Monthly Artist Feature – Marie-Louise Cee -

The Art of Intention: How I Integrate Mindfulness in My Art, Business (and life) with Marie-Louise Cee

Name: Marie-Louise Cee

Location: Aix-en-Provence, France

Instagram: @marielouisecee

Substack: https://marielouisecee.substack.com/

The Good Canvas: Hi Marie, We’re so glad to have this little interview with you. Tell us a little about your story.

Marie-Louise: I’m a late-blooming artist, poet, and mindfulness educator. I run a creative business that blends art and mindful living, infusing everyday moments with a little extra magic. I’m passionate about building a creative business that feels just like home. As a mother, I juggle many roles, but my heart always comes back to painting, writing, and sharing mindfulness with the world. I love the freedom of expressing myself through art and poetry—it’s where I find my flow.

I am deeply inspired by nature and a firm believer in the goodness of the human heart.

Thank you for reading my story.

The Good Canvas: What do you create?

Marie-Louise: I create nature-inspired watercolours and abstract gouache paintings. I’m currently working on my first poetry collection and writing reflective essays on Substack, where I explore life’s intricacies, the creative process, and mindful living.

The Good Canvas: Have you always been creative? Do you remember the time when you decided that creativity was going to be your career?

Marie-Louise: I’ve been creative for as long as I can remember. My mother, a beautician, would carry me and her supplies around to clients’ homes. There’s a funny story she tells—when I was three, I used her set of nail polishes to paint on a client’s brand new white rug. Apparently, I was just too adorable for her to stay mad at me! Later I would write stories in and paste drawings all over the wall beside her bed.

During my teenage years, drawing and painting were my constants. My mom even saved up for art lessons in our quaint South of France village. However, when I asked to attend art school, life had other plans. With my father in the terminal stages of a long illness, my mom needed me to work part-time and follow a more practical academic route—she envisioned me as a future teacher. So, I studied philosophy at university, even though teaching never truly called to me.

In high school, my love for writing blossomed—I even won several poetry awards, including the national ‘Verlaine Junior Award’ in 1996. I continued writing through university, but when I met my husband and we focused on building a family (now with four daughters, aged 10 to 21), my creative pursuits took a back seat. We moved around the world—including four years in China—for his work, while I built a fulfilling career in wellness for 10 years.

The Good Canvas: When did creating become a regular part of your life? What do you create today?

Marie-Louise: Then, in 2020, creativity made a deliberate comeback. I turned to art and mindfulness to channel my energy and ease anxiety, and those practices helped me navigate these challenging times – including homeschooling 4 children from 4 to 15.

With 15 years of steady mindfulness practice under my belt, I embraced a six-month period of full-time motherhood, during which I rediscovered my love for writing and painting. It felt like coming home to my teenage self—the one who was always doodling and dreaming, even when art school was out of reach. Now, as a parent, I had the chance to design my own art curriculum.

The gentle nudge I needed came unexpectedly: a visiting friend bought all the holiday cards I had painted for friends and family for Christmas 2021. That moment sparked a leap of faith, and at the end of 2022, I launched my art business. Since then, my creative journey has been growing, evolving, and unfolding in ways I never imagined.

Today, I’m working on a poetry project exploring the seasons of womanhood, painting soft watercolors designed to soothe, and developing an abstract collection rooted in my mindfulness practice. I’m also excited by the recent launch of my Substack publication, where I share insights on the creative life, mindfulness, and the beautiful chaos of balancing art, motherhood, and entrepreneurship.

The Good Canvas: In a nutshell, what was the path that led to you establishing your current creative space?

Marie-Louise: In the early days, I had to navigate the challenge of being entirely self-taught—figuring out how to scale my learning and fill in gaps without a formal guide. Balancing the roles of a mother, entrepreneur, and creative meant mastering time management, a constant dance between disciplined structure and those spontaneous bursts of inspiration. What’s kept me grounded through it all is my mindfulness practice, which has been my anchor. More recently, moving into a dedicated, separate studio away from home has given me a clear space to let my creativity flourish.

The Good Canvas: Do you have a studio? What’s it like?

Marie-Louise: My studio in Aix-en-Provence, is a cozy room in a shared office space that I’ve transformed into my personal creative haven. I’ve filled it with warm wood furniture and arranged every detail around Feng Shui principles. There’s space for three giant padded cotton moodboards, two dedicated desks—one for painting and one for admin—and even a special spot for my meditation cushion. And the dreamy afternoon light? It makes the whole space feel simply magical.

The Good Canvas: Are you a full- or part-time artist? Do you sell your creations? What platforms?

Marie-Louise: I am a full time artist and I sell my creations on my website, or directly in my studio.

Marie Louise Cee, Dried Wild Flowers Watercolor Study
minimalist botanical watercolor, Marie Louise Cee Artist

The Good Canvas: How has being an artist/maker impacted your life, especially as a woman?

Marie-Louise: Being an artist has profoundly shaped my life, both personally and professionally, and it’s been an especially empowering journey as a woman. Being a creative was never something I planned for—it was more of a slow reconnection with my true self. In embracing my art, I’ve gained confidence to pursue my passions despite the many roles I juggle. As a woman, I’ve found creativity to be a powerful means of self-expression, allowing me to embrace my identity and balance the demands of motherhood, business, and art. It’s also taught me resilience and patience, both for myself and for the ever-evolving nature of my work.

My art, paired with mindfulness, has become a daily act of self-care, allowing me to navigate life’s complexities with resilience and grace.

