Welcome to Create Space: A Beginning, A Becoming

Welcome to Create Space

There are some dreams we carry quietly for years. They live in journal margins, whispered prayers, or the quiet moments between to-do lists. Create Space is one of mine.

For over a decade, I’ve been holding onto this vision.. not always knowing exactly what it would look like, but knowing what it would feel like. Safe. Expansive. Intentional. Healing. Rooted in community and compassion. A place for breath and belonging.

It’s taken time to name it, time to water it. The dots didn’t connect all at once, but slowly through lived experience, grief, art, joy, healing, and deep love for people and process — Create Space began to bloom.

And now, here we are. Welcome.

Not just to this blog, but to the beginning of Create Space as a living thing.

What is Create Space?

At its core, Create Space is about more than the two words it’s made of.

It’s a movement. A mindset. A map. A mirror. A medicine.

It’s about pouring into yourself and into the world around you with the same care that a tree offers its roots, quietly, consistently, and with a sense of time that honors the seasons. Just like a tree doesn’t rush its growth, Create Space encourages us to grow slowly, together. To rise and rest. To heal and hold space. To make art and meaning.

This blog will serve as a companion on that journey.

What You Can Expect Here

Think of this blog as a map, a diary, a conversation. I’ll be writing as Create Space is being built from the ground up. Sometimes the posts will reflect what’s happening behind the scenes: organizing events, building relationships, designing programming, dreaming up the future community center. Other times, I’ll be reflecting on the world we’re living in and how we’re all learning to navigate it creatively, vulnerably, collectively.

This will also be the home for Circle Conversations, a series of deep dialogues with creatives, community members, caregivers, and friends. These conversations will explore how we navigate life, healing, art, and identity in a world that often feels disconnected and disorienting.

Eventually, these posts will connect to in-person gatherings, podcast snippets, and video content. We’re planting seeds in every direction, but this blog will always be the center of gravity.

Why This Matters (to me & maybe you too)

I believe that creative expression and communal healing can transform lives. But I also know how lonely it can feel to carry that belief when the world doesn’t always make space for it. This blog is a soft landing for those of us who feel that tension — who are trying to build something meaningful while still figuring out how to care for ourselves.

Create Space isn’t about being perfect, productive, or polished. It’s about being present.

It’s about sitting with the hard feelings and still choosing joy. It’s about rest. About ritual. About remembering who we are.

A Little Bit About Me

My name is Ariel Carreras. I’m a photographer, a writer, a child development specialist, and a forever student of healing and self-discovery. I’ve worked in early childhood education, community centers, and domestic. I’ve also lived through many transitions personally, professionally, spiritually.

Right now, I’m navigating whether to self-publish my upcoming book (Create Space ) or go the traditional route. That journey, too, will unfold here. I want this blog to reflect the honest in-betweens — the confusion, the courage, the clarity.

Because I’m not just sharing updates. I’m extending an invitation.

This Space is For You

This isn’t a place for me to vent or promote myself. This is a space for all of us — artists, caregivers, thinkers, feelers, seekers — to gather in spirit, in words, in breath. I hope when you come here, you feel seen. Or softened. Or sparked.

Maybe you’ll read a line that helps you exhale.

Maybe you’ll feel a little less alone.

Maybe you’ll be reminded that healing isn’t linear and that’s okay.

Before You Go…

Thank you. For reading this. For being curious. For being present.

There’s something sacred about a first post, like the first step onto a forest trail or the first note in a song. I don’t take it lightly that you’re here.

As you leave this page today, I hope you take with you this reminder:

“You are allowed to take your time. To root before you rise. To grow gently. To create space.”

We’re just getting started.

See you soon.

With warmth,

Ariel