Events
Rooted in Community, Creativity & Connection
In these challenging times, having a place that nurtures connection, resilience, creativity, and wellbeing matters more than ever.
Equus heART™ offers experiential programs grounded in the wisdom of horses, the healing power of nature, and creative exploration — creating space for authentic connection, personal growth, and community.
For ten years, through her company Creative Awakenings International, Sheri has been bringing individuals, groups, and organizations to work alongside the incredible WindWalkers herd.
Now that partnership is growing. WindWalkers has opened their barn doors and welcomed Sheri and Equus heART™ home — bringing her program to support WindWalkers’ vision of expanding therapeutic natured based, offerings to the community.
This partnership is rooted in a shared belief that healing should be accessible to everyone. Together, Equus heART™ and WindWalkers seek to break down the barriers that so often keep people from the support they need — whether that’s stigma, cost, or simply not knowing that something like this exists.
Scholarships are available, and all are welcome.
Meet Sheri
Sheri Gaynor is a psychotherapist, Registered Expressive Arts Therapist, author of the book Creative Awakenings: Envisioning the Life of Your Dreams Through Art, and founder of Creative Awakenings® and Equus-heART™. For more than 35 years, she has guided individuals and communities in using creativity, nature, and experiential practices as pathways for healing, personal growth, resilience, and authentic connection.
While her work is informed by clinical training and 35-years as a psychotherapist, Sheri has always believed that people are not broken — tpeople are not broken — they are seeking connection, meaning, and a way forward.
Her work is grounded in that belief, offering a wellness-based approach that draws on the wisdom of the herd, the healing power of nature, and the transformative potential of creativity to support growth, resilience, and connection.
Sheri’s horse, DreamWeaver Sunday, was rescued from a difficult past and became one of her most profound teachers — offering lessons in connection, patience, leadership, trust, and the true meaning of resilience. This is the foundation of Equus heART™.
Sheri has been partnering with horses in her therapeutic and expressive arts work since 2010. Her approach is deeply informed by her dear friend and equine partner, Susan Gibbs, a born and bred Wyoming cowgirl, who passed in 2016
Each encounter with the herd is a living tribute to Susan’s legacy and the wisdom she so generously shared.
Sheri is blessed to still partner with several of Susan’s horses. Cricket, pictured here, was one of Susan’s beloved herd — and through these horses, she knows Susan always has her back.
Through Sheri’s work with horses, expressive arts, and trauma-informed practices, Sheri creates welcoming spaces where people can reconnect with themselves, each other, and the wisdom of the natural world.
License + Certifications
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- Registered Expressive Arts Therapist
- Sheri is an Advanced Eponaquest Instructor and Psychotherapist
- Certified Connection Focused Therapy with Dr. Rebecca Bailey
- My Horses, My Healers with Shelly Rosenberg
- EAGALA
When: October 19-22, 2026
Time: 9 AM – 2 PM
Where: WindWalkers Equine Therapy Center, Carbondale, CO
Facilitator and Faculty:
Equus heART: Sheri Gaynor
Anderson Ranch Faculty: Liz Ferrill, Andrea Jenkins Wallace
Course Fee: $100.00
Registration Fee: $45.00
Description from the Anderson Ranch Website
Concept
This immersive four-day workshop invites participants to discover the powerful intersection of equine-assisted exploration, personal experience, and interdisciplinary art-making through a unique collaboration between WindWalkers and Anderson Ranch Arts Center. A key component of the workshop introduces participants to digital fabrication tools, transforming 2D drawings into 3D forms. Students will create sculptural interpretations of horses, hybrid animals, or imagined creatures—extending their emotional and symbolic responses into new dimensions. The workshop emphasizes themes of connection, embodiment, transformation, and the human–animal relationship, encouraging experimentation, play, and personal expression. Through guided demonstrations and hands-on exploration, students will learn how to move fluidly between image-making, material exploration, and object-based practices, expanding their understanding of what their work can become.
Days 1–2: WindWalkers — Equine Experience
Participants begin their journey at WindWalkers through engagement with the natural environment and guided equine-assisted experiences. Through simple bookmaking, expressive sketching, and close interaction with horses, students explore presence, trust, emotional awareness, and nonverbal communication. These sessions are designed to foster reflection and personal insight, creating a strong foundation for their creative work.
Days 3–4: Anderson Ranch Arts Center — Art Making
Participants transition into the studios at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, where they translate their experiences into visual and sculptural form. Working from photographs, sketches, and memories developed during their time with the horses, students will explore both intuitive and structured approaches to art-making.
This workshop is perfect for artists, creatives, and seekers of all kinds who are ready to go beyond the canvas — exploring nature, presence, and the wisdom of the herd as a source of creative inspiration.
Media & Techniques
iPhone photography and image capture, photographic printing and transfer techniques, collage and mixed media layering, stenciling processes, painting and drawing, and digital fabrication, including:
Converting 2D drawings into digital files
Basic 3D modeling workflows
3D printing and/or CNC fabrication
Honoring Grief with the
Wisdom of the Herd
SOLD OUT / New Retreat in OCTOBER / Sign up for Waitlist here
When: Sunday, August 9th, 2026
Time: 10am-2:30pm
Where: WindWalkers Equine Therapy Center, Carbondale, CO
Grief touches every part of our lives. Whether it comes through the loss of a loved one, the ending of a relationship, illness, life transition, friendship, identity, or the loss of a beloved animal, grief asks to be witnessed, honored, and carried differently. Too often, we try to move through it alone.
