Transforming Lives Through Art

Through the SketchPoetic® practice, we’ve already reached thousands of people showing how intuitive, free-flow sketching reduces stress, nurtures resilience, and restores connection. Backed by decades of scientific research on the healing power of art, we now seek to scale this impact: expanding arts and healing programs across schools, hospitals, and community spaces, and building a global platform where every life is honored as a living canvas.

VIEW OUR IMPACT REPORT
SketchPoetic Workshop with Compassion Prison Project.

Our Impact

Since September 2025:

These are not simply numbers, they represent a growing ecosystem of people who are now aware and learning to use creativity as a tool for healing and transformation.

Two women smiling and standing outside under a blue canopy tent that has a logo and text about climate change. One woman is wearing a blue tracksuit and sunglasses, and the other is wearing a blue T-shirt with black and white patterned pants and sunglasses. There is a large white vertical sign with black and red text partially visible on the left side of the image. The background includes green trees, a grass lawn, and a clear blue sky.

Our Sponsors & Partners

Partner Spotlight

"What keeps me going is seeing how transformative it is." — Elya Braden, Founder of Hagomel Foundation.

Elya Braden shares how participants often arrive at her workshops saying they haven't created art since they were children. By the end, they're writing, creating, connecting, and feeling safe enough to be vulnerable with people they've just met.

Even when Elya isn't physically leading every workshop, she continues to receive photos, stories, and feedback from participants. Every message reminds her that these creative spaces are making a real difference.

Healing grows when people feel seen.
Creativity grows when people feel safe.

And sometimes, that's all someone needs to begin again.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

View Our Channel
Living Canvas Foundation YouTube channel homepage featuring a promotion for 2025 art and healing videos.
Living Canvas Foundation YouTube channel.
"Sketch by Sketch: The Creative Path to Emotional Healing and Transformation' by Sheila Darcey.

Our Origin

9K+ copies sold worldwide: Living Canvas Foundation is rooted in the work and methodology shared in the book Sketch by Sketch.

2,000+ participants engaged in SketchPoetic workshops across schools, hospitals, community centers, wellness retreats, and corporate settings in the U.S. and internationally

125 artists curated and showcased in Arts & Healing exhibits and community showcases.

50+ communities served: unhoused populations, at-risk youth, justice-impacted individuals, women and gender-expansive groups, veterans, students, AAPI communities, health & wellness participants, and business organizations.

36 countries across 6 continents reached through SketchPoetic workshops and programs

Publications

Editorial Feature for Sketch by Sketch. Author Sheila Darcey. 'Sketching to Overcome Anxiety' discusses using drawing as a tool to manage anxiety.
Editorial Feature for Sketch by Sketch. 'Heal Your Emotions' by Sheila Darcey, including a wheel diagram labeled 'The Feeling Wheel' and handwritten notes.
Editorial Feature for Juno Magazine of Sketch by Sketch. Author Sheila Darcey.
Mental Health Media Group Feature. Artist Sheila Darcey.
"7 Sketching Books That Separate Experts from Amateurs" with sections discussing different books on sketching, including "Sketch by Sketch" by Sheila Darcey.