7 Benefits of Owning Tricia's OOAK Art

What will owning a piece of Tricia’s OOAK Art mean for you?

A deeper connection with nature, yourself, a reminder of the simple pleasures in life, greater ability to embrace your own healing journey, inspiration to become the best version of you and more. A personal collection could start with one item that you purchase from me at an event, a store, on my website, or as a custom order. It’s much more than a purchase; there is much that you will benefit from in each handcrafted item that I make.

              When I first started creating rustic décor in 2013 I was suffering from PTSD and in a domestic violence relationship that would likely have been the death of me if I hadn’t escaped. To cope with that, and decades of abuse, I drank a lot of alcohol and started having a problem with it. I was in desperate need for a safe place to express myself and cried out to God himself for help. After years of being with that abuser I finally had the courage to leave him. So, I started over with just a suitcase to my name while covered in bruises and debilitating fear. Fast forward to today and I am 6 plus years sober, thriving as a strong kind and passionate mother wife and woman. I am here to tell you there is hope, there is healing, you are important, and my art is more than a statement piece for your wall.

1-Connect with nature

Connecting with nature is such a beautiful and healing experience that I hope to encourage you to do more of. My creative space became my safe place to express myself, connect with nature, grow, create new synapses and heal. Connecting with nature through hiking and exploring the wild was healing in and of itself. Using my favorite nature finds from a hike to create beautiful home décor felt as if the memory of that hike was new in my mind. This process not only helped me to focus on the good but gave me the ability to address trauma in segments while doing something I enjoyed. In the psychology world this is known as classical conditioning. I’m sharing this with you in hopes to encourage you to do the same. When you see the mirror, the coat rack, the picture frame on your wall adored with birch bark, seashells, driftwood, Herkimer diamonds, and other details may you feel pulled to nature and all of it’s beauty. Take that favorite piece of nature you just found and go create something with it. Maybe your a painter, a writer, a quilter...you will never know if you don't try. The best part of nature is it is a constant. At the very least, it will always be there for you to go embrace.

2-Reminder of the simple pleasures in life

We live in a world where rushing through our days, waiting in traffic, and being glued to electronics is normal. Everywhere we look we are being programmed to believe we must have the next best phone, glasses that can translate and search things up, cars that drive themselves and so on. Many of us live the rat race, have the pressure to outsell your competitor, experience the anxiety and weight of life, the burdens of our traumas and every other heavy thing. Sometimes what we really need is simplicity. Every time I go camping at our off grid land, I feel more fulfilled than I do in our home. The most basic needs of acquiring water, food, and heat brings it back to the basics for me. There is just something about catching your own fish, gathering wood for a fire, and bathing in a creek. Maybe that's not your style. That is fine if so. The idea is to remember the simple things. How did you feel the last time you took a walk in the park, went hiking, sat in the stillness of the wilderness with the birds singing and the gentle wind blowing through the trees? There is something very healing about slowing down and being intentional about appreciating the simple pleasures in life. Every time I walk by my rustic framed canvas art that I made I am reminded of the love I have with my husband and the absolute beauty of nature.

I am reminded to pause and remember what I have vs what it is that I desire to accomplish. When you open your mail from ordering from me, I want you to take a moment to pause. Feel the reminder to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. Set the intention before you hang up your new decor or wear your new necklace with pinecone on it.

3-Be reminded that “great things are done by a series of small things brought together” Van Gogh

This quote has resonated with me since creating on a more full-time basis back in 2017. Anytime I overcame something big, got sober, accomplished my next goal, reduced my reaction to trauma triggers, and began living that thing I prayed for years ago I think of how I did it. It wasn’t overnight; in fact it took one small thing after another and much like the snowball effect became something great eventually. Every time I put together a piece of art it is the same journey and sequence of one small thing after another. Birch bark, twigs, acorns, moss, and a series of unique designs eventually come together to create an absolute stunning masterpiece of functional art. The complexities and uniqueness of one of my creations should remind you that it's one step at a time, one small act of change at a time, and the consistency of that is will allow you to produce greatness.

4-I encourage you to prioritize your own healing journey

When I share my healing journey it is because I want to provide you with hope. It is my dream to inspire others to think more abundantly about the possibilities of a renewed mind. You can read more of this journey in Saratoga Magazine the Holiday edition 2025.

While creating much of the décor and furniture you’ve grown to love I have experienced the most vulnerable moments in my healing journey. Have you ever experienced a moment of realization about something that you never knew bothered you but suddenly hits you? I have a lot of those moments while creating. Sometimes I feel angry and have no idea why and will sit with that until it’s revealed to me in the process of creating. I have to share with you that by prioritizing my mental health I have become a version of myself that is no longer a victim but a victor. I have grown to absolutely love myself, my life, and cherish every moment even if it's difficult to experience. My art is here to remind you that you are important. You were designed with a purpose.  Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.

5-Be inspired to become the best version of yourself

All of this blog comes together to inspire you to become the best version of you. We are not our addictions, our traumas, our resentments, our anger. Those are a byproduct of life. If we aren’t on a mission to embrace who we truly are underneath it all we will likely see no change or relief. If any of this has resonated with you then there is a version of you just waiting to emerge and blossom. I have found much healing in everything I have created. Just as each year my art becomes more elaborate, and profound, so does my internal growth and healing. It took many years of therapy, surrendering to God, and connecting with Him on an intimate level, forgiveness, sobriety, and the miracle of neuroplasticity to evolve into the beautiful being that I am. She existed all along I just needed to dig her out from under the chaos of life. While you admire the new switch plate covers you just ordered or the bathroom sets with seashells etc I want you to embrace the growth and results of 13 years of bettering myself. Be inspired to become the best version of you!

6-I challenge you to try a new form of creativity

Let’s say for the sake of a common idea that you claim to not be the creative type. Have you thought about why you tell yourself that? Is it because you didn’t thrive in art class or you took a pottery lesson and created nothing more than a blob of clay that resembled a dollop of whip cream that was just plopped onto the pie? Did you know that I had no idea that I could create such beautiful décor until I started to make it? Clay wasn’t my thing, my drawing skills were mediocre at best, and I was ok at painting. As far as I knew the only thing I was creative with in my past was poetry. This by no means fit the definition of poetry that you learn from a creative writing course in college. My creativity has always been unconventional. It doesn’t have to fit the criteria of the opinions of anyone around you. In fact your self expression through creativity only has to make sense for you. If someone can tape a banana to a wall and sell it for millions multiple times anything is possible. When you own a piece of my art let yourself be inspired to try a new form of creativity. It is my life’s mission to bring you hope.

I recently started to go LIVE on Facebook every Thursday at 6:00 EST for a DIY Art therapy. You can follow my Facebook page or subscribe to my Youtube channel to learn something new and be inspired.

7-Become more grateful

Tony Robbins says it best “when you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears”. This beautiful, chaotic, and fast paced life seems to leave us always wanting more. When this happens, we experience anxiety, restlessness, and pressure to do more than we are wired to do. Nature reminds me to be grateful for the things that money can’t buy. When I shift into gratitude there is an absence of worry. Now this level of faith and gratitude took me decades of practice to fully accomplish. In fact, I am still progressing in my ability to be grateful. Healing isn’t linear and neither is the mindset it takes to shift into gratitude. When I am surrounded by my art in my home I am constantly reminded to stop, take a deep breath, and appreciate all that I have been blessed with. Each piece of art that I create serves a subtle reminder for you to shift into gratitude. Remember that nature is a gift that remains and you can start with that. Even if you feel like you have nothing else, you have nature. It is literally a gift from God for your enjoyment. Go embrace it and life with gratitude today.