5 Times Art Saved My Fucking Life (and Why It Continues To Do So) 🎨

3-5 minute read
by: Sunny Voitsekhovsky

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They say art imitates life—but for me, art fucking saved it. Like a cosmic paintbrush dipped in magic and rebellion, art has been my therapist, my best friend, and sometimes my only safe space.

So yeah… this one’s for the messy creators, the quiet feelers, and the ones who turned pain into something fucking beautiful.

“Spinning In The Garden”

Acrylic On Canvas, 11×14 by Sunny Voitsekhovsky. SOLD. A painting that can be enjoyed in either direction, known as four paintings in one.

If you would like to purchase postcards or prints of Spinning In The Garden, they’ll soon be available on my Etsy shop: Quirky Coven Art.

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🎨 5 Times Art Saved My Life

1. Art Was My Calm in the Chaos

When I was little and my parents were at each other’s throats, art was my sanctuary. While dishes clanged and voices rose, I’d retreat into my world of colour and pencil crayons. It was the only place I could breathe. The only place untouched by adult rage, confusion, and all those unspoken fears. My art table was my altar. My escape. My safe little rebellion.

“The Elegant Cat”, Marker on 24lb Printer Paper, 8.5x11 by Sunny Voitsekhovsky

2. Art Never Judged or Bullied Me

School was brutal. The world didn’t know what to do with my weirdness, my big feelings, my ADHD brain that wandered off mid-sentence. But art? Art welcomed me home. It never rolled its eyes or called me “too much.” It handed me a paintbrush and said, “Go on, love—show them who the fuck you are.” In those moments, surrounded by colour and possibility, I felt whole.

I had the pleasure of being invited to the outdoor Artisan Market hosted by Nightmare Oasis, an art gallery and art community hub in Nanaimo, BC, where I displayed my art pieces, prints and stickers, offering a variety of colourful and whimsical works.

Whimsical Art Prints & Hoodies Available for the Autumn Season

Visit the Quirky Coven Art Studio on Etsy and discover all the whimsy your childhood self has craved all along.

“Super Marilyn”, Digital Art created using a combination of Procreate, Illustrator and Photoshop, 8.5x11 by Sunny Voitsekhovsky

3. Art Let Me Feel What I Couldn’t Say

I grew up in an emotionally unavailable, unregulated home. Feelings were inconvenient, too loud, too messy. So, I stuffed them down until they started leaking out sideways. Art was the first place I could safely feel. Before therapy. Before self-help books. Before I even knew what the word “trauma” meant. Each brushstroke was a scream I never got to yell. Each sketch, a story I couldn’t tell out loud. Each scribble, a release of energy (rage, anger, resentment, guilt, fear, self-doubt… you name it).

“Yellow Snakes In Different Shapes”, Digital Art created using Procreate, 18×24 by Sunny Voitsekhovsky

Snakes are the epitome of Transformation. Throughout various cultures, snakes and snake imagery have symbolized transformation, rejuvenation, death and rebirth.

Purchase your “Yellow Snakes In Different Shapes” print on canvas here.

Watch the process of creating this piece here.

4. Art Gave Me Purpose

Spoiler alert: it still does.
When everything else has burned down, art is what rises from the ashes. It’s the thing that keeps me curious, grounded, and alive. It’s not just a hobby—it’s the heartbeat of my existence.

“Business Blessing”, Acrylic on Canvas, approx. 5×7 by Sunny Voitsekhovsky, Original not for sale.

5. Art Gave Me Freedom 🪄

Art, in any form, is freedom. Freedom to be, to feel, to expand beyond the edges of what’s expected. It’s the bridge between my inner child and my higher self. It’s how I meet myself again and again in deeper, more magical ways. Every line, every colour, every strange little creation—it’s all me saying, “I’m still here. I’m still choosing life.”

♡♡♡

Summary:

Art isn’t just about pretty things. It’s about survival and thrival. It’s the language of the soul when words just don’t fucking cut it. It’s the reason I made it through the storm and the reason I keep creating now. So if you’ve ever been told you’re too much, too sensitive, too dramatic—pick up the brush anyway. You might just find yourself again in the colours.

