Hi, I'm Dana Wilde. I’m an artist and creativity facilitator. For over 25 years, I’ve been devoted to creativity as a transformative healing force in my own life, especially my recovery from childhood trauma. I understand it as crucial to trauma-recovery in the collective sense, as well. I’ve shared my artwork, teaching, and writing with small audiences in a variety of contexts since the 2000s. Community-based arts like group singing, dancing, autobiographical performance art, playing in bands, and spoken word have also figured importantly in my ecosystem of helpful outlets.
Inner Studio, as it originally existed in Easthampton, MA (2016-2019) was both my personal art refuge and where I facilitated groups and started building a niche community for adults seeking artistic camaraderie and creative recovery. I had musicians, songwriters, therapists – plus at least one of each: author, painter, weaver, photographer, academic, activist, and folks with no arts background. My signature class was a three-month group for people to go through Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity course book, together. During that time, I also taught a creative journaling class for teenagers at LightHouse Holyoke in 2017.
So far, in the 2020s: I moved twice, played drums on two EP releases (with Psychic Energy and Ex-Temper) started writing two books, created an entirely new body of art (over 35 pieces), and led one Artist Check-In group.
In 2025, I hope to exhibit new work, return to teaching/facilitation, and resume contact with my abandoned book project/s.
I’m a Virgo. I’ve lived and worked in Western Massachusetts for most of my life. I attended UMass Amherst 1993-97, then again in 2005-06 via University Without Walls. I’ve mainly worked a variety of day jobs while focusing on my artistic development and health/healing process over many years.
