
Hello
I’m Julie Anne Maifrini—an artist, photographer, graphic designer, and recreation therapist.
Creativity has always been a part of my life, but there was a time when painting became the only thing that made sense. I returned to painting during a very difficult season of my life, and somehow, through the process, I found my way back to myself.
My work is inspired by growth, healing, uncertainty, and the beauty that can emerge from life’s more complicated seasons. Through layers, organic forms, and negative space, I explore what it means to move through change, begin again, and stay connected to who we are along the way.
For me, painting is a meditative practice—a place to slow down, let go of perfection, trust the process, and allow something unexpected to emerge. The layers represent the experiences that shape us, while the negative space holds the uncertainty, the unknown, and the room we need to continue becoming.
My hope is that my work reminds you that every layer of your story has value. That there is beauty in the mess, strength in continuing forward, and possibility in the spaces where we don’t yet know what comes next.
Because sometimes, healing begins when we realize we’re not alone.
Where healing becomes art.
Art for the journey back to yourself.
Purpose
My work is a journey through the layers of becoming—where chaos can quiet, uncertainty can become possibility, and growth can emerge from the breakdown.
I have always been drawn to nature. There is a kind of wisdom and wonder in it that has always helped me make sense of life. Nature reminds me that growth is not always linear, that things change, fall away, take root, and begin again.
My botanical forms echo this natural rhythm of growth, resilience, and blossoming. The layers represent the experiences that shape us, while the negative space represents the unknown—the space between what was and what comes next. It is a reminder that we don’t always need to know where we are going to keep moving forward.
My purpose is to create work that reminds us there is beauty in every layer of our story—and strength in becoming who we are.
To keep going.
To embrace the uncertainty.
To trust the process.
To stay true to who you are.
Healing Together
What Has Helped Me
Recommended Reading
I’m not a doctor or professional healer—just someone who believes in sharing the things that have helped me through difficult seasons.
One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that healing begins with changing the story we tell ourselves. I can acknowledge the painful things I’ve been through without letting them define me. I’ve learned to own my part, release what was never mine to carry, and practice forgiveness—for myself and for others.
Healing doesn’t mean pretending the hard things didn’t happen. It means choosing what I carry forward and who I want to become.
Some days are about growing, some are about resting, and some are simply about getting through. It’s okay not to be okay.
There’s no one right way to heal. Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t, and find the things that bring you a little more peace, connection, hope, and light.
List of what helps me:
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Painting!
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Talk Therapy
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Learning how to be alone
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Learning about codependency
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Setting boundaries and learning to choose myself
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Letting myself actually feel my emotions
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Self-compassion & Faith
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Connecting with nature
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Music (Noah Kahan- Thank You)
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Journaling
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Hot Yoga, Hiking, Walking, Exercise
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Spending time with safe, supportive friends
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Letting go of what I can’t control (Serenity prayer & Ho'oponopono)
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Taking things one day at a time
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Ask for help
You don’t have to do everything on this list. Find what makes you feel more like yourself. Find what brings you a little light. Start there.
If there’s something that has helped you along the way—a person, resource, practice, book, idea, or simply something you’ve learned—I’d love to hear about it and, with your permission, share it with the collective.
We don’t have to heal alone.
SELF LOVE AND COMPASSION
Journey to the Heart - Melody Beattie
Becoming the One - Sheleana Aiyana
We: A Manifesto for Women Everywhere - Gillian Anderson & Jennifer Nadel
Welcome Home: A Guide to Building a Home for you Soul - Najwa Zebian
NARCISSIST ABUSE HEALING
The Narcissist's Playbook-Dana Morningstar
Out of the Fog - Dana Morningstar
The One Who Broke You Can't Heal You - Najwa Zebian
It's Not You - Identifying and Healing From Narcissistic People - Ramani Durvasula
CODEPENDENCY RECOVERY
CODA Blue Book - Co-dependents Anonymous
Codependent No More - Melody Beattie
TRAUMA RECOVERY
What Happened to you? - Bruce D Perry & Oprah Winfrey
Radical Acceptance - Tera Brach
EMPOWERING WORDS
The Obstacle is the Way Through - Ryan Holiday
The Book of Awakening - Mark Nepo
