Brewtifully Made

Tracy Dawn Brewer
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Design
  • Updated Weekly

This endeavor started off with sharing and exploring all of my creative pursuits...retiring to open my beautiful art studio and sharing art throughout my community.In 2026, my world collapsed around me...imploding after the suicide of my husband. I lost my business, my home, my friends, my community, my livelihood...with a move from Canton, Ohio to Seattle, Washington to be near two of my children and grandchildren. At 56 years old I am literally starting completely over.I am trying to find myself because I don't know who I am now. I am not the same person. I am struggling to make art out of my broken spirit and heart. I am navigating how to work through everything new, from where I live, what I do and more. In the middle of it all, I hope I can find a glimmer of light. 

  1. 3d ago

    I Keep Creating Even When I Feel Broken

    Send us Fan Mail Grief doesn’t just break your heart, it can scramble your creativity, your motivation, and your sense of who you are. I’m sharing a real-time recap of a week in Seattle where I’m trying to make things again while I’m still deep in trauma and loss. If you’ve ever felt like you can only create when someone gives you a prompt, or like your “voice” went quiet after a hard season, you’ll recognize a lot of what I’m working through here. We start with the small stuff that still matters, like caring for my little dog after surgery and feeling grateful for a great vet. Then I talk about a character development class at the library that unexpectedly gave me the structure I needed. I drew myself as a kiwi (yes, menopause made it into the character design), and I felt that rare mix of humor and honesty that makes art feel possible again. I also get into sewing, applique, thrifted finds, and repurposing fabric when your supplies and your life are still in boxes. The heavy layer is navigating widowhood logistics and support: I found the book “Different After You” by Michelle Hernandez, learned about Camp Widow and Soaring Spirits International, and signed up for a local Seattle group. I also open up about the frustration of being denied twice for VA DIC benefits, missing medical records, and how overwhelming it is to fight a convoluted system while you’re grieving. To cope, I lean on comfort shows like Gilmore Girls and Frasier, plus reading and writing things down when the spiral starts. If this resonates, subscribe, share the episode with someone who’s rebuilding, and leave a review so more people can find the show when they need it most. Support the show Catch the doodles on YouTube My socials: Sign up for my monthly newsletter Portfolio website: Brewtifully.com Instagram: /Brewtifully Facebook: /brewtifully TikTok: GettingSmallwithGrandma LinkedIn: Tracy Dawn Brewer

    I Keep Creating Even When I Feel Broken

  2. Aug 12

    I Am Learning To Grieve And Create At The Same Time

    Send us Fan Mail Watching a home you loved turn into a listing can feel like losing it twice. I’m Tracy, and I’m sharing what it’s like to put my Ohio house on the market while I’m still carrying fresh grief, big feelings, and the weird in-between space of a brand-new life. I talk about the pride and heartbreak of leaving behind years of design choices, routines, and neighbors I truly care about, plus why counseling days have become an anchor. Creativity is still my work, but it’s also my way back to myself. I share how I’m getting paint on the page again with watercolor florals, and I explain a new limited edition mahjong mat release tied to my own artwork, including the surprise gift that comes with each mat. We also get real about what it takes to keep a small creative business going while you’re grieving: commissions, wholesale orders, restarting a newsletter, and leaning on community support without feeling like you’re “selling” your sadness. Grief isn’t just emotional, it’s sensory. I talk about why certain sounds and songs are suddenly hard to tolerate, why lo-fi music helps when lyrics feel loaded, and how I’m trying to replace old memories with new experiences. From knitting classes and teaching mahjong locally to line dancing lessons, bike rides, and exploring Edmonds, this is a conversation about rebuilding after loss one hour at a time, with honesty, anger, tenderness, and a little hope for what comes next. If this resonates, listen through, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review or subscribe so you don’t miss what comes next. Support the show Catch the doodles on YouTube My socials: Sign up for my monthly newsletter Portfolio website: Brewtifully.com Instagram: /Brewtifully Facebook: /brewtifully TikTok: GettingSmallwithGrandma LinkedIn: Tracy Dawn Brewer

