Pause in the podcast

Send us Fan MailGrief doesn’t politely wait for your schedule to clear, and neither does real life. I’m back after taking a week off to host one of my best friends, exploring Seattle and the surrounding areas while I’m still learning what “home” even means here. That time filled me up, but I’m also honest about what hit hard right after: a heavy EMDR therapy session that took days to shake off, and the choice to slow down instead of performing productivity. From there, the story turns toward the things that help me rejoin the world. Volunteering gave me a few hours of relief and reminded me why community matters so much to my mental health. I talk about trying to find the right spaces to belong, considering a job to meet more people, and navigating the rental search. One landlord even wanted to come inspect my current place because I have a pet, and that moment turned into a real-time lesson in boundaries and trusting your gut. Creatively, I’m leaning into small projects that keep me moving. I share what I’m making for a mini art call for entry, how local birds and Pacific Northwest nature are feeding new mixed media ideas, and why I love letting a theme snowball from a simple prompt into a full collection. I also give an update on my nostalgic Halloween design releases for mahjong mats, the surprising wave of orders, and what it means when manufacturing has to pause because demand outpaces production. The heart of it all is this: life can be horrible and hopeful at the same time, and I’m learning to let art hold both. If you’re rebuilding after loss, relocating, or trying to make creativity feel healing again, come spend a few minutes with me. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.Support the showCatch the doodles on YouTubeMy socials:Sign up for my monthly newsletterPortfolio website: Brewtifully.comInstagram: /BrewtifullyFacebook: /brewtifullyTikTok: GettingSmallwithGrandmaLinkedIn: Tracy Dawn Brewer

Send us Fan MailI walk out of a therapy session and into a deceptively beautiful afternoon, then try something that honestly scares me: creating art from anger. Not “channel it into productivity,” not “turn it into positivity” just letting it exist on the canvas and seeing what shows up. If you’ve ever felt numb, cracked open, or like your world lost its grounding, you’ll recognize the tension between what the day looks like on the outside and what grief feels like on the inside.As I paint, I talk through what I’m seeing and what I’m struggling to say: heaviness, darkness, blue, and that sense of bleeding out emotionally. I also notice the parts that won’t fully disappear, even when they’re overshadowed: little flowers that feel like my girls, a few stars that hint at dreams, and light that keeps trying to break through. It’s an honest look at art therapy in real time, using the creative process to hold trauma, grief, and anger without forcing a neat story.I also share a reflection on my first group therapy session and the strange comfort of finding people who can relate, even when the shared experience is heartbreaking. If you’re searching for grief support, coping tools, or a way to process big feelings through creativity, this is a gentle push to try making something imperfect and true. Listen, then subscribe, share with someone who might need it, and leave a review. What do you see in the painting, and have you ever created something while grieving?Support the showCatch the doodles on YouTubeMy socials:Sign up for my monthly newsletterPortfolio website: Brewtifully.comInstagram: /BrewtifullyFacebook: /brewtifullyTikTok: GettingSmallwithGrandmaLinkedIn: Tracy Dawn Brewer

Send us Fan MailCreativity doesn’t always come back when life calms down. Sometimes it returns in the middle of the mess, when your good supplies are packed away, your brushes are whatever Instacart can find, and you only have an hour before the day moves on. That’s where I’m starting: outside in the sun, painting a simple still life and letting the process be messy, honest, and real. I’m also sharing highlights from my Kauai trip with my daughter, including the surreal timing of leaving right before the hurricane hit. On the way home, I made digital art from what we saw together, and one piece turned into a Jiggy Puzzles licensing deal within 24 hours. We talk about what that kind of validation feels like, how my mahjong-based art has found new formats, and why sometimes a small “yes” can keep you going when you’re not sure what’s next. Then we get into the harder part: fear that sneaks into everything, grief that doesn’t move in a straight line, and the pressure of rebuilding your identity in midlife. I’m navigating counseling, a temporary living situation, selling my house in Ohio, and trying to find a place to land and unpack. The thread through all of it is simple: it’s okay to just play, and it’s worth making something even when you feel shaky. If you’ve been craving a creative reset, or you’re learning how to start over without losing yourself, listen along. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a gentle push, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s one small brave step you’ll take today?Jiggy Puzzles- https://jiggypuzzles.com/search?options%5Bprefix%5D=last&q=brewtifully and use code Brewtifully for a discount!Support the showCatch the doodles on YouTubeMy socials:Sign up for my monthly newsletterPortfolio website: Brewtifully.comInstagram: /BrewtifullyFacebook: /brewtifullyTikTok: GettingSmallwithGrandmaLinkedIn: Tracy Dawn Brewer

