Who Help and How
🎨 Parents + Kids
☕ Moms + Women Who Need a Minute
☕ Moms + Women Who Need a Minute
Make the mess at our house.
Your kid gets to explore real, quality art materials. You don’t have to buy 47 supplies for one Pinterest project—or scrape acrylic paint off your kitchen table afterward. We provide the materials, space, inspiration + cleanup.
BONUS! If your kids are 11 or older drop them off with licensed professionals you can
Make the mess at our house.
Your kid gets to explore real, quality art materials. You don’t have to buy 47 supplies for one Pinterest project—or scrape acrylic paint off your kitchen table afterward. We provide the materials, space, inspiration + cleanup.
BONUS! If your kids are 11 or older drop them off with licensed professionals you can trust for 90 minutes and take a break 🤣. Best $60 you’ve spent all week.
☕ Moms + Women Who Need a Minute
☕ Moms + Women Who Need a Minute
☕ Moms + Women Who Need a Minute
Nobody needs anything from you for 90 minutes.
Grab a coffee. Pick an Art Box. Sit down and make something just because you feel like it. No lunches to pack. No emails to answer. No one asking where their shoes are.
✏️Teens
☕ Moms + Women Who Need a Minute
🤍Mental-health/recovery community
Because there should be somewhere to go besides school, sports, therapy + your bedroom.
Park your e-bike out front. Come draw, paint, sculpt, listen to music, hang out or keep completely to yourself. No forced sharing circles. Promise.
🤍Mental-health/recovery community
🤍Mental-health/recovery community
🤍Mental-health/recovery community
Connection without the pressure to “process.”
Hi, my name is… nevermind. You don’t have to introduce yourself here. A sober, welcoming place to do something good for your brain. Make art. Be around people. Talk if you want to—or don’t. Sometimes healing looks a lot like sitting at a table making something with your hands.
🩷Couples + Friends
🤍Mental-health/recovery community
🩷Couples + Friends
You can only go to dinner so many times.
Trade another night of “Where do you want to eat?” for paint, clay or something you’ve never tried before. Come with your partner, your best friend, your sister—or the entire group chat.
📚Homeschoolers
🤍Mental-health/recovery community
🩷Couples + Friends
Art class without turning your dining room into an art room.
Explore professional-quality materials, new mediums and creative techniques with guidance available when you need it. And yes, someone else cleans up afterward.
🌱 Adults Who Just Need Something To Do
🌱 Adults Who Just Need Something To Do
🌱 Adults Who Just Need Something To Do
You do not need to be “an artist.” Seriously.
Maybe you haven’t made art since elementary school. Maybe you make it every day. Maybe you’re just bored and want somewhere interesting to go. Pull up a seat. We’ll get you started.
👵Retirees
🌱 Adults Who Just Need Something To Do
🌱 Adults Who Just Need Something To Do
You finally have the time!
Come rediscover creativity, try something new, or pick up what you haven’t done since “sometime before email existed.” No pressure, no homework—just a place to make things again.
🎉Private Events
🌱 Adults Who Just Need Something To Do
And really… everyone.
Corporate Events
Skip the awkward icebreakers. Make something instead.
Whether you’re team-building, celebrating a win, or just getting everyone out of the office, we create a relaxed, hands-on experience where people actually connect. No forced trust falls—just art, conversation, and something everyone leaves with in their hands.
🎂 Birth
Corporate Events
Skip the awkward icebreakers. Make something instead.
Whether you’re team-building, celebrating a win, or just getting everyone out of the office, we create a relaxed, hands-on experience where people actually connect. No forced trust falls—just art, conversation, and something everyone leaves with in their hands.
🎂 Birthday Parties (Adults + Kids)
A party where the favor is already included.
Celebrate with creativity instead of chaos. We handle the setup, materials, guidance, and cleanup so you can actually enjoy the day. Guests get to make something fun, personal, and totally unique—no goodie bags required.
🥂 Bachelorettes + Bridal Showers
Less “what game are we playing?” more “look what I made.”