✨ Want more soul-filled, rebellious reflections like this?
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🪄 Or—come explore my art shop on Etsy, where I turn my healing into pieces you can actually hold. Because sometimes, the medicine is meant to be seen.

10 Spooky & Soul-Soothing Halloween Art Creations for Nervous System Regulation (and a Happy ADHD Brain!)

5-10 minute read
by: Sunny Voitsekhovsky

Some of the links I share may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you! I only recommend things I genuinely love and align with. Weirdo at heart. Healing with humour. Expressing authenticity and joy 💖✨🙂‍↕️🌻🙏

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Halloween is my absolute favourite holiday – inviting in the weird, the mystical, the misfit and the MAGIC ✨

The costumes, the candles, the chaos! The chance to be unapologetically weird and creative? Yes please. Every October, I can feel my inner witch cackling with joy. It’s the one time of year the world actually celebrates shadow work and self-expression instead of labelling it “too much.”

But here’s the thing: Halloween doesn’t just have to be about sugar highs and spooky vibes. It can also be a sacred invitation to regulate your nervous system, express your emotions, and give your ADHD brain the happy chemicals it craves (hi dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin 💋).

So light your black candle, turn up the lo-fi haunted beats, and let’s get messy, witchy, and creative. Here are 10 easy, spooky art therapy creations that’ll calm your mind, heal your nervous system, and fill your soul with pure, pumpkin-spiced joy.

Fun Fact about me: I don’t actually enjoy Pumpkin Spice all that much, and I never have Pumpkin Spice Lattes, as those are coffee, and we all know I don’t drink that stuff; however, I see a lot of you do, and so does my partner. She’s low-key obsessed, in fact.

Want to continue healing creatively? Join the STARDUST Container.

👻 10 Spooky Art Therapy Creations for a Calm Mind & Regulated Nervous System

🕸️ 1. Witchy Watercolour Night Sky

Let your brush wander across the paper with purples, blacks, and deep blues. Add stars, a glowing moon, or a witch silhouette flying by.
Therapeutic benefit: The flowing nature of watercolor encourages emotional release and nervous system regulation.You’ll literally watch your worries bleed into art.

This image was created using Google Gemini AI for this blog and to encourage inspiration.

“The goal with art isn’t to go out and buy everything new. Use what you have! Get Creative!”

— Sunny @AbundantBetch

👻 2. Textured Ghost Painting

Grab some modelling paste, tissue paper, spackle, or anything that adds texture—and paint your own little textured ghosties on canvas. Play with the paint using your fingers, a palette knife, or even old brushes. My partner and I found this idea on Pinterest and decided to make our own ghost art—it’s both spooky and strangely healing. (While I’ve worked with texture before and absolutely love it, Megan and I haven’t had a chance to create this specific piece yet—but it’s next on our list!)

There’s something about painting with texture that feels both grounding and transcendent—like being out of body while deeply in your body. It’s a form of self-expression that lets your emotions flow through touch and movement rather than words. Also, fun tip: If your love language is physical touch, this can create the sensation of that – creating with the Universe!

Therapeutic benefit: Working with texture helps your body release stored stress, regulate your nervous system through tactile stimulation, and increases dopamine and serotonin by engaging your senses. It’s grounding, present, and pure creative joy.

Just search “Textured Ghost Painting” on Pinterest for more ideas :)

Source: CraftBits.com

🎭 3. “Mask” Your Mood

Create a “spooky” mask that expresses how you actually feel—ghosted, fiery, witchy, anxious, or calm. Use paint, feathers, or torn paper. I always like the papier-mache look, or in elementary school, I remember making a mask of my own fae using gauze, also known as a plaster strip mask.
Therapeutic benefit: Helps with emotional regulation and expression without words. A safe outlet for your shadow side 👁️.

The mask I made in elementary school was painted orange, with blues and some pinks. It hung in my bedroom for a while, then was tossed in the art pile, now it lives at my mother’s… perhaps we got rid of it? I’m not sure to be honest, however, it was one of the COOLEST experiences possible, to make one of these with a friend, loved one or stranger in art class!