Send us Fan MailGrief does not just hurt, it rewires your days. I’m juggling the ordinary and the unbearable at the same time: picking up my granddaughters after therapy, planning a whale watching trip that’s equal parts excitement and anxiety, and trying to let it sink in that my daughter is taking me to Hawaii. These “yes” moments feel surreal, but they’re also how I’m building new memories when everything inside me wants to shut down.I also share a raw update on my mental health and healing process, including my first group therapy session. When it’s my turn to talk, I can’t get the words out at first, and that experience reminds me how real trauma lives in the body. We talk about common grief patterns like intrusive replay, the exhausting “should’ve” thoughts, unexpected anger, and the strange feeling of catching yourself laughing and not knowing what to do with it.Creativity is the thread I’m holding onto. From setting up an easel and trying to paint my way back to brightness, to reading for perspective, to making art with kids, I’m looking for practical ways to stay here. My granddaughters even design their own custom mahjong tiles using their drawings, including a little cryptid they call “pants,” and that kind of playful making brings real light into a heavy season.If you’re navigating grief, trauma, or creative healing, come listen, then share what helps you get through the hardest moments. Subscribe, send this to a friend who needs hope, and leave a review so more people can find Brewtifully Made.Support the showCatch the doodles on YouTubeMy socials:Sign up for my monthly newsletterPortfolio website: Brewtifully.comInstagram: /BrewtifullyFacebook: /brewtifullyTikTok: GettingSmallwithGrandmaLinkedIn: Tracy Dawn Brewer

Send us Fan MailGrief doesn’t just break your heart, it can scramble your creativity, your motivation, and your sense of who you are. I’m sharing a real-time recap of a week in Seattle where I’m trying to make things again while I’m still deep in trauma and loss. If you’ve ever felt like you can only create when someone gives you a prompt, or like your “voice” went quiet after a hard season, you’ll recognize a lot of what I’m working through here.We start with the small stuff that still matters, like caring for my little dog after surgery and feeling grateful for a great vet. Then I talk about a character development class at the library that unexpectedly gave me the structure I needed. I drew myself as a kiwi (yes, menopause made it into the character design), and I felt that rare mix of humor and honesty that makes art feel possible again. I also get into sewing, applique, thrifted finds, and repurposing fabric when your supplies and your life are still in boxes.The heavy layer is navigating widowhood logistics and support: I found the book “Different After You” by Michelle Hernandez, learned about Camp Widow and Soaring Spirits International, and signed up for a local Seattle group. I also open up about the frustration of being denied twice for VA DIC benefits, missing medical records, and how overwhelming it is to fight a convoluted system while you’re grieving. To cope, I lean on comfort shows like Gilmore Girls and Frasier, plus reading and writing things down when the spiral starts.If this resonates, subscribe, share the episode with someone who’s rebuilding, and leave a review so more people can find the show when they need it most.Support the showCatch the doodles on YouTubeMy socials:Sign up for my monthly newsletterPortfolio website: Brewtifully.comInstagram: /BrewtifullyFacebook: /brewtifullyTikTok: GettingSmallwithGrandmaLinkedIn: Tracy Dawn Brewer

Send us Fan MailWatching a home you loved turn into a listing can feel like losing it twice. I’m Tracy, and I’m sharing what it’s like to put my Ohio house on the market while I’m still carrying fresh grief, big feelings, and the weird in-between space of a brand-new life. I talk about the pride and heartbreak of leaving behind years of design choices, routines, and neighbors I truly care about, plus why counseling days have become an anchor.Creativity is still my work, but it’s also my way back to myself. I share how I’m getting paint on the page again with watercolor florals, and I explain a new limited edition mahjong mat release tied to my own artwork, including the surprise gift that comes with each mat. We also get real about what it takes to keep a small creative business going while you’re grieving: commissions, wholesale orders, restarting a newsletter, and leaning on community support without feeling like you’re “selling” your sadness.Grief isn’t just emotional, it’s sensory. I talk about why certain sounds and songs are suddenly hard to tolerate, why lo-fi music helps when lyrics feel loaded, and how I’m trying to replace old memories with new experiences. From knitting classes and teaching mahjong locally to line dancing lessons, bike rides, and exploring Edmonds, this is a conversation about rebuilding after loss one hour at a time, with honesty, anger, tenderness, and a little hope for what comes next.If this resonates, listen through, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review or subscribe so you don’t miss what comes next.Support the showCatch the doodles on YouTubeMy socials:Sign up for my monthly newsletterPortfolio website: Brewtifully.comInstagram: /BrewtifullyFacebook: /brewtifullyTikTok: GettingSmallwithGrandmaLinkedIn: Tracy Dawn Brewer