Gather your favorite people for a creative, memorable celebration that feels elevated but still relaxed. Paint, create, laugh, and leave with something meaningful (and way better than matching plastic sashes).
🌿 Custom Private Gatherings
If you can celebrate it, we can make it creative.
From milestone moments to “just because we all needed a night out,” we design private art experiences tailored to your group, your vibe, and your reason for getting together.
And really… it’s your space for your moment.
You don’t need to be artistic.
You don’t need a plan.
You just need people you want to celebrate with.
We’ll take care of the rest.
And really… everyone.
And really… everyone.
And really… everyone.
You don’t need a diagnosis.
You don’t need an artistic bone in your body.
You don’t even need to know what you want to make.
Just come make art.
Serenity Life Creative Studio is staffed by Creative Arts Therapists and mental health professionals, so support and guidance are there when you want them—and quietly in the background when you don’t.
Create. Connect. Find Refuge.
Friendly Studio Faces
Mattye McKibben MS LCAT
Michaela Laird MS LCAT DMT
Michaela Laird MS LCAT DMT
Founder & Creative Arts Therapist
Mattye is a Webster native, christian, wife, mom of four, and founder of Serenity Life. She believes creativity is a powerful pathway to connection, self-expression, and emotional wellness—and that you don’t have to consider yourself an artist to experience its benefits.
She created Serenity Life Creative S
Founder & Creative Arts Therapist
Mattye is a Webster native, christian, wife, mom of four, and founder of Serenity Life. She believes creativity is a powerful pathway to connection, self-expression, and emotional wellness—and that you don’t have to consider yourself an artist to experience its benefits.
She created Serenity Life Creative Studio as a place for her own community to slow down, make something, connect with others, and find a little refuge from everyday life.
Michaela Laird MS LCAT DMT
Michaela Laird MS LCAT DMT
Michaela Laird MS LCAT DMT
Creative Arts Therapist
Michaela brings a warm, flexible approach to the Creative Studio, helping each person explore creativity in a way that feels comfortable and uniquely their own. She enjoys supporting artists as they experiment with materials, discover new ways to express themselves, and use the creative process as an opportunity to
Creative Arts Therapist
Michaela brings a warm, flexible approach to the Creative Studio, helping each person explore creativity in a way that feels comfortable and uniquely their own. She enjoys supporting artists as they experiment with materials, discover new ways to express themselves, and use the creative process as an opportunity to slow down, connect, and explore—offering as much or as little guidance as they need.
Hailey George MS LCAT-P
Michaela Laird MS LCAT DMT
Hailey George MS LCAT-P
Creative Arts Therapist
Hailey graduated from Nazareth and loves creating ceramic art and using oil paints! She looks forward to bringing her creativity, warmth, and passion for the arts into the studio and supporting others as they explore, create, and connect.
Marleigh Joyce
Lydia and Emmie McKibben
Hailey George MS LCAT-P
Studio Peer
Marleigh brings a creative eye and a love for all things art to the Serenity Life Creative Studio! Her favorite art forms include photography and painting, and she also enjoys making jewelry.
Beyond creating alongside our studio community, Marleigh is our in-house photographer and a local plant vendor, bringing even more creativity into our space. 🌿📸🎨
Terry Onate
Lydia and Emmie McKibben
Lydia and Emmie McKibben
Studio Peer
Terry is a resident of Webster, who brings endless energy, experience and artistic flair to the studio. A Nazareth University alumna, Terry spent her career in sales and customer service. After retiring, she found time to fully throw herself into her lifelong passion: creating.
When she isn’t spending quality time with her hus
Studio Peer
Terry is a resident of Webster, who brings endless energy, experience and artistic flair to the studio. A Nazareth University alumna, Terry spent her career in sales and customer service. After retiring, she found time to fully throw herself into her lifelong passion: creating.
When she isn’t spending quality time with her husband, two daughters, or her six grandchildren, Terry is almost always reading or making something. Her hands-on maker skills span a large variety of mediums, including:
· Textile & Crafts: sewing, baking, and custom Cricut designs.
