Colour Me Happy! - By Brandi Hofer Studios

Being creative means you can pretty much do anything! Your brain is wired with problem-solving superpowers. The magic happens when you stop waiting and start creating! - Brandi 

This week on Colour Me Happy Podcast  What if being creative means you’re actually equipped to do anything? In this episode of Colour Me Happy, Brandi Hofer sits down with artist Tracy Verdugo to talk about the real superpower creatives carry: creative problem-solving.
Together, they unpack the challenge of juggling endless ideas, letting go of traditional “art rules,” and choosing process and empowerment over outcome-driven expectations. This conversation is a reminder that no one is coming to knock on your door with permission or opportunity—you create it yourself.
By thinking outside the box, making bold moves, and leaning into community and connection, creatives can build momentum, confidence, and a practice that truly feels like home. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment, this is your sign to get going.
Takeaway Tips:
Create the opportunity! Don’t wait for it.Try unconventional approaches in your art practice, pitch your own ideas, start the project, send the message. Momentum comes from action, not permission.
Connection is your creative best friend.Reach out, find your people, build community. Creativity thrives when it’s shared, supported, and celebrated together.

Self-love isn’t selfish—it’s how we remember who we are and give ourselves permission to shine.
Local business owner and founder of Power of Pink, Kim Newsted, joins me on the Colour Me Happy podcast for a conversation every woman needs to hear.
This episode is an invitation to refocus on your power, your goals, your wants, your needs, and your health—without guilt. Kim reminds us that when we truly take care of ourselves, the right people, opportunities, and energy naturally begin to flow into our lives.
This event (and this conversation) is about changing the narrative. It’s a reminder that women deserve to shine, recharge, and step fully into their power. When we reclaim our sparkly pink, we don’t dim others—we light the way.
If you’re craving inspiration, alignment, and permission to put yourself back on the list, this one’s for you.
Focus inward first.
When you get clear on what you want and need, everything around you begins to align more effortlessly.

Self-care creates ripple effects.
Taking care of yourself isn’t indulgent—it’s how you show up stronger, brighter, and more present for everyone else.

Ticket HERE - don’t miss it!

“Sometimes art isn’t about building a career—it’s about holding onto the part of you that’s still yours.”
Enjoy this candid and deeply relatable conversation with two Canadian artists as we talk honestly about creativity, motherhood, imposter syndrome, and the messy middle of following a dream you love.
Emma Jane Lefebvre of EmJ Watercolour Studio shares how her art practice began in the margins of motherhood. Painting during nap times because she needed something that was just for her. What started without any plan to become a career slowly evolved as she began sharing what she knew, filming watercolour tutorials while her son slept (and sometimes woke up mid-intro—something longtime viewers will recognize).
We share practical, budget-friendly art supply tips, including ways to reuse “failed” paintings and give yourself permission to experiment without judgment.
This episode is a reminder that even when it’s hard, you can figure it out, one small moment at a time.

Create in the margins—those moments matter.
Nap times, early mornings, and stolen minutes count. You don’t need more time; you need permission.

Take the pressure off your materials.
Cut expensive paper into smaller pieces, keep a judgment-free sketchbook, and reuse “bad art” as abstract backgrounds or collage fodder. Nothing is wasted.

You don’t need the whole plan. You just need the courage to begin—and the right people around you. - Brandi
What if that creative dream you’ve been quietly carrying for decades isn’t too late… but right on time?
Catherine Rains is back on the Colour Me Happy podcast, and this conversation is a powerful reminder that creativity doesn’t run on a deadline. Catherine shares how she spent years thinking about her creative dream—and how, at 50, she finally decided to go for it without knowing exactly how it would unfold.

After transitioning from a corporate career into full-time art in her late 50s, Catherine opens up about the very real four-year struggle to make income from her work, the turning point that came from hiring a coach, and how surrounding herself with a creative community changed everything.

We also talk collage, creative retreats, the joy of “trash raccoon” collecting, women traveling solo, and why these experiences feel like such a gift to women craving connection, creativity, and courage.

If you’ve ever thought “maybe someday” about your art—this episode is your nudge.

2 Takeaway Tips
You don’t have to know the how—just honour the pull.
Creative dreams don’t disappear. If they keep returning, they’re asking for your attention.

Growth accelerates when you stop doing it alone.
A coach and a creative community can fast-track clarity, confidence, and momentum—especially in a creative career transition.

👉 Be sure to check out Catherine’s collage course and her free creative offer on her website.

"Maybe this is all I can do right now—and that has to be enough."
We’re coming to you from a small hockey town in the middle of nowhere Canada—snowdrifts piled high, tiny coffee shops keeping us warm, and, yes… a lot of hockey. We didn’t bring all our podcast gear. We didn’t bring perfection. What we brought was gratitude.

Gratitude for you! For giving us a little slice of your time, your attention, and your dedication to this podcast. Especially during a season that feels loud, full, and overwhelming.
This episode (and this note) is a gentle check-in. A reminder to take care of yourself during the holidays. From one mom to another—this is coming from someone who recently cried in a closet because it all felt like too much.
We try to do it all. We juggle everything. And sometimes it feels like the balls are dropping all around us. Maybe this season isn’t about doing more—but about saying: this is all I can do right now… and the rest just is.
Ask for help where you can. Eat a snack. Take a bath. Make time for you—and book it in like the non-negotiable it truly is.

Your creativity matters. It’s powerful. And it has the ability to change your life. Let’s step into the new year with intention, softness, and courage—together.
Coming soon in the new year!
Inspiring NEW artist interviews
Local, in-person Memory Portrait Workshops & Summer Watercolour Day Escapes
Our first-ever Art Retreat (applications opening soon!)
Conversations that reconnect you to your creativity and yourself

👉 Sign up to be the first to know about the art retreats & Workshops (HERE)

Takeaway Tips:
You don’t need to do it all—and you certainly don’t need to do it perfectly. Decide what actually matters right now, and let the rest be good enough.
If it’s not scheduled, it won’t happen. Whether it’s a bath, a walk, journaling, painting, or five quiet minutes—put it in your calendar and treat it like a non-negotiable appointment.
This is your reminder that asking for help is not failure—it’s wisdom. Let someone bring the snacks. Let something be unfinished. Let yourself be supported.