Send us Fan MailGrief doesn’t just hurt, it reorganizes your whole inner world. I’m Tracy, and I’m talking openly about what happens when trauma and betrayal blow up your sense of safety, your memories, and even your ability to make the kind of art you used to love. I’ve got supplies unpacked and the urge to create, but the quiet can feel brutal, and the blank page can pull up anger, shock, and the life I thought I had.I share what betrayal trauma feels like in real time: the way songs and TV can trigger instant spirals, the loneliness of having no one left to confront, and the heavy reality of selling what I believed was my forever home. Starting over at this stage of life is daunting, especially when trust in your own decisions feels broken. I also talk about the guilt of leaning on my kids for comfort and why I’m trying hard not to make them carry that weight.There are small lights, though. My therapist keeps reminding me to chase micro joys and micro goals, and I’m trying: journaling, writing, moving my body, taking a knitting class, and letting myself consider making darker art when that’s what needs to come out. Community helps too, especially mahjong and the chance to teach and share what I’m creating. If you’ve ever felt like you can create for others but not for yourself, you’ll hear your own thoughts in this one. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find honest conversations about grief, healing, and creativity.Support the showCatch the doodles on YouTubeMy socials:Sign up for my monthly newsletterPortfolio website: Brewtifully.comInstagram: /BrewtifullyFacebook: /brewtifullyTikTok: GettingSmallwithGrandmaLinkedIn: Tracy Dawn Brewer

Send us Fan MailA normal day at a huge family event can turn into a life-or-death sprint in seconds, and the aftermath doesn’t end when you finally get out of the crowd. We’re sharing a raw, first-person story of being caught near a mass shooting in Seattle with young grandkids, the split-second choices we made to keep them safe, and what it feels like to watch children stay brave while adults try not to fall apart. That trauma hits on top of a season already packed with grief and disorientation: losing a spouse, moving across the country, rehoming pets, watching your old life disappear, and fighting through the mental load of VA systems and unanswered questions around PTSD and support. We talk honestly about therapy, the daily effort of getting up, and the heavy, lonely moment of looking in the mirror and wondering what the day will bring. We also look for the next tiny foothold forward: rebuilding self-trust, untangling perfectionism as an artist, and taking small steps that create real momentum like getting a library card, signing up for a class, reaching out to local creatives, and letting yourself sit in a coffee shop with a book without rushing to “fix” everything. If you’re searching for coping strategies for grief, trauma recovery, or starting over later in life, this conversation offers both truth and practical next moves. What motivates you when life feels uncertain?Support the showCatch the doodles on YouTubeMy socials:Sign up for my monthly newsletterPortfolio website: Brewtifully.comInstagram: /BrewtifullyFacebook: /brewtifullyTikTok: GettingSmallwithGrandmaLinkedIn: Tracy Dawn Brewer

Send us Fan MailOne day you’re making plans, and the next you’re standing in the wreckage of a life you thought was secure. I’m back on Brewtifully Made to tell the truth about what the last two months have been: becoming a widow at 56, closing my art studio, letting go of my home, and moving across the country to start over with two of my daughters and granddaughters nearby. It’s overwhelming, messy, and nothing like the “strong and steady” version of me I expected to be.I talk about suicide loss and what it’s like to carry grief while trying to protect six kids between us, especially his sons. I also share the complicated layers that come with a veteran’s PTSD, the frustration of navigating support systems like the VA, and the shock of realizing how much a digital footprint can reveal. Finding messages, images, traces of his thought processes and writings after he’s gone has been gut-wrenching, because it can change how you understand the person you loved and it can make you question everything, including yourself.I’m leaning hard on therapy, community, and the small acts that keep me tethered to life. Creativity is still part of my healing, even when my heart is too heavy to make “bright and fun” art. I’m trying to find a new normal, even if normal feels overrated, and I’m holding onto glimmers of light through family, pets, and tiny creative steps.If this resonates, share this with someone who needs it...maybe it can help more people find honest conversations about grief, trauma, and creative healing. What’s one small thing that helps you keep going?Support the showCatch the doodles on YouTubeMy socials:Sign up for my monthly newsletterPortfolio website: Brewtifully.comInstagram: /BrewtifullyFacebook: /brewtifullyTikTok: GettingSmallwithGrandmaLinkedIn: Tracy Dawn Brewer

Send us Fan MailMy husband passed away 5/13 unexpectedly. I am pausing my podcast as I have to close my art studio, sell and relocate. Please know I hope to be back soon.If you are a Veteran, PTSD is a silently-lurking ailment and you are not alone, please seek help early and diligently.Support the showCatch the doodles on YouTubeMy socials:Sign up for my monthly newsletterPortfolio website: Brewtifully.comInstagram: /BrewtifullyFacebook: /brewtifullyTikTok: GettingSmallwithGrandmaLinkedIn: Tracy Dawn Brewer