Meet Shayna

I'm a certified expressive arts practitioner living and working in Chilliwack, British Columbia, on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Stó:lō Coast Salish peoples. As a settler on this land, I'm committed to ongoing honouring, learning, and showing up better.

I started Art Cafe to create spaces where people can make art, reflect, and connect, no talent required. I’m now based in Chilliwack, and I'm looking forward to seeing how Art Cafe grows here, with you.

Professional background

I trained in expressive arts at the Vancouver School of Healing Arts. During my practicum, I worked with children in elementary schools, with women and families at a Downtown Eastside community centre, and with adults living with HIV, cancer, and hepatitis C through a community health non-profit.

For 3.5 years I worked as an expressive arts practitioner at a care home, supporting older adults with complex care needs, including dementia, physical disabilities, and end-of-life care. Being in creative relationship with that community was a joy and a privilege.

I also hold a Bachelor of Design from York University/Sheridan College in Toronto. Much of my study focused on creative confidence: the belief that everyone is creative, and that creativity is less about making "good" art than about how we approach the world.

How I work

Expressive arts training changed how I live, and I'm grateful to share it. My approach is collaborative. I co-create spaces that are safe, inclusive, and non-judgemental, and I'm there to listen, explore, and make art alongside you.

Slowness, intention, and humility guide how I work and live.

Beyond the studio

Art-making is also my own self-care. My creative practice keeps me grounded and helps me stay present with others.

I'm most inspired by the natural world: its textures, colours, and rhythms. When I'm not facilitating, you'll probably find me collecting rocks, tending my garden, or swimming in lakes.