How Yamille used art therapy to recover from burnout and decided to create spaces for other women to make art

When I met Yamille, she had just gone through severe burnout from her corporate role. She had realized she wanted a different professional life filled with creativity, but wasn’t sure how to make it happen and was paralyzed by a fear of failure. Together, we worked through those blocks and Yamille learned that even if she stumbled on the path to the life she really wanted, she was still learning and getting one step closer to her goals. Since then, she’s started her own business in a field she loves, became a certified art therapy coach, healed her burnout, and squashed her fear of failure. Here’s how she did it.

What was your big dream, and what inspired you to go after it?

My big dream was to be an artist who facilitates and promotes the use of creative expression (art making) as a well-being tool for women to prevent burnout and live a life full of energy and enthusiasm. I would love to have several "ateliers" where women can make art on a regular basis and are helped by a community of experts in the field of art therapy.

I got inspired to go after this dream when I experienced firsthand the well-being power of art, especially to recover from burnout.

Did you always have this dream?

Not always, but I've certainly been thinking about it for a long time but I never dared to change until my burn-out kind of forced me to.

I never thought I was good enough at painting, drawing, dancing, ... or that I could make a living out of it. Moreover, I didn't find it that meaningful to create something "pretty" to be liked and judged by others. These paradigms made me give up on my artistic talents until I discovered and experienced doing art in a completely different way following a Swedish painting methodology that helped me let go of my "logic brain" and let my "artist child" express itself. I learned to enjoy the creative process and not become fixated on my performance or the result.

Over the years I have experienced the many benefits of art, especially during my recovery from burn-out, I was amazed by how much it helped me. This further convinced me to go for my big dream!

What was one of the first things you did to get you started?

I looked for guidance to "put the pieces of the puzzle" together that is how I started the coaching sessions with Murielle, to get clarity, gain confidence and have a sparring partner that could understand and guide a creative person like me in my situation.

What were the biggest challenges you faced in working toward achieving your dream?

The fear of failing was my biggest challenge. I grew up in a culture where failing is not well received, I was afraid of being a "loser", and on top of that my confidence was severely undermined by my burn-out where my body "failed" and I just couldn't perform anymore. I realized that this fear was pulling me back, that things that I wanted to do or test would take longer or won't happen, it was auto-sabotage. It was a process to learn again to trust myself and gain confidence in my abilities, and the coaching sessions with Murielle helped me to acknowledge this and other paradigms I had to overcome to move forward.

What do you wish you would have done differently? What would you warn others about?

I could have wished to start earlier, but I wasn't ready. So I wouldn't have done anything differently, because every experience thought me something and helped me in a certain way, it was a growth process (it is still).

I will warn people about rushing things up, and about not taking the proper time to build their vision and learn from each step of their journey. Of course, dreams only come true when we act, so this is not an excuse for procrastination.

Would you say you’ve achieved your big dream yet?

I'm living my life dream during this journey towards my vision. My "Energy-boosting painting workshop for moms" is a big milestone! I'm so proud of myself, I will be doing many more milestones, trying, succeeding, failing, and learning, all worth it because it's all part of my big dream.

What do you think helped you achieve it?

My burnout experience actually helped to make big changes in my life, including my profession. It drove me to ask for guidance to get clarity about my dream and gain confidence that I could make it happen, this was one of the biggest gifts I received during my coaching sessions with Murielle.

What’s the best advice you have for others who want to follow their big dreams?

An inspiring vision is crucial to clarify the meaning and purpose of our lives and give us the energy and motivation to follow our dreams and persist. Articulating your big dream (your vision) is the first step in your journey!

More about Yamille and her Energy Boosting Painting for Workshop for Moms  –www.yamillemelendez.art

“I kindly invite all moms that feel frequently tired, stressed, and/or overwhelmed to my energy-boosting painting workshop where they will learn tools based on proven creative methodologies to help them tap into their vast inner energy and avoid burn-out.” - Yamille

Yamille Melendez is a multi-passionate artist, creative, and coach. She helps moms unlock the well-being power of art so they can live a life full of energy, creativity, and enthusiasm. 

She made the decision to transition from a life that was full of burnout and overwhelm to one filled with art, which she uses to process her emotions and thoughts so she can better understand herself. While recovering from burnout, Yamille tried, tested, and studied several different creative tools and methodologies that not only helped her get her energy back, but also helped her discover a better, stronger version of herself. Healing herslef with art made her see how much she wanted to help other tired moms gain energy and avoid burnout using art. Now she is living her dream while continuing to pursue it and hopes to share her message with the world.

Yamille’s favourite quote is:

“Creativity is intelligence having fun!” 

- Albert Einstein

Yamille’s big dream for the world is:

A world where love, creativity, well-being, and happiness are more sought after than performance, prizes, or money.

If you want more inspiring stories, I’ve got great news for you! This story is part of an interview series, you can find all entries here.