WHOLE soul
STUDIO
Reclaim the Canvas of Your Life
If your body, mind, and creativity feel stuck under stress, overwhelm, or constant “doing,” it’s time to come back to yourself.
No Art Skills Needed | Not an Art Class
If you’re living in survival mode, stressed, disconnected, or constantly “on, ”it can feel impossible to access your creativity, clarity, or aliveness.
Through Artful Storywork™ and holistic nervous system support, you’ll move from survival into wholeness, body, mind, and spirit, feeling your story, releasing what no longer serves you, and creating your beautiful life.
“Maybe your story was never meant to stay in the past.
Maybe it was meant to become
a painting,
a prayer,
a path,
a revolution.”
— Shelley Henk, Artist of the Soul
If You are Here, You Might Be Feeling:
Stuck, overwhelmed, or constantly “on”
Disconnected from your body, emotions, or inner life
Fragmented, anxious, or creatively blocked
Unclear about your next step or purpose
And You Want to Feel:
Grounded, present, and alive in your body and emotions
Free to imagine, create, and express without judgment
Clear, coherent, and integrated in your mind, body, and spirit
Connected to your inner wisdom and creative agency
You do not need to become someone new.
You need a way back to what is already within you.
Reclaim wholeness, clarity, and aliveness, body, mind, and spirit, one layer at a time.
What is Artful Storywork™?
No Art Skills Needed, as simple as reconnecting with your five year old self.
Artful Storywork™ is a body-centered, feeling-led creative process that helps you uncover old stories, tend what wants to change, and bring your new story into form.
Through movement, mark-making, and sensory engagement, you connect with your body, emotions, and inner wisdom. You’ll learn to:
Unearth old patterns and stories that keep you stuck
Cultivate new possibilities through creative and somatic practice
Create your story in intentional, expressive form
This is not therapy. It is not traditional art instruction.
It’s a practice of living your story fully—body, mind, and spirit—through the canvas of your life.
The Four Elements of Wholeness
Artful Storywork™ unfolds through the Four Elements of Wholeness, guiding you from stress and survival → embodied wholeness → aliveness:
FEEL — Earth
A holistic, nurturing path to nervous system support. FEEL reconnects you with your body, emotions, and inner life through somatic awareness, stress science, and guided creative practice. This foundational step helps you move from overwhelm into presence, preparing you to engage your story with curiosity and care.
HEAL — Water
Gently release old patterns and stories through expressive layering, creating space for new possibilities and healthier ways of relating to yourself and your life.
DREAM — Air
Reawaken imagination, curiosity, and creative possibility—exploring what could be, not just what has been.
CREATE — Fire
Bring forward what wants to take shape in the world. Translate insight, embodiment, and clarity into intentional, layered creative expression.
Each element stands alone, but together they form a complete, body-centered path to wholeness.
Artful Storywork™ makes creativity as easy as reconnecting with your five year old self.
You’ve lost touch with your own life. Your body, your emotions, your creativity, they feel muted, stuck, or ignored. Projects sit half-finished, ideas gather dust, and your spark feels buried under to-do lists, shoulds, and self-doubt.
It’s time to come back to yourself. To feel again. To move again. To create again. To reclaim your life, your story, in a way that’s alive, embodied, and unmistakably yours.
Through Artful Storywork™, your hands, body, and senses guide the work. Layered color, texture, and form help you feel your story, release what no longer serves you, and bring forward what wants to take shape in the world.
Shelley‘s God given gift to help women walk out this journey is worth more than its weight in gold.
— Michelle Maxwell
PICK YOUR PATH TO WHOLENESS:
ONE YEAR GUIDED PATH
FINDING BEAUTIFUL SCHOOL OF YOU™: A one-year guided and personalized journey through the Four Elements of Wholeness.
This premium, high-touch program combines Artful Storywork™, holistic nervous system support, and personalized creative guidance to help you reconnect with your body, emotions, and inner wisdom, release old patterns, and fully step into your authentic, creative, and embodied life. Discovering your highest calling and creating your God-sized dreams.
The School of YOU is so worth it! I have gone from guarded and defensive, to being at peace and feeling loved by God. I’m creating my new story! ” — Jennifer Taylor
PERSONALIZED PATH
THE EMBODIED WHOLE™: A 12-week, one-on-one journey through the Four Elements of Wholeness.
Tailored to you. Reconnect with your body, nourish your nervous system, release old patterns, awaken possibility, and create your story in embodied form.
My experience with Shelley has been extraordinary. The depth and sensitivity and knowledge that Shelley brings to the table is exactly what I needed.” - Kim LaPilusa
SELF PACED PATH
FEEL ELEMENT ONLINE COURSE: Reconnect with your body, emotions, and creativity through Artful Storywork™ and holistic nervous system support.
FEEL blends stress science, somatic awareness, and guided creative practice to help you move from overwhelm into embodied clarity.
“I cannot explain or describe the feeling of restoration and healing that I feel.” - KD Sanders
EXPRESSIVE ART EXPERIENCES
MOVE, BREATH, CREATE
Embodied Expression Experiences™ offer group workshops, masterclasses, and expressive art sessions that help participants reconnect with creativity, embody personal growth, and cultivate clarity, joy, and rest for the soul.
“I cannot explain or describe the feeling of restoration and healing that I feel.” - KD Sanders
“My time with her exceeded any expectations and the outcome is invaluable.”
-Ashton Greer
Artful Storywork™ and the Four Elements of Wholeness were developed by artist and educator Shelley Henk, a Nurse turned Artist of the Soul
Shelley is an expressive creative guide who leads women into embodied wholeness, where nervous system regulation, creative expression, and holistic wisdom meet.
