Our Story

by Laura Baran, Co-founder of Arts & Dreams

Arts & Dreams Co-founder Laura Baran with Jeff Baran

Arts & Dreams Co-founder Laura Baran with Jeff Baran

Changing how WE think and feel about ourselves through art and self-loving practices

In Arts & Dreams workshops we make art that encourages us to feel worthy of dreaming big.

I have personal experience with depression and suicidal ideation, and I lost my 20-year-old brother Jeff to suicide in 2000. In the note he left, Jeff wrote that it wasn’t the depression he couldn't take, it was the hopelessness.

Affirmation paintings by Laura Baran

Affirmation paintings by Laura Baran

How can we expand hope?

Years ago in my ongoing healing process, I started to use loving statements - positive affirmations - in the art I was making.

I created affirmations on canvases and placed them around my apartment to surround myself with kind, comforting words that made me feel good. This helped me transform how I felt about myself and the world around me.

EVERY PERSON HAS THE ABILITY TO CREATE

I love to empower people to connect with their innate creativity and nurture the hopefulness that can prevent suicide. I enjoy seeing people inspired by art and self-love. Every person has the ability to create, and that’s how I lead Arts & Dreams workshops — with encouragement, gentle guidance and a belief that we’re all artists. I get to share the experience of expansion and self-soothing through the act making hopeful art.   Laura Baran


in 2009, ARTISTS AND FRIENDS Laura Baran
and Patricia Geremia Co-Founded Arts & Dreams. 

Laura Baran is an award-winning professional artist and illustrator who earned a BFA with honors from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She has years of private art teaching experience and has served on the Board of Directors for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's New York City Chapter. Laura lives in NYC with her husband and son. Laura's artwork and illustrations are at laurabaran.com.

Patricia Geremia is a photographer, artist, blogger and lifetime New Yorker. She has years of event planning experience and a passion for inspiration and connection. She lives in NYC and Italy. In 2016 Patricia resigned from Arts & Dreams to fully focus on her photography and travel to Italy. Patricia’s photo work and blog are at patriciageremia.com.


We published an illustrated Arts & Dreams book!

Rose's Summer of Arts & Dreams is the story of aspiring young drummer from Brooklyn named Rose, who discovers she can use her creativity to change the way she feels about herself.

Written by Laura Baran and Patricia Geremia, with hand-painted illustrations by Laura based on Patricia’s photos. Proudly crowd-funded via Kickstarter. Ages 6 and up.

Available NOW!
Amazon 
Barnes & Noble
Balboa Press

8.5" x 8.5" perfect bound softcover, 30 pages Balboa Press 2016

Rose’s Summer of Arts & Dreams
8.5 x 8.5 inches perfect bound softcover, 30 pages
Published by Balboa Press 2016