About Maria

I am a certified Intuition Painting® facilitator, artist, and lifelong reflective practitioner.

For many years, I worked in higher education leadership and organizational life — guiding systems, supporting growth, and holding responsibility. Beneath that work, creativity was always quietly sustaining me.

I did not begin painting until later in life. What began as personal exploration became a profound practice of listening. When I returned to painting not as product, but as process, something shifted. The canvas became a place where performance fell away and honesty could surface without judgment.

What began as personal integration became shared practice.

My approach is informed by decades of lived experience and formal education. I hold a degree in Business and Accounting, a B.A. in Psychology, and a Master’s degree in English. I am currently pursuing a certificate in Grief, Trauma, and Renewal, deepening my understanding of transition and integration.

I now create spaces where creativity is not about artistic skill, but awareness. Where people can meet themselves gently. Where integrity matters more than image.

My work is grounded in presence, compassion, and coherence — trusting that wisdom emerges when we are willing to witness what is already within us. I believe the canvas reflects what words sometimes cannot — and that through that reflection, we grow into ourselves more fully.

Soul Journey Arts grew from this practice.