502-275-3998 | care@frameworks4growth.com
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ABOUT
Get to Know Me
and My Philosophy
ABOUT ME
Hi, I’m Toya.
I’m an artist, expressive arts facilitator, and wellness practitioner. I’m someone who’s spent a lifetime listening to stories, to silence, and to what’s said between the lines.
My work is deeply personal. Like a songwriter, I take what I’ve lived, witnessed, and heard and shape it into creative experiences that help people feel more balanced, less overwhelmed, and more connected to what matters most.
Before Frameworks for Growth, I worked across disciplines in social work, public health, and community wellness. I’ve seen how burnout, stress, and identity shifts can leave people feeling disconnected from themselves. I also know the power of creative practice to bring people back home to who they are and who they’re becoming. This isn’t about performing or being perfect.
It's more like dancing with friends than auditioning for a recital. No pressure to impress. Just space to create, feel, and move freely. I design spaces where people can pause, reflect, and find a sense of alignment. A space where clarity builds through the process, strength grows gently, and people begin to hear their voice again.
Frameworks is the space I needed when I was searching for balance, clarity, and something steady to hold onto. A place where creativity becomes care, bringing you back to your center. Once you're centered, movement, action, or progress becomes possible.
MY APPROACH
The Artist: Creativity as a Pathway to Growth and Joy
Art was my way of making sense of the world. My way to express what words couldn’t capture. Some of the themes in my art include fortitude, identity, and transformation. I explore how my life has unfolded, selecting mediums and materials based on the concepts and themes in the meaning, using mixed media, found objects, fibers, and community art installations to spark reflection and dialogue.
The Mental Health Advocate: Building Resilience and Meaning Through Creativity
Mental health is at the core of my practice, not just as a way to cope with challenges, but as a pathway to greater physical well-being, deeper social connection, and a more meaningful life. In my work, I’ve seen how art can reduce isolation, deepen self-awareness, and empower people to reimagine their stories. These experiences are echoed in research that highlights creativity’s role in mental health, resilience, and social connection.
I lead programs that blend art-based interventions with wellness strategies to support the individuals' and teams' mental well-being. Whether it's helping someone reframe challenges through art or guiding corporate leaders to build more inclusive teams, my goal is to make mental health resources accessible, relatable, and transformative
The Leader: Strategic Vision and Cross-Disciplinary Impact
With 15+ years of experience spanning nonprofit leadership, mental health, public health, and the arts, I bring a multidisciplinary lens to every offering. My work has ranged from facilitating trauma-informed community programs to leading strategic initiatives at the intersection of arts and health. Throughout my career, I’ve led transformative programs that bring creativity to the forefront of healing, connection, and social change from multigenerational initiatives and inclusive museum education to community-based responses to aging, trauma, and gun violence. My approach weaves together lived experience, research, and equity-informed practice, always returning to the same core belief: creativity can restore clarity, affirm our humanity, and move us toward what’s possible.
Commissioned art, Logic Working Space, Define Yourself For Yourself. Artist, Toya Northington