Join facilitators Sheri Gaynor and Sean Jeung for a restorative retreat with the support and wisdom of the WindWalkers herd. This retreat offers a gentle and supportive space to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and be held in community, nature, and the quiet wisdom of horses. In the presence of the herd, many people experience a deep sense of grounding and connection. Horses respond not to our words, but to our presence — meeting us exactly where we are with honesty, steadiness, and without judgment.
Through guided experiences with the horses, creative exploration, reflection, and time in nature, participants are invited to soften, breathe, and begin tending to what has been carried for too long alone. Together, we will explore the art of moving with grief rather than against it — discovering moments of connection, resilience, meaning, and hope along the way.
Following registration, Sheri will reach out for a brief conversation and orientation to the gathering.
This retreat is part of Sheri’s Equus heART™ pilot program — a collaboration with WindWalkers Equine Therapy Center an
Join me for
the Creative Awakenings
2026 Mentorship + Training
How thrilling would it be to offer inspiring, transformational expressive arts experiences for your clients—while also infusing your own life and career with creativity, purpose, and joy?
We are just completing the 2026 Winter/Spring Creative Awakenings Mentorship and Training, and I can honestly say…
HOLY CREATIVE TRANSFORMATION!
Over the past few months, I’ve had the sacred privilege of walking beside a powerful circle of creatives, visionaries, helpers, and healers. These courageous souls said yes to a deeper calling—to step into their authentic voice, explore the wisdom of their inner landscapes, and trust the power of the creative process as a tool for healing and change.
Together, we laughed, cried, made art, unearthed truth, and reclaimed joy. I witnessed breakthroughs that gave me goosebumps, stories that cracked hearts wide open, and an ever-deepening connection to the alchemical magic that happens when we gather in creative community.
Each one of these incredible beings is now emerging with tools, confidence, and a renewed sense of purpose—ready to carry the flame of creative transformation into their practices, their circles, and their communities. And it leaves me inspired, hopeful, and wildly grateful.
So I ask again… Is there a YES whispering inside you? A desire to live more creatively, serve more meaningfully, and bring soulful, art-infused experiences into the world?
If so, stay close. Another round of Creative Awakenings Facilitator Training is in the dreaming phase—and trust me, it’s going to be just as powerful.
Whether you’re an artist, therapist, educator, coach, or someone who simply knows there’s more within you waiting to bloom—this path may be calling.
Details for the next offering will be announced soon. Make sure you’re on the interest list so you don’t miss what’s coming.
Because the world needs more beauty, more heART, more YOU.
The Creative Awakenings Mentorship program, is designed especially to empower creative visionary women leaders like you!
Be sure to sign up for the waitlist to be first in line for early access to our exciting launch! As a special treat, you’ll receive an inspiring video titled “A Few of My Favorite Things,” where I share some secret sauce to ignite your creativity and spark innovation.
LUV NOTE: Working with Sheri, I not only learned how to facilitate an expressive arts group but also learned why this is such important and healing work for all involved.
I experienced so much personal transformation during our course and I cannot wait to facilitate this kind of opportunity for growth with others! I am so grateful to Sheri as my mentor for sharing her wisdom and expertise!
~ Annie Rouvillois
Creative Awakenings Mentorship Graduate, 2024
www.Annier.com
Creative Awakenings Facilitator Training Meet + Greet
The 2026 Winter/Spring Training dates will be Announced soon!!
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Free
Join me for a special evening of joyful creativity!
Come just as you are, or embrace the fun and arrive dressed as your favorite artist! There won’t be any tricks… well, maybe just one or two , but there will definitely be plenty of treats and creative surprises!
Are you passionate about the transformative power of the arts? Curious about becoming a Creative Awakenings Expressive Arts Facilitator? You’re invited to an inspiring interactive online conversation where we’ll dive into the pathway to certification and learn more about the heART of creative leadershi
What to Expect:
- An open and engaging conversation with Sheri
Insight into the CAI facilitator training program - Discover how to harness the arts to foster healing and growth
A few surprises, because that’s how I roll! - This is a perfect opportunity to explore how you can bring more creativity and connection into your life and the lives of others.
Whether you’re an artist, educator, therapist, or simply someone who loves the arts, this presentation and discussion is for you! Let’s come together in an open-heARTed space and embark on a journey of creative discovery
The Second Saturday Each Month
Time: 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Venue: The Art Base, Basalt, CO
$20.00*
*Scholarships available through the Art Base
All levels welcome. Supplies included.
Creative Community Healing
A non-profit Partnership
Generously Co-sponsored by Headquarters
Experience the power of visual journaling to empower your life. This creative process is designed for healing, FUN, alleviating stress, and decompressing! Explore your inner world through paint, color, and images, while making connections and drawing insight from within.
All experience levels are welcome. This is not a technique driven class, the focus is on PROCESS, rather than the end result. Please bring your sketchbook or journal. We can’t wait to see you there and watch your creativity come to life!
♥️ New to this work? You are warmly welcome—first-timers and newcomers are always invited into our circle. If this will be your first gathering, I encourage you to watch the videos below. They’ll give you a sense of the process and help you feel more grounded and comfortable as we begin.
⭐️ Journals are available for $20 at The Art Base.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our friends at Headquarters for their generous support. Their contribution helps The Art Base keep this class affordable and accessible to everyone!
Welcome Videos:
I created these videos to support your first experience with AHH. It will give you a sense of what to expect when you arrive.