· Print & Media: Heat transfer and sublimation projects
· Wearable Art: Intricate jewelry making
Whether she’s testing out new crafting techniques or sharing tips with fellow makers, Terry’s enthusiasm for working with people and love of all things creative, make her a good addition to our studio staff.
Lydia and Emmie McKibben
Lydia and Emmie McKibben
Lydia and Emmie McKibben
Studio Peer Trainee - Volunteer
Lydia (9) and Emmie (7) are Mattye’s daughters and two of Serenity Life Creative Studio’s biggest little supporters! You’ll see them around the studio from time to time creating, helping out, and making the space their own.
Lydia is our resident slime expert, currently perfecting her creations and getting re
Studio Peer Trainee - Volunteer
Lydia (9) and Emmie (7) are Mattye’s daughters and two of Serenity Life Creative Studio’s biggest little supporters! You’ll see them around the studio from time to time creating, helping out, and making the space their own.
Lydia is our resident slime expert, currently perfecting her creations and getting ready to debut her very own Slime Cart at the studio!
Emmie is fun-loving, full of personality, and quite possibly the biggest cheerleader in the room. She loves encouraging other artists, celebrating what they create, and bringing plenty of joy wherever she goes.
They’ve been part of the Creative Studio journey from the very beginning and love getting to share a little piece of it with everyone who comes through the doors. 💕🎨
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is Serenity Life Creative Studio?
Serenity Life Creative Studio is art therapy open studio and Art Bar in Webster Village where kids, teens and adults can come create—no artistic experience required.
What makes our studio different? The environment is staffed by mental-health professionals, including Creative Arts Therapists.
You choose an Art Box, grab a seat and create at your own pace using high-quality materials, inspiration and as much—or as little—creative and emotional support as you’d like.
Think less structured art class, more creative wellness experience.
How does it work?
It’s simple:
Choose an Art Box → Pick your materials → Find a seat → Create.
Your 90-minute experience includes the supplies for your chosen medium, access to our Paper Bar and inspiration resources, and support from our studio team.
Follow one of our inspiration prompts, bring your own idea or simply experiment.
Our mental-health professionals are present throughout the studio—not to turn your visit into a therapy session, but to intentionally create a supportive environment and enhance the wellness potential of the creative experience.
What is an Art Box?
An Art Box is your creative experience!
Choose from mediums like watercolor, acrylic, clay, oil pastel, sketching and more. Each box contains a curated collection of supplies and tools for you to use during your visit.
We also offer Art Boxes specifically designed for younger artists.
Do I need to be artistic?
Not at all.
You don’t need to arrive with an idea, know how to use the materials or consider yourself an artist.
Our focus is on the process of creating rather than making something “perfect.”
If you don’t know where to begin, that’s okay. We have inspiration throughout the studio, and our Creative Arts Therapists can help you explore materials and get started.
Is this an art class?
Not usually.
Open Studio is self-directed, which means everyone in the room might be creating something completely different. There isn’t an instructor at the front asking everyone to make the same project.
Want direction? Our Creative Arts Therapists can help with materials, techniques and creative ideas, and you’ll find plenty of inspiration throughout the studio.
We also offer separate guided classes, workshops, camps and special events.
Is this therapy?
Open Studio is not the same as attending an individual mental-health or art therapy appointment.
However, Serenity Life Creative Studio is intentionally different from a traditional recreational art studio.
Our studio is staffed by mental-health therapists, including Creative Arts Therapists. We chose this model because we believe creating in an intentionally supportive environment can have tremendous wellness potential.
Our therapists can help you engage with the creative process, provide material guidance and offer appropriate emotional support when needed—without requiring your visit to become a formal therapy session.
Sometimes the therapeutic part is simply slowing down, using your hands, trying something new, connecting with another person or having a peaceful place to create.
Is there a waiver to participate?
Yes. You’ll complete a wellness and participation waiver the first time you visit.
Because Serenity Life intentionally staffs the Creative Studio with mental-health professionals and operates the space as a wellness-focused environment, we collect some additional information that you might not encounter at a traditional recreational art studio.
