We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anastasia Canfield a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Anastasia, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I was fortunate to be raised by creative people in all facets of my life. Both my parents were entrepreneurs of sorts — my mom is a fine artist, my dad started and maintained many businesses over the years, and many of my cousins were dancers and musicians. I always preferred creativity and as a child I took to writing and playing the piano very early with no intention of ever stopping. I don’t recall exactly when I knew I would study music, maybe I just always knew.

Anastasia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a Polymath or a “Jill of Many Trades”. My current business, Creative Remedies, primarily provides creative therapy services, but it is also the umbrella under which some of my music projects function and my poetry is published. Creative Remedies offers mental health counseling, music therapy, play therapy, and expressive arts therapy for individuals, couples, and families. We also offer adaptive/therapeutic music lessons and traditional music lessons. It employs two other people aside from myself. Because of the way creative careers mirror entrepreneurship, I have folded my music, poetry, and modeling into the same business, but each is advertised for its specific art rather than so blatantly under the business name (for example, my stage name and author pseudonym is Anastasia Rose and that is how I promote those services rather than Creative Remedies).

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Being a creative allows me to be authentic. I have the opportunity to align with my values as I believe art makes humans better. Social and political movements are emboldened by art. We gain insight through creation and receiving others’ creations. Art is not only aesthetic (although the world certainly is more beautiful and interesting because of it), it is an outpouring of the soul which may transcend traditional communication. The most rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative is being part of something bigger and better than me — while it is simultaneously me as well.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The mission of Creative Remedies is to offer healing and education in a creative, inclusive, and welcoming environment while also making it accessible. We have an economic justice initiative and we do not turn people away based on financial need who are seeking therapy. We aim to serve the people who want and need to be served who may not have access to therapy in traditional private practices, mental health centers, or hospitals because of the astronomical cost of mental health treatment in the U.S.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.creativeremediesllc.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/creativeremediesllc
• Facebook: facebook.com/creativeremediesllc
• Other: www.AnastasiaRoseMusic.com

Image Credits
Annabel Jennings (Ishtar Images) Morgan Elizabeth Jessica Leza Anthony Ring (Anthony Ring Photography) Alyssa Montano (Rocky Montano Photography) Gab Kaplan