Mental Wellness for Artists

All Sessions Recorded! Recording links will be made available to registrants.

Every Tuesday (6 weeks) 

Starting June 2nd - July 7th, 2026

6.00 PM - 8.00 PM (PDT) Online via Zoom

Course Description: 

In this workshop, Lalita aims to help participants work through art-related psychological and emotional barriers in a confidential space where you feel heard, accepted, and supported. The specific topics will be tailored to the needs and goals of those who register. 

These are likely to include topics like:

• Contributing factors to common mental health issues in artists.
• Reducing and managing unhelpful anxiety.
• Clarifying artistic purpose, identity, and process.
• Identifying and working through internal and external barriers.
• Managing expectations of self and others while reducing attachment to outcome.
• Improving self-awareness, self-reflection, self-confidence, and self-esteem.
• Maintaining a growth mindset of openness, curiosity and trust.
• Neurodivergent traits (such as ADHD).
• Identifying and making a plan toward your artistic goals.
• Identifying and creating strengths and supports.
• ‘Letting go’ and following through.

This workshop will be an investment in your creative identity and potential. Although participants will not create art during the sessions, optional art-related explorations and exercises will be provided for you to complete between sessions. This is a unique opportunity for small-group mentorship with Lalita, who is both a professional artist and certified counsellor. 

Note: since this workshop includes a focus on creative process, many of the attached paintings are studies or works in progress!

Recommended text:“Fearless Creating: A step-by-step guide to starting and completing your work of art” by Dr. Eric Maisel. 

About Lalita Hamill, AFCA: 

Lalita is a sought-after instructor and juror who specializes in contemporary realism, especially of figures, still life and landscapes.  She attended the Vancouver Academy of Art for four years, where she studied traditional painting methods from classically trained instructors. Lalita is a Signature member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, and an Associate Member of Oil Painters of America. She has been teaching for over 35 years, facilitated public monthly critiques for 10 years, and has been running a weekly contemporary atelier program out of her studio for nine years. Lalita designed the Foundations Program for the Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA), and teaches and mentors artists throughout BC. She is accomplished in oils, acrylics and watercolour, and specializes in art assessment, mentorship, and jurying.

Lalita has an honours degree in philosophy and english, and a masters in counselling psychology (MACP). She works as a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC), and is also an amateur writer, musician, & Reiki practitioner. “I paint to gently awaken in myself and others that which has been lost, hidden, or buried.”   - L.C. Hamill 

Visit www.lalitahamill.com

Student Testimonials:

• “This course is excellent. It has changed almost entirely how I look at myself, not only with respect to my art, but also how I manage my daily life. I feel far more free to be myself and to trust my abilities”. – L. Sykes

• “I feel more relaxed about what I do, and freer to try different things!” S. Lamont

• “Being encouraged to re-frame my recurring thoughts was good for me to do. By having to analyze ways to stope the same thoughts from showing up, I had to find ways to deal with the situation – to change it, or to change my reaction to it. Instead of feeling depressed from being in a continual rut, I found hopeful ways to survive even the worst [artistic] problems.” C. Evens

• “It is impossible to reiterate how much I have learned today. I will soak up anything Lalita provides.” M. Frost

• “I really appreciate Lalita’s knowledge delivered with such a friendly, inclusive style.” J. Dixon

• “I was most impressed with the manner of Lalita’s teaching and her knowledge about her subject…I would recommend her classes to anyone, be they a beginner, an aspiring amateur, or a more advanced artist.” – T.M. Kronstrom