🍁 4. Earth Element Art (Leave No Trace Witchcraft)

Step outside and gather what calls to you—fallen leaves, sticks, stones, petals, bark, pinecones, even a little dirt. Create a witchy landscape or Halloween-inspired scene using only what nature provides—no glue, no tape, no tools. Let your intuition guide you as you arrange your materials into shapes, patterns, or symbolic art forms. (I love doing these on a black piece of paper for that extra POP!)

Maybe your leaves form a crescent moon, your stones outline a cat, or your twigs shape a tiny haunted forest. When you’re done, snap a photo to honour your creation, then let the wind, rain, or time take it away—returning it gently back to the Earth.

This is creation as ceremony. It’s impermanent, grounding, and deeply connected to the elements around you.

Therapeutic benefit: Working directly with the earth promotes nervous system regulation through grounding and sensory connection. The natural textures and organic flow of materials support presence, peace, and serotonin release.It’s mindfulness disguised as magic—and it’s free.

Just search “Art with nature elements and materials only” on Pinterest for more ideas :)

Artist: Sister Golden, for both the skeleton and witch made from natural materials, originally found on Pinterest

🦇 5. Bat Wing Gratitude Garland

Cut out bat shapes and write one thing you’re grateful for on each wing. String them together into a garland for your wall or altar.
Therapeutic benefit: Boosts serotonin and oxytocin through gratitude and creativity. Also—it looks cute as hell.

Fun Tip: Write your gratitude and affirmations with gold or silver marker to give it that extra flair and make it a family activity or a craft with your partner, that way you can infuse your home with the energy of gratitude, benefiting all. These are my absolute fave gold and silver markers, including acrylic and oil-based paint markers… get ‘em here for you halloween and holiday crafts.

💀 6. Skull of Self-Love

Draw or paint a sugar skull that represents parts of yourself you’ve buried or forgotten. Fill it with affirmations, bright colours, and words of power.
Therapeutic benefit: Combines inner healing, identity integration, and dopamine activation. Shadow work meets sugar skull.

This art therapy exercise allows you to open up forgotten layers of self, maybe the self you’ve masked all this time. It’s a helpful creativity activity to unlock your purpose, connect with your inner child and allow you to experience the passions you once had (but forgot about).

This list features my fave fantastic (and affordable) art supplies for both adults and children. You can also find my fave arts and crafts supplies for Halloween crafts and art therapy activities (like these ones), on the same list.

Get creative with this idea! If you can’t find a skull from the dollar store, think outside the box! Check out my Fave Art Supplies for inspo. These don’t have to be exactly as in the picture, let your imagination wander… maybe you decide that little wooden ornament skulls are best for this project for you and your family.

Pssst… I have these blank little wooden skull ornaments, and they’re so stinkin’ cute!! Check them out here.

The STARDUST Container is YOUR LEAP towards a more fulfilled, creative and joyful life… A healed life.

A Grant for Growth…

The STARDUST Grant: A Cosmic Invitation for Creators, Dreamers, and Change-Makers

Every so often, the Universe nudges me to make magic more accessible — and this is one of those moments.

The STARDUST Grant is my way of sponsoring part of your tuition into the container, because I know not everyone has the financial freedom yet — but they have the drive, purpose, and spark to create extraordinary change.

Normally, this experience is valued at $299/month (and currently available for $97/month) — but through this grant, you can join for just $30/month.

This isn’t a sale. It’s an energetic exchange designed to support those who are ready to rise but need a little cosmic boost to get there.

Limited to only 3 spots, because energetic alignment matters — and this is a sacred investment, from me to you.

🔮 7. Create a “Patronus” Spirit Animal Bookmark

Draw or paint your favourite spooky creature—wolf, raven, cat, or owl—on cardstock and turn it into a bookmark. My favourite is adding sparkles and glitter! Pro Tip: I like laminating my bookmarks and adding a handmade tassell or some spooky beads on the end.
Therapeutic benefit: Taps into imagination, connection, and mindfulness, while encouraging focus and presence (hello, ADHD joy).

I like utilizing recycled carboard and materials as much as possible in my art projects. Go diving in your recycling bin at home (or the neighbours if you dare) and find a piece of carboard that sticks out to you. Have old yarn or string laying around? Turn it into a Tassel!

“Art is meditation. For the mind that wanders, ruminates and stays up at night... art is the solution. Art is therapy.”

