Rediscovering the joy of creativity—one workshop at a time.
Many people believe creativity belongs to someone else.
A professional. Someone who has “talent.”
But creativity isn’t reserved for a select few. It’s something we all carry with us—even if life has pushed it to the background for a while.
Through Creative Joy Collective, artist Maria Pascoal creates welcoming art-making experiences designed to help people slow down, explore, and reconnect with their creativity. No pressure. No preparation. No perfection required.
Maria Pascoal is an artist who believes creativity is something we never truly lose—we may just need the right moment to find it again.
Her connection to art began early, from childhood classrooms to school design projects, where creating brought a sense of joy and ownership that stayed with her.
After earning her BFA, Maria spent over twenty years in corporate communications, using creativity in structured ways through design and storytelling. But like many professionals, she found there was little space for the open-ended, restorative creativity she once loved.
Eventually, she returned to her personal art practice, exploring mixed media through painting, illustration, and collage. She rediscovered something simple but powerful: creativity grounds us. It helps us slow down, reconnect, and feel like ourselves again.
As Maria began teaching workshops, she saw this transformation happen for others. People arrived unsure of their creativity, often believing they “weren’t artistic.” But as they created, something shifted… curiosity replaced self-doubt, and joy replaced hesitation.
Those moments led her to create Creative Joy Collective.
Through thoughtfully guided workshops and creative experiences, Maria helps people reconnect with their creativity in a way that feels easy, welcoming, and restorative. No pressure, preparation, or perfection required!
Her hope is simple: that each person leaves reminded of something true. They are creative—and they always have been.