The waiver includes basic participation information and optional wellness questions, such as your emotional-wellness goals and relevant mental-health history. You may opt out of answering mental-health questions that feel too personal or aren’t relevant to the experience you’re looking for.
You’ll also be able to indicate whether we have permission to photograph or share your artwork on social media. For minors, the paperwork includes appropriate permissions, including pick-up information.
You can complete the waiver in advance or when you arrive for your first visit.
Once completed, we keep it securely on file for one year, so you won’t need to fill it out every time you come make art.
What ages can come?
All ages are welcome.
We offer creative experiences for adults, teens and children, including Kids Art Boxes designed specifically for artists age 10 and under.
And adults—you absolutely do not need to bring a child.
Come alone. Bring a friend. Make it a date. Create alongside your family. The Art Bar is meant for grown-ups, too.
Do I need a reservation?
Reservations are encouraged and are the best way to guarantee your spot and preferred Art Box.
We also welcome walk-ins during designated Open Studio hours, as space allows.
Check our current schedule before visiting.
How much does it cost?
Our Signature Art Box experiences are $60 for adults and $30 for children age 10 and under and include 90 minutes of studio time, your selected art materials and access to our creative resources.
Optional premium materials and upgrades may be available for an additional charge.
Can I come by myself?
Absolutely.
You don’t need a group—or even someone to talk to—to come to the Art Bar.
Choose an Art Box and spend your time quietly creating on your own, chat with our studio staff or connect with other people creating nearby.
The studio can be whatever you need it to be that day.
Come alone. Bring someone you love. Bring the kids. Try something new.
Create • Connect • Find Refuge.
A Note From Our Owner
How This Dream Began
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
People have been asking how I came up with the idea for Serenity Life Creative Studio.
The truth is, this dream has been taking shape for much of my life.
As a child and teenager, I faced some hard times and longed for a place where I could simply be—a place to slow down, create, and feel accepted without pressure or expectations.
As a new therapist in my 20s, I dreamed about what healing might look like if creativity, hospitality, and community were given just as much attention as diagnoses and treatment plans. Also, something other than a windowless office and 60 client caseload would’ve been nice 🤣.
As a seasoned therapist, I began to notice that some of the most meaningful moments weren’t happening because of a worksheet or intervention. They happened when people felt safe. When they slowed down. When they connected with others. When their hands were busy and their hearts had room to breathe.
And now, as a wife and mother of four, I find myself longing for something even deeper.
Not a bigger business.
But a closer life.
A life where family, work, creativity, and community aren’t constantly competing with one another.
A place my children would love.
A place I would have loved.
And a place I hope our community will come to love as well.
Our world is filled with places to hurry, consume, and move on to the next thing. Increasingly, many of our gathering spaces revolve around restaurants, coffee shops, or bars.
But we believe people are longing for something more.
A third place.
A place to slow down.
A place to create.
A place to connect.
A place where strangers become neighbors and creativity becomes a bridge between generations.
A place where emotional wellness is environmental.
Where the process matters more than the product.
Where healing is found in process, not perfection.
And where everyone—from children to grandparents—is welcomed with kindness and encouraged to create freely.
We believe restoring connection within ourselves, our families, and our communities creates ripples far beyond what we can see.
Because when people heal, families heal.
And when families heal, communities grow stronger.
Thank you for being part of this dream.
We’re so grateful you’re here.
With gratitude,
Mattye McKibben, MS, LCAT
Founder & Clinical Director
Serenity Life
Create • Connect • Find Refuge
The Art Bar is OPEN
📍10 North Ave
Serenity Life Creative Studio
Choose your art supply box. Pick your seat. We’ve got the rest including the mess!
90 minutes to create with Creative Arts Therapists there to help.
Kids - Teens - Adults - Families - Couples - Friends
No art experience required 🎨
When we create as a community we heal our community 🫶🏻
Book a spot or walk-ins welcome if capacity allows.
Fall Hours
Tues/Thurs 3-8p
Saturday 10a-3p
Walk-ins end 90 minutes before closing
Special Events:
9/22 - Teen Tuesday Glow Party Kickoff
9/24 - September Ladies Night with