— Sunny @AbundantBetch

🧙‍♀️ 8. Tiny Altar of Joy

Use found objects—acorns, dried flowers, leaves, stones, candles—to make a tiny altar or shadow box that represents peace and joy. You can even make this a “travelling” altar by using an old eyeglasses case or a small box.
Therapeutic benefit: Regulates your nervous system through grounding and tactile connection. Plus, it’s hella cute and witchy.

I love adding rose petals and whatever else I can find in my witchy cabinet. Bay leaf is for manifesting wealth and good luck - that’s always fun! My fave is incorporating incense or herbal resin so I can burn it all in my cauldron afterwards.

🕯️ 9. Mood Potion Painting

Assign colours to emotions (red = anger, blue = peace, gold = joy, etc.) and mix them together intuitively on canvas or paper. No plan, no pressure.
Therapeutic benefit: Releases emotional buildup and activates dopamine and serotonin through sensory flow.

I love working with textured art and paintings, so for myself personally, what speaks to me is doing this as a textured painting; however, I could also see (and feel intuitively) how this would be a fantastic watercolour exercise/meditation.

Sometimes seeing your emotions splayed out brings a sense of understanding, clarity and a love for that emotion, or at the very least an acceptance that hadn’t arrived until now. This is one of my favourite activities. In the past I have created these paintings using textured paints, markers, through decoupage art or even digital painting through one of my favourite apps: Procreate. You can learn more about the tools I use here.

🎃 10. Paint Your Inner Monster… We all have one 😛

Draw or paint your “inner chaos gremlin.” Make them weird, funny, dramatic—whatever feels right. Then name them.
Therapeutic benefit: Encourages emotional awareness, self-acceptance, and a sprinkle of humour. Because sometimes your anxiety just needs a silly name and googly eyes.

This one time, I painted what anger felt like and looked like to me by focusing in on the feeling, and painting it while moving through anger. I also doodled a little ADHD “monster”, he’s hot pink and so cute!

Sometimes seeing our own emotions painted as gremlins or monsters humanizes them, allowing us to feel and find acceptance… eventually loving the monster within. And other times it makes us look at things differently… recognizing we no longer want to be held by said monster. When that time comes for you, Join The STARDUST Container and claim your power.

We have a grant happening right now. If you’d like to be considered, complete the STARDUST Grant Application, and may the odds be ever in your favour.

✨ The Magic Behind the Madness

Every one of these spooky art rituals engages your nervous system, dopamine pathways, and inner child—helping you reconnect to calm, creativity, and joy. You’re not just crafting… you’re regulating, healing, and expanding.

So grab your paints, your crystals, your glitter glue—and remember:
You don’t need to be an artist to make art.
You just need to be willing to feel, play, and let the magic move through you.

🔮 Choose Your Magic

Want more creative healing rituals like this?

🧠 Join my newsletter for soulful regulation tips, art therapy prompts and healing in a creative way, allowing more Light and joy into your life. ADHD hacks and tools are accompanied.

🎨 Or browse my Etsy Art Shop to bring a piece of this magic home.

AND

When you’re ready to commit to yourself, join me in the STARDUST Container, where you will transform the “bad”, the “hungry”, the “monster” in you, into Light.

Why ADHD is the Ultimate Hobby Superpower (10 Quirky Lessons from Trying Everything)

7-10 minute read
written on: August 13, 2025
by: Sunny Voitsekhovsky

With ADHD, I can always count on two things:

1. Discovering a new hobby.

2. Immediately wondering if I’ll be obsessed for life… or drop it faster than a hot glue gun with no glue stick.

And why should you listen to me, the woman who has had literally over a thousand hobbies so far? Because, whether or not you have ADHD, I’ve learned some surprisingly deep (and sometimes hilarious) lessons from every single one. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll walk away with your next obsession, too.

Fair warning: some are artsy, some are therapeutic, and some ended in mild disaster. But every single one taught me something — even if that “something” was don’t fucking monetize everything you love.

“Jack of all trades, master of none, though oftentimes better than master of one.”

The Decoupage Shells that Saved My Mental Health. Click to see these shells in action.

#1 – Gilded Decoupage Shells

This one comes with a ⚠️ trigger warning.

