Why “Canvas and Vault”?
Our lives are like an artist’s canvas
and our experiences get added to it. Sometimes, we don’t get to choose everything that is painted onto it, and some of the things that end up on the canvas can be painful, confusing, or difficult to look at. But we do get to decide what we add, what we create, and how we look at it. I chose canvas because I believe therapy can help us step back, make sense of what has already been painted, and recognize that our past can be part of our story without defining the finished piece. You are the artist of your own life, and therapy can be a space to pick up the brush and decide what you want to create next. What was once confusing, awful, and painful, can turn into something you can proudly hang on your wall.
Vault comes from the vaulted ceiling of a cathedral.
While watching an interview with Björk, she described looking back on life as you age like becoming the ceiling of a cathedral. I love the analogy of a cathedral ceiling as a life made up of countless individual pieces of artwork, stained glass, and craftsmanship, all created over many years and eventually becoming something much larger than any one piece. Our lives can feel the same way: many pieces that make up a whole story. When we’re in the middle of something, it can be difficult to understand why it’s happening or how all the pieces fit together. With time, perspective, and a little distance, we can sometimes look back and see a bigger picture. Therapy can be a kind of sanctuary for that process: a place to explore the pieces of your story, make sense of them, and slowly begin to see the larger picture taking shape.
“I think that’s one of the beauties of getting older, is that you become more like the ceiling of a cathedral. There’s like a thousand pieces and it takes years to make … you’re trying to get the whole” -Björk
Core Tenets of Canvas and Vault
Connect
Connect with your story, your history, your inner strengths. Connect with your thoughts, your emotions, your experiences. Connect the pieces to understand the “why” behind it all. Connect with parts of yourself you never realized were there. Connect with others and the world around you.
Build
Build habits that support the life you want. Build skills to manage emotions, navigate challenges, and strengthen relationships. Build goals that feel meaningful and achievable. Build resilience, confidence, and self-trust. Build on what’s working and create what comes next.
Heal
Heal in ways that honour where you are and where you’ve been. Heal by making space for difficult emotions, experiences, and parts of yourself. Heal by challenging old patterns and creating new perspectives. Heal through self-compassion, acceptance, and meaningful change.