  Feel Better in Your Body. Thrive in Your Studio.
Your creative practice doesn’t have to come at the cost of your physical well-being.
Hey Maker! I'm Missy!
I’m a lifelong artist with an MFA in Metalwork and Jewelry Making, a licensed massage therapist, Alignment-Based Yoga Instructor (RYT500), public speaker, and author of Wellness for Makers: A Movement Guide for Artists.
Like many creatives, I used to believe that pain was just part of the process, an unavoidable side effect of doing what I loved. But over time, the chronic headaches, low back pain, and tension I was experiencing in the studio became impossible to ignore. I was exhausted, frustrated, and unsure how to keep creating without hurting.
Everything shifted when I started to deconstruct my own movement patterns. I brought alignment-based education, massage techniques, and strength-building into my daily routine and studio life. Slowly but powerfully, my body, and my creative flow began to change.
Now, I teach artists and makers how to move with more awareness, reduce pain, reduce injury, and create with longevity in mind.Â
And when I’m not teaching movement or talking about posture, you’ll probably find me sipping a chai latte from a handmade mug, sketching out new ideas, or chasing my little one by the river.
I Help Creatives Like You...
- Ease tension & repetitive strain
- Craft supportive movement habits
- Feel more grounded in your studio practice
- Reduct injury & create longevity in your studio practice
- Reconnect with your creative flow
Whether you’re a jeweler, potter, fiber artist, or multi-passionate maker, this is for you!
Why I Do This Work
FROM BODYWORK TO THE BENCH
  Before I ever pursued fine art, I went to school for massage therapy. I thought it might be a fallback plan, but instead, it opened up a whole new world. I became obsessed with learning how the body works. That curiosity stayed with me all the way through grad school, where my MFA in metalwork and jewelry-making became deeply rooted in my tactile understanding of the interior structure of the body and movement.
The Moment
It All Clicked
In 2015, while taking a workshop at Peters Valley School of Craft, I found myself in conversations with fellow artists about the aches and pains we were all experiencing from our studio practices. Most of my peers seemed to accept it as just part of the job, an inevitable outcome of the work we loved.
But I couldn’t shake it. I started looking for resources on movement and injury prevention specifically designed for artists... and found almost nothing. That’s when Wellness for Makers was born.
Shortly after, Peters Valley offered me the opportunity to teach and for 3 summers in a row, I led workshops there, connecting with artists from across the country and from all kinds of craft disciplines. That opportunity introduced me to an incredible network of artists and organizations, and it helped shape Wellness for Makers into what it is today.
Where Art & Movement Meet
From that point on, I was all in. I completed over 800 hours of alignment-based yoga teacher training (way beyond the industry standard of 200 hours) and continue to maintain my massage therapy license through ongoing training in techniques I can bring back to the studio.
My goal? To take everything I’ve learned about the body and translate it into simple, supportive tools that artists can actually use in their creative practice, all in a way that’s accessible, empowering, and rooted in care.
Wellness for Makers is where my two worlds meet: art and movement, creativity and care. It’s where movement becomes part of your studio life, not something separate. Where rest is valued, strength is sustainable, and your body is treated like the powerful tool it truly is.
I created this space to help artists like you move with more ease, reduce injury & burnout, and add years to your creative practice, so you can keep doing what you love, without burning out or breaking down.
Motherhood Deepened
My Practice
Becoming a mother changed everything — it softened me, sharpened me, and opened my eyes to movement in a whole new way. Watching my toddler move freely, squat deeply, and rest instinctively reminded me of something we often lose in our sedentary culture: our natural connection to the body.
It was a powerful reminder that sustainable movement isn’t about performance — it’s about returning to what our bodies already know. It made me even more passionate about helping artists reconnect with that wisdom, and it deepened my understanding of how nervous system support, strength, and rest all live in the same conversation.
Rooted in Experience
With over a decade of experience across wellness and the arts, I’ve supported thousands of creatives through coaching, workshops, and online programs.
  1,400+ Hours
 OF MASSAGE THERAPY, ALIGNMENT BASED YOGA, AND MOVEMENT EDUCATION
  10+ Years
  WORKING IN THE ARTS (GALLERIES, STUDIOS, MUSEUMS, CRAFT FAIRS, AND BEYOND)
  2,800 Students
   SUPPORTED THROUGH WORKSHOPS, COURSES, AND COACHING!
  Author
OF WELLNESS FOR MAKERS: A MOVEMENT GUIDE FOR ARTISTS. THOUSANDS OF COPIES SOLD!
  108+ Workshops
  AND SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
TAUGHT IN PERSON AND ONLINE
Let’s Support Your Creative Practice Together!
You don’t have to push through the pain or figure it all out alone. I’ve created programs, coaching, and community to help you move better, feel better, and create for the long haul.
Let’s build a creative life that feels good in your body.