Trigger warning: I mention suicidal thoughts in this section. I share it because art helped save my life, and maybe it can help someone else too. But if that’s not something you want to read right now, scroll on.

Pros: Meditative, beautiful, and makes you feel like a mermaid with Mod Podge.

Cons: Gold paint is addictive. You may start casually hoarding shells “for art” like a beach raccoon.

Here’s the truth: when I started this project, I was in a terrifyingly dark place. I was experiencing suicidal thoughts. And that was shocking even to me — because I fucking love life.

It felt like my brain had betrayed me, playing an endless loop of thoughts and images that I did not want to see. I was confused, scared, and deeply unsettled.

I knew I needed to get out of my head and back into my body. One day, while washing my hands, I looked down at our bathroom sink. We have a big white shell as a soap dish — beautiful, but plain. I pictured it with a patterned interior and gilded edges. Turns out… that’s an actual thing.

That’s when I saw gilded decoupage shells on Pinterest! In all honesty.. I was so excited; this was my new hyperfixation for healing.

Before you come after me in the comments section… Megan and I collected empty shells from Vancouver Island beaches that we had sitting around the house… so I grabbed napkins, Mod Podge, a dollar-store brush, and gold paint. I turned the whole process into a slow, mindful ritual — cutting, pasting, painting — until each shell became something beautiful, meaningful and a reminder of gratitude (and life).

I called them gratitude shells. I mailed them to friends and Velvet VA members with handwritten notes, a little reminder that they were loved and appreciated. And in doing that, I remembered I was loved and appreciated too.

Lesson learned: Gratitude heals more than glitter ever could… but glitter helps. When your brain betrays you, art instead.

Yup! I painted that, and I’m pretty proud of it. First-ever textured painting.

#2 – Textured Art and Painting

Pros: Feels like finger painting for adults, but fancier.
Cons: You will stare at a half-finished piece for two weeks trying to “feel” the next layer.

I first saw content creators painting with knives on canvas — thick swipes of color, layers of texture, acrylic mediums being slathered like fancy cake icing. It looked so soothing I had to try it.

But here’s the thing: I’m the type who will only try something when I’m good and ready — not when the algorithm demands it. So no, I didn’t sprint to the art store the moment TikTok told me to ‘heal my inner child with paint.’ I’m a responsible adult, which means I opened Pinterest, pinned 87 ‘inspiration ideas’… and then let them marinate for, oh, five months. Because apparently, step one of my creative healing process is procrastination with aesthetic vision boards.

Mixing baking soda into acrylic paint gave my work this gorgeous, sandy, stone-like texture. My setup was pure ADHD budget brilliance: an easel from Facebook Marketplace, paints and palette knives from Amazon, and brushes from the Dollar Store (because Rule #1 of ADHD hobbies: do not buy the expensive stuff before you know if you’ll stick with it).

SOLD – A true Sunny Original 🌞—and yes, it’s up for grabs. Want it? Place your bid through the form, and let’s see where the art takes you. UPDATE: This painting sold before the blog even went live! 🥳

Open Bid Form

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There’s something incredibly freeing about layered textured painting. You can build, scrape, smear, and redo — and each layer becomes part of the story. Sometimes I’d leave a painting sitting on the easel for a week or two in my living room, staring at it while it stared back at me, both of us waiting for the other to make the first move.

I learned that art like this isn’t about rushing to “done” like I used to do with my orgasms.. It’s about listening to the process, to your mood, to the little voice that says more texture here or stop before you ruin it.

Lesson learned: Let the art tell you when it’s done. Sometimes that takes weeks. Meanwhile, your heart, ADHD, and “too-muchness” will absolutely try to keep adding until it looks like a unicorn barfed on it. Pro tip: stop before the glitter casualties pile up. And don’t be afraid to try new things, like adding salt, sand or other textures – like sprinkles!

#3 – Gardening

Pros: Satisfaction of eating something you grew yourself.
Cons: Deer will ruin your dreams. Twice.

I went into gardening thinking it would be a soul-healing, earth-connection, “my-hands-in-the-soil” kind of experience. And in some ways, it was — there’s something magical about seeing vegetables grow and knowing you made that happen. But here’s the thing: gardening is way better when you start out with friends, family, or a partner. Mostly because there’s a lot of waiting around…and it’s a lot of work while having other creative projects and passions (not to mention a business) on the go.

