -Rosemarie Cuffy | Marketing Freelancer, Agent
"Working with this program helped to find the calm in the storm, and for that, I am most thankful!" -JH | Actor, Filmmaker, Author