I met Meri Cherry several years ago at her kids art studio here in Los Angeles. Little did I know that my kids would become long-time students and customers of her studio, and she and I would become fast friends as fellow creatives and small business owners. Her focus on process art for kids spans over a decade and is centered on the idea that the magic of playing, making, and creating is in the process and less about the perfection of the end result. She recently began sharing—on her Instagram—a new format of art therapy she came up with by accident which she calls “Sticker Stories”. By using stickers to tell visual stories in a mini notebook, she has developed a type of creative activity and therapy we didn’t realize we all needed. We talked about how Sticker Stories developed, how it’s helped her heal, how it has helped others in her community, and how you can start sticking to your own heart’s content.
Press play above to listen to our conversation!
Here are some visuals of Meri’s Sticker Stories from our talk to help you connect with the audio:
A few things we discuss in this episode:
-How process art takes the pressure off art-making when you’re not attached to the outcome
-Why having a way to share our feelings (without having to verbalize them) is so important
-How you can create without being someone who considers themselves creative
-Why this is such a great activity for all ages
-Why it’s important to have space to not be perfect
-What you need to start making your own Sticker Stories
Thank you, Meri, for sharing this inspiring practice with us! You can follow Meri right here. The materials she mentions include: Starter Packs, Pipsticks, Posca Markers, and Journals.
Thank you so much for being here and listening to this podcast episode of Crazy. Mad. Joy. Whether you’re new to my work or a long time supporter, I appreciate you so much! And, if you like what you’re reading, please consider sharing with others and encouraging them to subscribe, too.
All photos provided by Meri Cherry
How Stickers Turned into Art Therapy