The Art of Connection

From A Mammogram Visit to a Movement of Creative Kindness

This past weekend, as I shared techniques for spreading kindness through art on a live YouTube workshop, I was reminded of a story that captures the essence of why I believe so deeply in the power of creative connection: Five years ago, I walked into a mammogram appointment with sweaty palms and a racing heart — it was my baseline screening, that first mandatory peek into what would become a routine part of my healthcare journey.

The lab technician who greeted me that day was gentle and kind. She moved with practiced grace, explaining each step with patience, making an inherently uncomfortable procedure feel almost bearable.

When it was over, I reached into my bag and pulled out one of my handmade gratitude hearts — small tokens I was creating at the time to spread joy in unexpected places.

The look in her eyes when I handed it to her — that mixture of surprise, appreciation, and genuine emotion — is etched in my memory. You know those rare times when you can actually see your kindness make a difference? This was one of them.

She found me on social media that week, and quietly followed my creative journey from the sidelines.

Three years later, I found myself back in that same waiting room. I’d forgotten my phone at home. No scrolling, no distractions. Just me, some paper napkins, and a borrowed pen. So I did what I always do when I’m in a state of waiting — I began to draw.

“Mansi!! Is that really you!?!”

The squeal of recognition made me look up, and there she was — Kelly, with the same warm presence from 2019.

We shared a moment of pure joy, the kind that would have ended in a hug if we weren’t still living in our post-pandemic reality.

“I still have that heart,” she told me, her eyes bright with emotion. “You made a huge impact on me that day, and I feel encouraged every time I see your creations.”

As we talked, she confessed something that broke my heart a little — she yearned to create, to sketch and paint, but felt held back by that most insidious of creative blocks: the belief that she wasn’t a “real artist.”

It’s a fear I’ve seen paralyze so many creatives and one I know intimately myself.

“We all start out as artists when we are kids,” I told her, sharing what I’d learned from leading art sessions at my daughter’s parent-participation preschool and witnessing the indomitable spirit of three-year-olds! “I have learned more from toddlers than I’ve ever taught them!”

We talked about how somewhere along the way, we’re taught that art has to fit into neat boxes, follow specific rules, look a certain way.

We forget that art, at its core, is simply an expression — of emotions, of being, of fears and dreams and everything in between.

Isn’t that what makes someone an artist? The ability to play without the weight of outcome, to lose yourself in process, to find joy in the simple act of creation?

She said she would try to squeeze in some creative time with her mom that weekend.

I didn’t have a mixed media creation with me that day, but I left her something perhaps even more meaningful — my napkin art, raw and imperfect, a small piece of my soul sketched in borrowed ink on disposable paper. Her eyes lit up with that same mixture of surprise and gratitude I remembered from years ago.

And I realized that sometimes the most profound gifts are the ones we create in the moment, without planning or pretense.

As I walked out, I couldn’t help but smile at life’s perfect symmetry. Five years ago, I gave her a carefully crafted heart. That day, I left her with something far more valuable — permission to embrace her own creativity, to find the artist within.

Because sometimes, that’s all we need — someone to remind us that the creativity we carry inside is worthy of expression, no matter its form.

These moments of connection through creativity aren’t just happy accidents—they’re something we can intentionally create.

I shared exactly how to do this in Saturday’s live demonstration about becoming a kindness ambassador. If you couldn’t join me, you can watch the replay here.

If you have a story of creative connection like Kelly’s and mine, I’d love to hear it! Every story shared by November 30 will be considered for inclusion in my upcoming book and will automatically enter you into a special giveaway.

But more importantly, your story might be exactly what someone else needs to hear so they can begin their own journey of creative kindness.

And to all the closeted creators, the hesitant hearts, the folks who think their art isn’t “good enough” — your creativity matters!

Use what you have, even if it’s just napkins and a borrowed pen.

You can be a change-maker! All you have to do is start.

Sending you love,

Mansi.