Years ago, before “I started working on myself” I would have a constant flurry of anxious thoughts. that took up my heart and mind! I would race to seek calm, answers and how to get there. Various practices, techniques, therapy and at times medication, all provided insight on the journey I was on.

One of the helpful discoveries I made, was the importance of getting absorbed in something that relieved the racing, bombardment of negative thoughts or as I now say to clients “something that doesn’t serve you well”.

In roughly 2020 anxiety was at an all time high….pandemic induced ramped up existing panic ….I discovered the winding of strips of paper. The focus it requires (for me anyway) was a welcomed distraction of thoughts that overwhelmed and I felt needed sorting and explanation. The thin strips of paper gently held between my fingers as I guided it in a circular direction became my only thought. OK perhaps not ONLY thought - that Nirvana is still somewhere out there, but you know what I mean. A calm washed over me! My heart felt a reprieve from panic and I relished in it! Still do!

I began to Wind To Unwind and quickly accumulated jars of rolled strips of paper in various colors and shapes. Now what to do with them I pondered.

Random assembling and gluing then became satisfying, calming and visually pleasing. Colorful reminders of the importance of finding my own creative wellness pastime, that allowed me to get lost in happier and calmer thoughts.

In December of 2025 I shared my work for the first time in a gallery - Thank You Barbara C for gifting me the opportunity at Angell Street Galleries! Over the five years since I began quilling, both my approach and winding became looser and freeing…as did my thoughts and darkness.

Perhaps one of the most satisfying elements of exhibiting and sharing my vulnerable journey, was conversations with attendees who felt a freedom to reveal their own struggles with anxiety, some telling techniques for relief and others eager to find their path to calmness. We shared conversations, tears and comfort around anxiety and stories of brighter days.