Gardening isn’t about instant gratification. The biggest lesson it taught me? Nothing grows overnight… it all takes patience, care, and the right environment for your little plant babies to thrive.

When we lived in a house with a backyard, I went big. Tomatoes, squash, carrots, radishes, strawberries, herbs. The results?

When we lived in a house with a backyard, I went big: tomatoes, squash, carrots, radishes, strawberries, herbs. The results? A small but respectable harvest… until deer wiped out the entire garden. Not once. Twice. The audacity. I spent hours setting up barriers and extra fences, screaming FUCK! at the top of my lungs… in my head, because neighbours. I tried to calm myself with, “They’re so cute, remember when babies came by?” And my partner goes, “The babies need to eat too.” Ugh… fine.

Now that we’re in an apartment, I’ve downsized and it’s much more my speed. Herbs and strawberries are my jam: basil, peppermint, chamomile, medicinal flowers — all the things I can tend daily without needing a tractor (not that we needed one before). We’ve even been growing a pineapple and a few avocado plants from seed. Do they take forever? Absolutely. But I’m weirdly okay with that now.

Our grapefruit tree died, though… my proudest moment: Growing it from a grapefruit seed inside a real grapefruit from the supermarket! So cool!

Lesson learned: Not everything in life is instant gratification. Except maybe basil. And deer eating all your food. I guess that means it was delicious…

#4 – Upcycling Furniture

Pros: Your space gets that Pinterest-worthy glow without the $3,000 “designer” price tag.

Cons: Your apartment will smell faintly of paint for about a week (even if you did it outside on the balcony or patio.

Suggestion: Use eco-friendly, non-toxic paint, which has virtually no bad smells or vibes.

Megan and I have turned plant stands, trunks, shelves, and even whole walls into works of art with a little colour magic (and a lot of chaos in the middle). Sometimes we start with a clear vision, and other times it’s more like… “Let’s just see what happens if we paint it pink and gold at midnight.”

Lesson learned: How rewarding it is to have something upcycled by your own hands. Every time I glance at our pink and rose-gold shelf, my heart does a little happy dance.

I went deep diving for a photo of my actual soaps but clearly didn’t dive deep enough (the hard drives are a whole other ocean). So this will do—thanks, ChatGPT! Mine were pretty similar, except the Himalayan pink salt layer was never thatthicc. Funny enough, I always photographed my soaps on the floor (yep, classy) or a windowsill… so this background actually checks out.

#5 – Soap Making

Pros: Your whole house smells like a luxury spa.
Cons: One “fun little hobby” order away from never wanting to look at soap again.

Back in 2015, I ran a soap-making company called Healing Properties. My thing? Infusing vegan soaps with Reiki energy, healing herbs, salts, and natural colours like turmeric, beetroot powder, and spirulina.

My vision was to bring natural, skin-loving ingredients into a world drowning in toxins — partly because I had super sensitive skin and nearly everything made me break out, and partly because, well… making soap is fun.

For a while, it was magical.

I’d pour, swirl, and decorate soaps like they were tiny works of art.

And then came The Wedding Order.

Ninety-five… maybe one hundred and ten bars. Somewhere in there, I blacked out.

Suddenly, my kitchen looked like a small apothecary had exploded. I made mistakes. The rose petals on top faded (because nature loves to keep us humble… or because I didn’t spray them with alcohol, whatever). What once felt like a soothing ritual… became a factory production line.

Lesson learned: Not every hobby needs to be monetized. Some things are better kept for yourself — otherwise, you might end up side-eyeing a bar of handmade lavender soap like it owes you money.

Visit My YouTube Channel, TikTok and Instagram for more video-form content (both short and long – I’m a yapper!).

#6 – Content Creation

Pros: Sharing your life, inspiring people, connecting with your community.
Cons: Social media burnout is very, very real.

I’ve been around the content block — YouTube, TikTok, Instagram… and now this blog. My YouTube channel has definitely seen better days, but lately I’ve been having a lot of fun on TikTok, Instagram, and, most of all, right here in blog-land.