The Good Canvas: On any given day, what is your studio schedule like? Do you follow a routine? Do you have any rituals?

Marie-Louise: On any given day, my schedule is a blend of structure and creative freedom. I work every day except Wednesdays, which I’ve come to cherish as my midweek break since the kids are home. Typically, my workday runs from 9:30 to 12:00 and then picks up again from 2:00 to 5:00. While I reserve weekends for family time, they always end up filled with creative projects with my children—I’ve even been having fun exploring colored pencils lately.

I never leave home without my trusty sketchbook, a set of pencils, and a little notebook for jotting down notes and snippets of poetry. I don’t always stick to my studio; sometimes I find inspiration writing at home or in a cozy café. I follow a loose time-blocking method with themed days—on writing days, I decide whether to craft poetry or an essay, and on painting days, I choose between gouache and watercolor. This approach gives me the structure I need while still allowing for that spontaneous burst of inspiration.

The Good Canvas: How do you overcome creative blocks? Do you have a go-to exercise for jumpstarting your creativity?

Marie-Louise: I journal daily, much like the “morning pages” approach by Julia Cameron. In these sessions, I let my thoughts flow freely, playing with stickers, washi tape, or doodling something silly just for the fun of it. My journals become a safe space where I can vent, explore, and empty my mind, leaving me feeling a bit clearer each day.

When I’m really stuck, I sometimes deliberately create something intentionally “ugly,” knowing I’ll toss it later. It’s a playful reminder that not every piece has to be perfect. And sometimes, I simply let go of the need to be productive—acknowledging that a block might just be a signal to rest and recharge.

The Good Canvas: Where do you look for inspiration?

Marie-Louise: I find inspiration everywhere, but nature is my greatest muse. Living in a small city where vibrant greenery and magnificent, historic architecture coexist has a constant, quiet magic. I love escaping to the countryside now and then—those old, dusty country roads lined with wildflowers, herbs, and flowery meadows evoke a timeless beauty that sparks my creativity.

The Good Canvas: What are some of the greatest challenges you have faced as a creative online? Do you have certain suggestions for how to run a creative business?

Marie-Louise: Running a creative business is a whole new ball game—so different from the ventures I’ve been involved in before. There’s a huge emotional component that makes balancing creativity and structure both vital and challenging. As an artist, I find that having a solid structure is key to staying grounded. For me, time management is essential—I have an admin day where I dive into the business side of things. My biggest challenge when it comes to running an online creative business has been navigating all the technical aspects—things like social media, online marketing, SEO, and managing my website. It can feel like a steep learning curve, but I’m determined to delegate the things that feel a bit heavy as soon as possible. My biggest piece of advice would be: don’t hesitate to ask for help. Whether it’s in the tech world or with anything else, getting the support you need can

The Good Canvas: How do you maintain an entrepreneurial spirit when you’re creating? What things are non-negotiables in order to sustain your business?

Marie-Louise: I’ve done some inner work to accept that it’s perfectly okay to create something with the intent to sell—and I’ve come to find that process genuinely fun. I see it as a form of service: while I still create for my own joy, sustaining my art means it also needs to support me financially. Embracing this balance is a non-negotiable part of my journey.

Diversification is key for me, too—I love creating related products that all work together to build a cohesive creative ecosystem. Even though I’ve been an entrepreneur all my adult life, stepping into the creative side feels like a new adventure, and I’m allowing myself plenty of trial and error.

This year, my goal is to deepen the integration of mindfulness into my practice—perhaps even teaching others how intention and presence can shape our creative processes. Ultimately, I aspire to create art that not only expresses my inner world but also supports others on their path to self-discovery, awareness, and peace.

The Good Canvas: What advice would you give to other creatives that are maybe struggling to find time, space or waiting for a studio or even those that have started, perhaps from their dining room tables?

Marie-Louise: My advice is to reframe what counts as your creative space—it doesn’t have to be a fancy studio. Whether it’s a small desk, the kitchen table, or simply your sketchbook, your space is where your creativity lives. Early on, I developed a lean system that allowed me to quickly set up and pack away my tools, which taught me how to create anywhere. Even though I now have a dedicated studio, those habits let me work on the go, too. The real magic of having a studio, though, is the clear separation it provides between work and life. If you’re working from home, especially with a family, setting boundaries is key. It’s easy to stretch yourself too thin, burning the midnight oil when the house is quiet, or feeling frustration when the kids’ chaos invades your creative space (trust me, I’ve had a few juice spills on my artwork!). Keep your boundaries and your self-care in mind—it’s a balance.

The Good Canvas: What would you like to share about your work? And where can readers learn more about you and your business?

Marie-Louise: I’m excited to share what’s coming up! I’m still expanding my “Finding Softness” watercolor collection, and my first poetry collection, “Seasons,” is in the works. In the meantime, I share poems and essays on Substack, where you can dive into my reflections on creativity and mindful living. Over the next few months, I’ll be introducing mindfulness tools for creatives—think a Meditation for Creativity, journaling prompts, and a workshop just before summer. You can follow along on my website and on Substack for all the latest updates.

Golden Moon Lotuses,
Watercolor Wall Art, Marie Louise Cee Artist

Website: https://www.marielouisecee.com/

Instagram: @marielouisecee

Substack: https://marielouisecee.substack.com/

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ABOUT THIS POST

This post is written by Donata Delano – A Web Designer, Professional Artist and Architect based in Burlington, Canada. She specializing in visual communication and web design, creating branding solutions and websites that are thoughtful, unique and aesthetically pleasing.

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Monthly Artist Feature – Marie-Louise Cee