A published author, poet, intuitive painter, and holistic health educator, featured in the PBS documentary Medical Stories Under Control, Shelley has spent years holding the stories of women in moments of healing, transition, awakening, and transformation. She has supported over 1,000 people on their path to wholeness.
Shelley is also a trauma thriver and chronic illness overcomer, you can here her whole story and credentials by clicking the link below.
YOUR STORY IS THE ART
“When your head and heart disagree, the body tells on you.”
Shelley Henk
YOUR STORY IS WORTHY OF BEAUTY
More Stories of Transformation
“She’s not afraid to ask the tough questions that evoke deeper thoughts/emotions and she connects authentically with others. Her wisdom is beyond her years and I value her guidance in the importance of connecting my body, mind and spirit to live my most abundant life."
— Kim Henry
“Working with Shelley, “Artist of the Soul” was such an incredible way to embrace the darks and the lights of my life and learn how they have complimented one another to create the woman that I am today. The “Finding Beautiful School of YOU” transformed my mess into meaning and left me feeling empowered and proud of who I am."
— Jessica Smith Dos Santos
“For years I’ve searched for someone to help me understand & navigate my history while pushing me to LIVE forward. So many past experiences have walked me through the past, but left me stuck there. Shelley teaches methods to help deal with the triggers, yet keep moving forward so I can honor who I am at my core while acknowledging the feelings and emotions that come along with it. No more suppression. No more numbness."
— Emily Byrnes
“I love how Shelley weaves art, science & spirituality into our broken stories at the Finding Beautiful School of YOU. Helping us bring beauty forth. Shelley guides us past the healing stage, I felt stuck in. Her vision helped me awaken my God sized Dreams & this beautiful Artful Storywork healed my broken stories. So grateful.”
— Lisa Spokis
“Shelley helped break off me long held beliefs about God and myself that relegated me to believing I would always be last to receive. What a joy for that thinking to be gone! In just two short hours burdens, limiting beliefs, and some “stinking’ thinkin’ I didn’t even know I had was destroyed! Not only does Shelley know what she is doing she makes you feel that the most important thing she has to do at that moment is be in front of you. It was an amazing experience!”
— Dan Thomas
“Shelley helps you realize through her past experiences, that you too can bust through the barrier of pain and see suffering and see with beauty and purpose. She shares how looking backward to unearth your story allows you to let go and embrace forgiveness, love, and purpose to move forward."
— Katie Hurley
“Shelley Henk has helped me go from “hot mess” to finding my joy with purpose and passion! She has helped me rewrite my story learning to love who I once was and focus on who God created me to be. Helping me awaken to new possibilities, gain clarity on the future I want to create and empowering me take action to live an abundant and beautiful future!"
— Andrea Farrell
Why choose WHOLE SOUL STUDIO
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Shelley has been a Nurse and witnessed humanities hardest moments. This has given her a compassion and grit that is hard to come by. Shelley has been an Artist and Creative her entire life, and speaks the language of the body, emotions, and intuition fluently.
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Shelley considers all the parts of you and your life through a trauma informed lens. She understands the Science and the Spiritual side of life. Seeing them as interconnected. She considers your cellular health as well as your soul health. This is very hard to find.
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Shelley’s work is guided by her personal experiences, not just her credentials. She has experienced many traumatic events, lost her health and wholeness, and regained it holistically. She operates as a guide to wholeness, and believes your story is the medicine.
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Shelley’s work is not clinical, it is an Art. Art, Story, and Spirit are the medicine she carries.
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Wounds are not seen as a problem to be fixed but as the very place where transformation breaks open. While your past is important to giving us clues to your wholeness path, it is not the focus of our work, we are focused on forward growth and helping you create a live you love.
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People who draw or paint their dreams and goals are forty two percent more likely to achieve them.
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All of Shelley’s work is guided by the Holy Spirit. While she does not force her beliefs on others, her faith is the inspiration for everything she does.
Common Questions:
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Yes, much of our work is done virtually, but we also offer in person retreats and workshops
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You can paint or use other expressive tools.
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No, in fact the less you know about traditional Art the more fun you will probably have.
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No, you do not although you can. Artful Storywork is designed to help you release your story from the body, so if you are not ready to use words, you can just use paint. If you want to use words but keep them to yourself, you can. This is were Artful Storywork shines, the paper or canvas can be a witness and a mirror.
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We service central IL and support people virtually. Travel is possible.
Shelley works from her home studio
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While Shelley holds credentials as an RN, BSN, Certified Whole Health Educator/Coach, Patient Advocate, Enneagram Relationship Coach, Kingdom Minister, and Therapeutic Artist. Shelley’s work is purely educational, spiritual, and transformational. Her methods were mainly birthed from her own personal experience of restoring her wholeness and from working with over 1,000 clients to achieve health.
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Yes we do
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No, even though Shelley holds credentials, her work is creative not clinical. Therefore, insurance will not cover this service.
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No, you do not. Shelley’s work is very symbolic and uses archetypes from scripture, but non Christians would also feel its truth.
Contact Us
Interested in working together for something other than the Finding Beautiful School of YOU? Shelley would love to explore any creative ideas you have to bring Artful Storywork to you or the people you serve. Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Disclaimer
The services, programs, and creative practices offered through Whole Soul Studio, including Artful Storywork™, are for educational, personal growth, and creative expression purposes only. They are not a substitute for medical, psychological, or mental health treatment. Always consult with your physician or qualified health provider regarding any physical or mental health concerns. Participation in coaching, retreats, or creative sessions is voluntary, and results may vary based on individual effort, readiness, and circumstances.