I even have a few YouTube videos recorded and sitting patiently on my hard drive, waiting for me to edit them. But here’s the thing — content creation isn’t just about filming and posting. It’s about building habits, creating a flow, and making sure you’re not forcing yourself into burnout territory for the sake of “staying relevant.”

Right now, blogging has my heart, so that’s where my energy is going. YouTube will still be there when I’m ready to share more inspiring content — and when I do, I’ll probably post some of it here too.

Lesson learned: Authenticity > trends. Nobody wants a copycat, unless you're getting plastic surgery to look like everyone else. Sorry not sorry.

Stacks on stacks of journals—each one crammed with late-night thoughts, therapy scribbles, emotional plot twists, doodles, maps, wild ideas, and the occasional stroke of genius. Basically, my brain on paper. 🎥 Check out the video here for the full scoop.

#7 – Writing

Pros: Cathartic, creative, healing.
Cons: You’ll always want to write more than you actually have time for.

I’ve been a writer on and off for nearly my entire life. Back in school, I was obsessed with it — churning out short stories, poetry, and even children’s books, all inspired by dreams, random ideas, and pure love for storytelling.

Many of my pieces came straight from my imagination, but some were pulled from dreams so vivid I had to get them onto paper before they vanished.

These days, I’m still writing constantly — just in different forms.

It’s blogs, social captions, content for my business, personal emails, and most importantly, journaling. My journal is where I work through catharsis, process my emotions, and integrate more peace into my life with every pen stroke and carefully chosen word.

Lesson learned: Self-expression won’t just heal you — it will save your soul.

You can purchase my art here or on Etsy. Visiting Vancouver Island? My stickers and prints are available at The Nightmare Oasis Art Gallery in Nanaimo.

#8 – Digital Art (Not AI)

Pros: No cleanup. Endless creativity.
Cons (or Pro, depending on how you look at it): Easily getting lost in your creativity for 6+ hours… HELLO hyperfixation!

Art has been in my life since I was a kid — more like it raised me. It’s been my place for emotions (from grief to pure joy), my transformation, my peace, my therapy, and my lifelong companion. Digital art in particular has always fascinated me. I’ve created pieces that range from dopamine-drenched childlike doodles to intricate, transformational works that look like light language or ancient codes beamed in from another dimension.

I work intuitively, often “channelling” pieces in apps like Procreate, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Sometimes the art comes out exactly how I imagined. Other times it surprises me entirely — which is honestly half the fun. Right now, I’m working on a top-secret project connected to some of my earliest digital work, and I’m obsessed with the flow state it pulls me into every single time. Stay tuned to hear more.

Lesson learned: Love the progress, trust the process. Be open to what comes through — it might be even better than what you saw in your mind’s eye.

#9 – Reading

Pros: Expands your mind, heart, and vocabulary.
Cons: Finding the right book with ADHD takes effort (and a stubborn streak).

I didn’t become a reader until adulthood. In high school? Forget it. I wouldn’t even finish a book for an assignment — I once “read” Of Mice and Men by watching the movie, piecing together whatever the teacher read aloud in class, and calling it a day.

Turns out, I just needed the right tools, the right genres, and permission to read my way. Now I devour books on self-development, spirituality, art, consciousness, ancient Egypt, biographies, design — basically anything that catches my curiosity and refuses to let go. My attention span may be picky, but when I find the right book, I’m unstoppable.

And yes, the books have to have pictures… I mean, they don’t HAVE to… but I like when they do.

Lesson learned: Never give up on a skill just because you struggled with it before. (Also, Eat Pray Love is not the only book in the world.)

“Winter In Nanaimo” Photography by Sunny Voitsekhovsky, 2023/24. This was taken with my Google Pixel phone on Portrait Mode, unedited. At the time, we lived in a 1920s Heritage house, which served as true entrepreneurial history within Nanaimo; “Built in 1923, the Galbraith Residence is a very good example of a Late Craftsman bungalow, a popular style among Nanaimo's entrepreneurial and professional class during the 1920s.”

#10 – Photography

Pros: Forces you to see the world differently.
Cons: You’ll fill your camera roll in a single afternoon.

Before smartphones had great cameras, I carried a little digital camera everywhere. I took photos of everything — city streets, tangled forests, strangers’ faces, blurred headlights, pigeons mid-strut. Photography has been my quiet way of capturing not just what I see, but how I feel.

