Spotlight Artist: Therese Kettman
I’m writing this with a grin and goosebumps—sitting here at my desk, flooded with memories of my email exchanges with Michigan-based artist Therese Kettman.
Our conversations always had this raw ache in them... like someone staring at a locked door, knowing what was on the other side but not sure how to turn the key.
She had big dreams for her art.
International exhibitions.
A real audience.
Creative work that meant something.
But for years, those dreams sat smouldering in the background.
Until the day she said yes.
When her registration for the Become Internationally Known program
landed in my inbox, I could feel the shift.
Have you ever carried a quiet dream for so long that it started to feel like a burden?
That flicker you used to protect so fiercely now feels like it might finally die out?
That’s where Therese was.
Listen to her words:
“There were a few coals burning deep within me, but I felt like I was on the verge of pouring water over the coals and giving up…I was on the edge of thinking I was too old and that I needed to accept what I have right now in life…on the edge of hopelessness and despair. It felt like it would have been easier to come into agreement with the nothingness, the oppression and the depression that was covering me.”
But instead of letting the flame die, she made one brave decision.
She chose to feed it.
And that single choice changed everything.
Here’s what’s happened since:
She painted over 100 new works — yes, one hundred
She launched her first-ever solo exhibition
She found the exact collectors who get her work
And most importantly, she reclaimed her joy, her creative power, her identity as a thriving artist
So… what did she actually do to go from despair to her own show?
She started small.
She cleared out her cluttered studio.
She made physical and mental space.
She let go of the story that she was too old or too late.
And she said yes to herself — fully, finally, no holding back.
“My art saved me from a life of barely surviving... and is now taking me on
an adventure into a new, exciting, powerfully thriving life.”
Check out Therese’s artwork here
Therese’s story isn’t a fluke.
It’s what happens when you say yes!
Natures Confetti, Acrylic Paint On Canvas, 24x24in, 2024, Mind Rest 168 WWB, Mixed Media On Finished Art Paper, 9x12in, 2024, Mind Rest 166 BW, Marker On Finished Art Paper, 9x12in, 2024, Mind Rest 167 WBC, Mixed Media On Finished Art Paper, 9x12in, 2024, Mind Rest 170 WBC Inside Circle, Mixed Media On Paper, 9x12in, 2024