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 societal 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: Personalized Education for Teens.
So far, in the 2020s: I’ve moved twice, played drums on two EP releases (with Psychic Energy and Ex-Temper) started writing two books, created an entirely new body of collage artwork, and led one Artist Check-In group on Zoom.
SPRING 2025 NEWS: I’m proud to announce that I was awarded the Creative Individuals Grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council!
In 2025-26, I hope to exhibit my new work, return to teaching/facilitation, and resume working on my book project/s.
I’m a Virgo. I’ve lived and worked in Western Massachusetts for most of my life. I attended UMass Amherst as an undergrad Sociology major, then returned later through their University Without Walls program. I’ve worked a variety of day jobs while focusing on my self-guided artistic development and health/healing process over many years.