Every phase of my life came with its own photographic style, usually paired with words — captions, short stories, even poetry. It’s one of the ways I’ve shared my world in a way that feels inspiring to me, whether or not anyone else gets it.

Lesson learned: Always explore new perspectives — in photos and in life.

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Closing Thoughts

I’ve tried hundreds of hobbies, but these are just the first ten. ADHD might make me leap from one passion to another, but every single one has added something to my life — whether it’s patience, joy, new skills, or just a great story about deer destroying my tomatoes.

If you made it this far, drop a 🦒 in the comments so I know you’re my kind of human.

Learning to Slow the F*ck Down: How I Turned Pain Into Art and Alchemy

3-5 minute read
by: Sunny Voitsekhovsky

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I’ve been learning how incredibly uncomfortable it feels to face the slow.

Walking my dog through the forest, I notice how unnatural it feels to just… breathe. To stroll. To let my body relax into the rhythm of the earth. Because I wasn’t taught to slow down.

I was taught to rush.
To brace.
To survive.

Growing up, slowing down wasn’t just uncomfortable—it was unsafe.

I was wired to be on high alert. My nervous system didn’t know rest. My childhood was full of hypervigilance, fear, self-doubt, and emotional caretaking.

I was expected to monitor everyone else’s moods, behaviours, and reactions—while raising myself in the process.

Meditation? Yoga? Nervous system regulation?

I didn’t learn those words until my 20s.

As a kid, fulfillment wasn’t allowed. Play wasn’t encouraged. Rest wasn’t modelled. Everything had to be done in a frantic rush—usually because my mom spent too long getting ready, or because the house wasn’t “perfect” enough.

I remember watching her clean obsessively. Every fingerprint on a window, every crumb on the floor—she couldn’t let them be. It wasn’t about meaning or joy; it was about fear. Fear of stillness. Fear of facing emotions that threatened to rise to the surface.

And when she wasn’t scrubbing, she was glued to her Russian Farming video game—collecting fake coins and fake dopamine hits, chasing instant gratification instead of fulfillment.

She’s in her 70s now. Still stuck. Still unhappy. Still disconnected from nature, animals, and herself. Her whole life became a single, long-standing coping mechanism. No deep relationships, no rituals, no practices for true self-connection. Just avoidance.

When you keep going down an avoidant path, there’s nowhere else but down

And that legacy? She tried to hand it down to me.

But I said, fuck that.

I didn’t want to end up living in fear of myself, my emotions, my own f*cking life (or my mind).

So I turned to the only thing that ever felt like home: art.

As a kid, art was my escape. As an adult, it became my transformation. My alchemy.

When the weight of emotions threatened to crush me, I learned to pour them onto the canvas instead of burying them. Whether with paint, collage, or digital art—my pieces became containers for all the rage, grief, and longing I wasn’t allowed to express.

I finally opened my Etsy shop after being inactive for 6 years. Fear showed up (of course it did), but so did excitement and openness. And here’s the truth: you can move through fear. You can do the thing your soul is calling you to do. This is your sign to go for it—because you’re meant for so much more than hesitation. Visit my Etsy Shop >

Art saved my life.

What started as survival became liberation. What began as an escape evolved into an expansion.

Through art, I’ve given myself permission to slow down. To feel. To f*cking exist in my body.

And every piece I create carries that frequency. When you see my art, you’re not just looking at colours on a canvas—you’re witnessing transformation in real time. The alchemy of turning pain into whimsy, fear into power, chaos into creation.

If you want to experience that alchemy for yourself, you can explore my pieces here. Let them speak to your heart, your nervous system, your soul.

Because slowing down might feel unsafe at first. But when you finally do—it just might save your life.

Ready to be seen and noticed?

Art was my first form of alchemy. It gave me space to transform pain into beauty, fear into power, and survival into freedom. And here’s what I know: you don’t have to do this alone.

If you’re an Artist, Creative, or soul-led Entrepreneur who’s ready to be seen, get noticed, and finally follow your dreams—I’d love to help you. Book a Velvet Va Strategy Call with me, and let’s map out your unique path to being recognized for the magic you create.

Meet With Sunny