I’m Emma Freeman, a Contemplative, Joyful Mixed Media Artist and Teaching Artist living in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.

I love exploring slow, deep, meaningful and fun creative expression. Right now I am inspired by textiles that carry stories, slow stitching done by hand, poetry, expressive painting, art journaling and the marks of being human that we can see through the power of our unique touch. I find making art to be an incredible adventure and a journey of self-discovery, learning and healing that awakens possibilities, hope, wonder, happiness and joy within me. I find art making to also be a beautiful bridge to connect with other people and the earth. Creativity has supported my well-being and mental health throughout my life, helping me process emotions and painful experiences through the healthy outlet of making things with my hands, my mind and my heart.

I practice living my life rooted in peace, curiosity, compassion, kindness, gratitude, joy and love every day. I am enthusiastic and optimistic and love to laugh, be silly and playful, feel deeply, appreciate nature, get excited about beautiful colors and patterns, dance, sing, dress in artsy outfits, listen to heartfelt stories about peoples lives and learn new things. I’m also deeply inspired by Buddhist teachings and incorporate many of them into my life, my art and my teaching.

I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Art, Philosophy and Visual Studies from Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and have worked in the arts for 25 years as a professional artist, educator and community builder. I have taught art classes, workshops and retreats to students around the world both online and in-person in partnership with art centers, museums, schools, community education programs and other art educators. I absolutely love teaching and sharing my passion for art making and creative expression.

Thank you for being here, I hope you find something that inspires you on your creative journey!

My Journey to Becoming an Artist

I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin with parents who always supported the arts. The arts have always been a huge part of our family. My parents met in a record store in the 1970’s and both love music, which they instilled into me and my siblings. My dad plays guitar and ukulele. In addition to my mom’s amazing creative fashion style, she loves to garden, cook, sew and has made many different creative projects over the years from cyanotypes to quilts and cloth napkins to costumes for high school plays. My sister loves to write, play the harp, embroider and garden. My brother is a chef, wrote a book, and plays guitar. I have loved mixing and matching clothes to express myself like my mom since I can remember and find so much joy in finding beautiful fabrics, jewelry and shoes to wear! My parents put us in theatre and dance from a young age and I had incredible art, choir and theatre teachers in elementary school and high school who encouraged and supported me to be creative.

When I was in high school in the 1990’s, I was in musical theatre, choir, and got obsessed with black and white film photography. I would spend hours taking pictures and developing them in the darkroom, loving the quiet, magical and technical process of watching images come to life through that slow, methodical process that required patience, presence and practice.

I went on to study Studio Art, Philosophy and Visual Studies at Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin which was an incredible experience. During that time, I worked for a professional photographer and began to learn how a professional photography business was run. She supported and mentored me and taught me the technical side and business side of how to become a wedding and portrait photographer. I began photographing weddings and events through her company when I was 20 years old and went on from there to start my own photography business which I ran until 2020.

During that time of being a professional photographer, I also worked for other artists and art businesses, including as a Studio Manager and Workshop Assistant for Douglas Beasley/Vision Quest Photo Workshops in Saint Paul, Minnesota, as Gallery Coordinator at the Minnesota Center for Photography (now closed), and as a Teaching Assistant Coordinator at the School of the International Center of Photography in Manhattan, New York. After many years fully immersed in photography as my creative passion, I started to explore other mediums including printmaking, jewelry making, graphic and web design, greeting card design, mixed media, illustration, fiber art and stitching. That all led me to many exciting adventures including sharing my work at farmers markets and craft fairs, selling my work wholesale to shops around the United States, developing fabric collections through Spoonflower and running a cute artsy shop in Saint Paul, Minnesota for a little while called, Polka Dot.

My teaching career has also been so fulfilling and rewarding. I began teaching in 2004 when I traveled to Shanghai, China and taught 3rd grade at an international school for 8 months. I went on to grow into becoming a freelance teaching artist and love sharing my passion for art making with kids and adults. I have taught in-person and online classes, workshops and retreats through partnerships with art museums, art centers, libraries, community education programs, community centers, after school programs, arts non-profits and through my own company. I absolutely love teaching!

Teaching Experience

I have taught many workshops, classes and retreats over the years.

