Tell Us Your Story. What motivated you to start your business? Why are you passionate about what you do?

I am an artist that started intuitively painting mandala designs after I had breast cancer. My intention is to use my art to help others find healing, and to work through illness, trauma and the many twists and turns that a life can take. During my recovery from cancer, I found my healing path through a regular meditation and yoga practise. For centuries the mandala (circular geometric pattern) has been used in meditation to provide focus, peace, and healing. Whether you focus on music, a visual tool (e.g., a mandala or a candle flame), a mantra, or your breath, using tools in your practise will help you sit in stillness. My designs are created as tools to help create a sacred space and support a meditation and yoga practise that you will want to repeat daily. I love creating art that acts as a catalyst for healing and helps people connect with the highest versions of themselves.

Describe and demonstrate, including metrics, your community support. How do you support and uplift your community, and how do they show that support in return? Minimum 25 words, maximum 2500 characters.

My work helps my customers find focus in meditation so that they become aware of thought patterns that no longer serve them, which can be the first step in recovery. I support my community by teaching meditation through group and private workshops. If every person could learn to meditate, we would live more mindfully and communicate with each other in a much healthier, loving, way. Nothing is more rewarding than having a customer tell me the impact that my art has made in their life. My regular home meditation practise, combined with my community yoga practise, helps me to live mindfully with awareness and compassion. I'm honoured that someone in my community saw value in my work and felt compelled to nominate me for this award.

Why do you deserve to win the Business Impact award?

Winning this award would not only be a personal honour but would also provide a platform for me to continue my work and make an impact by expanding my marketing and ordering products that my customers have been requesting. I’m deeply grateful for the nomination and see it as an opportunity to celebrate and elevate this work. Meditation and yoga offer powerful tools for finding balance and peace, especially in challenging times. They can provide a sense of calm and grounding amid chaos. I’d like to continue to create art that supports mindfulness to channel my creativity and contribute to the well-being of my community and beyond. Receiving this award would be incredibly validating for my business. It would affirm its value and enable me to amplify my message through marketing.

Tell Us About Your Culture. How are you creating a sustainable and healthy workplace where everyone feels welcome? Provide examples of leadership you show in interactions with clients, vendors, contractors, staff and others.

It’s important to me to create a supportive, empathetic culture and meaningful products with partners who share the same vision. Knowing how products are made, where they came from and how those companies operate is critical to my production. I’ve sourced partners both locally and in India that work with me to ensure we create a high-quality product that truly reflect our values of integrity and transparency. My products use only natural fibres and are produced in small quantities to ensure less wastage and impact on the planet. Each design has an intention and I want people to feel that and connect with my artwork through the products they purchase from me. As a "solopreneur" it’s important to have a supportive network. Even if it’s not always formal or full-time, it can make a huge impact. I’m very appreciative of the connection I have with my community. Over the years we’ve all evolved and my business has been influenced by these connections I’ve created a meaningful and conscientious approach to my production process. It’s important to me to work with production partners who have a similar approach to business and work collaboratively. By focusing on transparency, integrity, and sustainability, I don’t just create products, but I foster a connection between the consumer and the story behind each piece.

Why do you think you should win the Premier’s People’s Choice Award?

My goal has always been to create meaningful change through my art. I create art that is both beautiful and functional and supports a larger intention of providing support for wellness. I’ve always wanted to support people in their healing process, and I take pride in the personal connections I’ve made and the support I’ve been able to provide. Every positive contribution that anyone can make, whether it’s large or small, helps build a stronger community. To have an impact on my community recognized through this award would be a huge honour.