Tendressa Studio is Born

In 2006 my on and off career as an Interior designer of 25 years was over, mentally, emotionally and definitely physically, I felt burned out. I had been feeling restless and depressed for some time, the whole process of Interior design felt wasteful and extravagant, it no longer made sense to me. It was time to make a move in a new direction, the unknown called. I was a soul in crisis.

Feeling I must DO something useful I trained for a few years in Reiki with a couple of different teachers and then decided to go deeper into the workings of Feng Shui with a Feng Shui Master both were interesting studies and I found them to be useful services; for a while I thought these new additions might replace the Interior Design practice I had; the market in Grand Rapids for these more specialty types of services was much more limited at that time.

The passion I was hoping to conjure just didn't appear in these substitutes.

I didn't know it then, but what I was looking for was Magic!

Anyways, one day I stopped into Spirit Dreams, a meta-physical shop in Eastown, a suburb of Grand Rapids. There was this petite woman standing behind the counter with rosy cheeks and silvery hair that framed her cheery face. Vivan Love Kyle, was her name, she was there doing Psychic Angel Card Readings; on that particular day she had an open spot, so I decided to take it; we went to her small room in the back of the store,I noticed that she jingled as she walked with bells attached to her ankles, it made me chuckle, she was so playful. I liked that. The room was lit by only candles that washed the walls in a soft pink tone;she invited me to sit down, she began a prayer of protection and then asked her angels to speak through her to me. I watched her as she began to draw a face using soft pastels, she told me my time with raising children and managing the home was complete, that it was now time to pay serious attention to the callings of my Soul. She explained that out of resistance to the unknown I was behind in this forward expansion and I needed to get going and stop procrastinating, that I was to move ahead with inner healing work. I was to discover new creative expressions. My heart knew she spoke the truth.

The next day I informed my partners at the Interior design Coop called “Rooms to Remember” that I would be leaving as soon as my lease was up, they were shocked and wondered why I would choose to leave such an interesting and lucrative field. I tried to explain why, but knew my feelings wouldn't be understood completely.

Cleaning out began at my home studio. Years of interior design samples had accumulated. A whole career of stuff had accumulated on shelves and in drawers that needed to be sorted, recycled, thrown away or given back. It felt good to move the energy!

As I was purging the studio I also was ruminating inwardly, feeling some anxiety around my purpose with the life I had yet before me: I remember pausing, sitting down on the floor and becoming very still, I asked the universe out loud what direction should I go, I just didn't know...I didn't know.

A few moments passed and then a strange thing what I call a “Syncro Divine” event occurred; I got up began emptying this wicker trash container sitting by the fireplace, it was overflowing with old papers, receipts and invoices no longer needed into a plastic trash bag, I noticed there was a business card stuck in the bottom of the container, I reached down and picked it up, I held the card into the light...

It said:

“ Synesthesia” Art therapy and Art Play the address, phone number and the name Sherry Margaret.

I held the card to my chest and closed my eyes, remembering back to several years previous when I had first met Sherry Margaret and had taken Art Therapy classes with her, along with a small group at her tiny art studio off Crescent street in downtown GR. She would have us start with a meditation and then go to a wall where large pieces of paper were hung, there we would begin to paint whatever came up, she would say “just let the brush do the talking” afterwards she would bring out a big jug of wine and we would all gather in a circle and share about our paintings... one woman said this way of painting had helped her more than all her years in therapy. All I knew was that I had experienced something very new to my being that opened up possibilities of understanding myself more deeply. She died unexpectedly a couple years later.

Suddenly as I held her card to my chest I could hear her voice say: “You could do this kind of healing work Mary, and you’d be good at it” I paused, considering this invitation: “Why not see, this may be my path” I felt my heart flutter.

I decided to explore this invitation, first thing the very next morning I drove downtown to the location on Crescent street where Sherry Margaret’s Art studio used to be, I parked out front and waited a while ....”Nope this isn't it”, decided to drive around the block onto Lyon street. On the Corner was Martha’s Vineyard, (a specialty food and wine store), conjoined to it was a row of older buildings, circa 1924 this adjoining structure contained three separate buildings, one of which I noticed the front door was wide open, the space seemed to be inviting me in.

Once inside I felt the space had good energy. It was a large open space. The southern light flooded through the large front windows, a long lay down length window seat sat underneath the windows providing a perfect perch to dreamily sip tea, journal and watch passerbys. The floors were the original wood beautifully preserved, the high ceilings were adorned with ornate tin-paneled designs original to its era, there was a nice sink, essential for washing brushes and private toilet.

I wondered if someone might be here, I walked towards the back door which was also open:

”Hello, anyone here?” I found a man with a funny hat puttering around in the yard. He looked up, smiled, but did not speak... I said “ hello, are you the owner of this space? He said yes, I said Oh good, that I really liked the space and noticed it was empty, he said yes, I asked if it was available, he said yes, I said I was imagining it to be quite expensive, he said it was $200.00 per month. I was shocked and happy! I said is there a lease? He said no, it's by the month. Is there a deposit? Yes, $100.00. I was shocked, happily again. I’ll take it! He said OK. I’d like to begin in January 2010. It was still October, Is that Ok? He said yes.”

Dazed and Happy I drove home, dreaming and imagining all the way back, how perfect this space would work for an Art Therapy Studio. Much planning and work was ahead to prepare to be open by the New Year... I felt magic in the Air and started humming.

That was the beginning of my 4 year relationship with a most extraordinary person named John Steffens. ( Owner of the Building that would house Tendressa Studio), I believe we meet in perfect timing the most amazing people (angels) on this path of coming alive. John and I would enjoy having tea and conversations over the next four years, always unplanned, he would just stop in. He was always present and one of the kindest beings I have ever encountered. His simplicity and generosity stays with me. I later learned his mother had been a Swami.

“Tendressa Studio- Art Therapy and Art Play” was born on January 1st 2010, for four very significant years she filled my heart and Soul with a wide variety of creative art-filled expressions that I offered to others through workshops. I came to call the work “Transformational Art”. The intention of this art was to center one's expression around the journey of the soul, to free its voice through the art. It was Spirit work of the highest order.

My desire out of confusion and a yearning to reclaim my True Self and return to presence and calm contentment continues to be a relentless pull. This deep work involves at times scary, long, deep and dark dives down into murky waters of forgetfulness and repressed grief and anger, encountering traumas of unbearable magnitudes... this ally of art has helped immensely to hold and integrate the healing process.

Tendressa opened her arms wide to all beautiful and wounded souls longing to feel themselves back to life beyond the usual methods. As Sherry Margaret was known for saying: “The Brush will do the speaking” just be brave enough to pick it up”and sometimes that bravery wanted to play with picking up a piece of pastel chalk, a crayon, a pair of scissors, a glue gun or some other medium from Tendressa’s abundant shelves of art toys.

Tendressa Studio remains a glistening jewel in my Crown of Wisdom.

The meaning of Tendressa comes from French and means tenderness and love. She certainly gave that to all who entered her doors.