Some highlights include:

-Make Joyful Art Flags, Sacred Makers Retreat, Holderness, New Hampshire, 2026

-Make a Slow Stitched Peace Scroll, Peaceful Online Art Retreat, hosted by my company, 2026

-Cultivating a Contemplative Path to Creative Expression, Free Your Inner Artist Online Retreat, 2026

-Make Mini Prayer Flags, Peaceful Online Art Retreat, hosted by my company, 2026

-Make a Slow Stitched Peace Jacket, Peaceful Online Art Retreat, hosted by my company, 2026

-Ensō Meditative Calming Paintings, Peaceful Online Art Retreat, hosted by my company, 2026

-Make a Peace Altar with Air Dry Clay Alcoves, Peaceful Online Art Retreat, hosted by my company, 2026

-Make a Slow Stitched Dish Towel Wall Hanging, Making Zen Online Retreat, 2026

-Adorn Your Body Like an Altar: Create a Sacred Amulet Necklace, Free Your Inner Artist Online Retreat, 2025

-Make Buried Fabric Meditation Books, Books in the Woods Retreat with The Handmade Book Club, Snowfarm Art Center, Massachusetts, 2024

-Slow Stitched Sacred Scrolls Workshop, Wisdom and Wonder Retreat with Minette Riordan, Estes Park, Colorado, 2024

-Soul Writing Sanctuary: Feeling Our Way Through Grief and Loss, On-Demand Class, created through my company, 2024

-Ensō Meditative Painting, Unlock Your Artist Online Challenge with Elizabeth Foley from Radiant Earth Studios, 2023

-Wabi Sabi Scrolls, Sketchbook Revival Online Summit, 2023

-Make Fabric Meditation Books, Sacred Makers Retreat, Holderness, New Hampshire, 2022

-Make Fabric Meditation Books, Milwaukee Art Therapy Collective, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 2022

-Wabi Sabi Mixed Media Books, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minneapolis, Minnesota, taught online, 2022

-Make Fabric Meditation Books, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minneapolis, Minnesota, taught online, 2022

-Written from the Body: A Somatic Writing Workshop, taught online through my company, 2022

-Stitching as Poetry Workshop, The Nook Online Community hosted by Zak Foster, 2022

-Stitching as Poetry, Weaving as Meditation, a collaborative online workshop with Kate Kilmurray in partnernship with the Making App, 2022

-Nature Printed Books, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minneapolis, Minnesota, online class, 2022

-By the Light of a Poem: A Solstice Writing Circle, hosted through my company online, 2021

-Wabi Sabi Mixed Media Books, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minneapolis, Minnesota, online class, 2022

-Wabi Sabi Scrolls, The Nook Online Community Hosted by Zak Foster, 2022

-Zen Peacemaking and Art Making, taught online through my company, 2022

-Fabric Meditation Books, White Bear Center for the Arts, White Bear Lake, Minnesota, online class, 2021

-Painting with Raindrops: Mixed Media Art Workshop, White Bear Center for the Arts, White Bear Lake, Minnesota, online class, 2021

-By the Light of a Poem: A Writing Workshop, Saint Paul Community Education, Minnesota, 2021

-Weaving with Nature, White Bear Center for the Arts, White Bear Lake, Minnesota, 2021

-Zen and the Art of Slow Stitching, White Bear Center for the Arts, White Bear Lake, Minnesota, 2021

-Printing with the Sun: Make Nature Cyanotypes, University of Wisconsin-Waukesha, taught online, 2020

-Ice Dyeing, Artistry/Bloomington Center for the Arts, Minnesota, 2019

-Explore Painting with Ink, Artistry/Bloomington Center for the Arts, Minnesota, 2019

-Make an Art Journal, Polka Dot Shop (which I owned), Saint Paul, Minnesota, 2019

-Printmaking with Found Objects, Polka Dot Shop (which I owned), Saint Paul, Minnesota, 2019

-Make Block Printed Dish Towels, Polka Dot Shop, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 2019

-Make Fabric Covered Earrings and Magnets, Polka Dot Shop, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 2019

-Art Making for Anxiety and Stress Relief, Polka Dot Shop, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 2019

-Printmaking for Apparel, Artistry/Bloomington Center for the Arts, Minnesota, 2019

-Painting with Feathers, Polka Dot Shop, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 2019

-Make Tiny Nature Prints, Polka Dot Shop, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 2019

-Make Upcycled Painted Napkins, Polka Dot Shop, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 2019

-Mural Painting for Teens, Artistry/Bloomington Center for the Arts, Minnesota, 2018

-Printmaking with Nature, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2018

-Meditative Nature Drawing Class, Minnetonka Community Education, Minnesota, 2018

-Art in Our Neighborhood: Summer Art Camp for Kids, Urban Arts Academy, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2018

-Reduce, Reuse, Recreate: Art Summer Camp for Kids, Urban Arts Academy, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2018

-Teen Textile and Dye Camp, Artistry/Bloomington Center for the Arts, Minnesota, 2018

-Art Camp for Teens, Urban Arts Academy, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2018

-Introduction to Sun Printing, Artistry/Bloomington Center for the Arts, Minnesota, 2017

-Printing with Plants, Artistry/Bloomington Center for the Arts, Minnesota, 2017

-Family Day Sun Print Workshop, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2016

Community, Groups and Support Circles I’ve Created and Facilitated:

  • Peaceful Writing Circle, Peaceful Online Art Retreat, hosted through my company, 2026

  • By the Light of a Poem: A Solstice Writing Circle, hosted through my company, 2022

  • Creative Unearthing Community, online, 2022

  • Zen Peacemaking and Art Making Discussion Circle, Creative Unearthing Community, 2022

  • Sober Stitching Circle, 6 week gathering online, hosted through my company, 2021-2022

  • The Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path and Art Making, Creative Unearthing Online Community, 2022

  • Highly Sensitive Artist Circle, 6 week gathering online hosted through my company, 2021-2022

  • Stitching Sangha Circle, weekly gatherings for 8 months hosted through my company, 2022

  • Quiet Writing Circles, Creative Unearthing Online Community, 2022

  • Stitching Meditation Circles, Creative Unearthing Online Community, 2022

Here are some photos from my art practice and amazing teaching experiences:

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A group of artists sitting around a wooden table engaged in a buried book making workshop taught by Emma Freeman at the Books in the Woods retreat hosted by Ali Manning and The Handmade Book Club.
Person's bare feet standing on grass, wearing a green and white patterned dress, sunlight casting shadows.
Emma Freeman from Deep Rooted Healing wearing overalls kneeling in a forest, burying art, a fabric meditation book, in the ground near a large tree during an art retreat with Ali Manning and the Handmade Book Club.
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Stones and seashells arranged on a white surface, accompanied by a note reading "yutori: living with spaciousness." A glowing orange salt lamp and a card with flying birds silhouetted against a sun complete the scene.
Emma Freeman from Deep Rooted Healing wearing overalls kneeling in a forest, burying art, a fabric meditation book, in the ground near a large tree during an art retreat with Ali Manning and the Handmade Book Club.
Hand with turquoise ring touching tree during a grounding meditation practice.
A tabletop with various textiles and sewing materials. There are different colored fabric swatches, a ball of dark blue yarn, a blue spool of thread, and a needle. The swatches include indigo-dyed and patterned pieces.
Person's feet dipped in clear water from dock, wearing black pants at Squam Lake at Sacred Makers retreat.
Emma Freeman from Deep Rooted Healing with glasses and a blue headband standing in a lush green field with trees in the background.
Open notebook with writing and a black pen on a white desk, surrounded by art supplies like paintbrushes in jars, fabric samples, and a bowl of beans.
Spiritual altar setup with owl image, sage bundle, crystals, feathers, stones, birch logs, and inspirational quotes.
A decorative hand sculpture holding a small lit candle sits on a table next to a piece of paper with the text "Kotodama: word spirit, the mystical force inherent in language." Nearby, there is a small bowl and some crystals on a fabric.
A piece of paper with Japanese kanji "Ma" meaning pause, gap, or breathing room, with a description in English, is taped to a green wall. Dry lavender is pinned next to it.
Corner of a room with spiritual decor featuring dried lavender, crystals, a sage bundle, a carved hand lamp with a candle, artwork of an owl, and a pyramid ornament. There is also a framed picture of a person with the text 'full of light,' mala beads
A white desk with assorted items, including a book titled "The Wakeful Body" by Willa Blythe Baker, hand-dyed fabrics, a spool of thread, a mug with floral patterns, and natural objects like stones, beads, and candles.
A hand touching a piece of textured fabric with stitched designs and a circular embroidery, next to a skein of blue yarn and a paper with the text 'Return to FINGERTIPS'.
A hand holding a small rolled-up linen scroll tied with twine.
Hand holding a decaying piece of fabric covered in soil, surrounded by green foliage in a garden setting.
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Person holding a red admiral butterfly with orange and black wings featuring white spots.
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Decorative elephant figurine with intricate patterns on a table, next to a candle, a Buddha head statue, a nature-themed card, and other small decorative items.
A rustic altar includes a stone Buddha head, a decorative elephant figurine, a butterfly, a small wooden bead necklace, a bird's nest with an egg, and lavender on a blue cloth. A sign reads "SANCTUARY."
Hand holding a black and white feather over grassy ground with visible bare feet.
Hands holding a smoldering piece of Palo Santo wood over a frayed brown cloth with stitching, next to a metal bowl containing more Palo Santo pieces.
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