    I Am Learning To Grieve And Create At The Same Time

  3. Aug 7

    What If Healing Starts With Micro Joys

    Send us Fan Mail Grief doesn’t just hurt, it reorganizes your whole inner world. I’m Tracy, and I’m talking openly about what happens when trauma and betrayal blow up your sense of safety, your memories, and even your ability to make the kind of art you used to love. I’ve got supplies unpacked and the urge to create, but the quiet can feel brutal, and the blank page can pull up anger, shock, and the life I thought I had. I share what betrayal trauma feels like in real time: the way songs and TV can trigger instant spirals, the loneliness of having no one left to confront, and the heavy reality of selling what I believed was my forever home. Starting over at this stage of life is daunting, especially when trust in your own decisions feels broken. I also talk about the guilt of leaning on my kids for comfort and why I’m trying hard not to make them carry that weight. There are small lights, though. My therapist keeps reminding me to chase micro joys and micro goals, and I’m trying: journaling, writing, moving my body, taking a knitting class, and letting myself consider making darker art when that’s what needs to come out. Community helps too, especially mahjong and the chance to teach and share what I’m creating. If you’ve ever felt like you can create for others but not for yourself, you’ll hear your own thoughts in this one. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find honest conversations about grief, healing, and creativity. Support the show Catch the doodles on YouTube My socials: Sign up for my monthly newsletter Portfolio website: Brewtifully.com Instagram: /Brewtifully Facebook: /brewtifully TikTok: GettingSmallwithGrandma LinkedIn: Tracy Dawn Brewer

    What If Healing Starts With Micro Joys

  4. Jul 30

    What Does Safety Mean After Everything Breaks

    Send us Fan Mail A normal day at a huge family event can turn into a life-or-death sprint in seconds, and the aftermath doesn’t end when you finally get out of the crowd. We’re sharing a raw, first-person story of being caught near a mass shooting in Seattle with young grandkids, the split-second choices we made to keep them safe, and what it feels like to watch children stay brave while adults try not to fall apart.  That trauma hits on top of a season already packed with grief and disorientation: losing a spouse, moving across the country, rehoming pets, watching your old life disappear, and fighting through the mental load of VA systems and unanswered questions around PTSD and support. We talk honestly about therapy, the daily effort of getting up, and the heavy, lonely moment of looking in the mirror and wondering what the day will bring.  We also look for the next tiny foothold forward: rebuilding self-trust, untangling perfectionism as an artist, and taking small steps that create real momentum like getting a library card, signing up for a class, reaching out to local creatives, and letting yourself sit in a coffee shop with a book without rushing to “fix” everything. If you’re searching for coping strategies for grief, trauma recovery, or starting over later in life, this conversation offers both truth and practical next moves.  What motivates you when life feels uncertain? Support the show Catch the doodles on YouTube My socials: Sign up for my monthly newsletter Portfolio website: Brewtifully.com Instagram: /Brewtifully Facebook: /brewtifully TikTok: GettingSmallwithGrandma LinkedIn: Tracy Dawn Brewer

    What Does Safety Mean After Everything Breaks

  5. Jul 22

    What Happens To Your Identity When Your Life Shatters

    Send us Fan Mail One day you’re making plans, and the next you’re standing in the wreckage of a life you thought was secure. I’m back on Brewtifully Made to tell the truth about what the last two months have been: becoming a widow at 56, closing my art studio, letting go of my home, and moving across the country to start over with two of my daughters and granddaughters nearby. It’s overwhelming, messy, and nothing like the “strong and steady” version of me I expected to be. I talk about suicide loss and what it’s like to carry grief while trying to protect six kids between us, especially his sons. I also share the complicated layers that come with a veteran’s PTSD, the frustration of navigating support systems like the VA, and the shock of realizing how much a digital footprint can reveal. Finding messages, images, traces of his thought processes and writings after he’s gone has been gut-wrenching, because it can change how you understand the person you loved and it can make you question everything, including yourself. I’m leaning hard on therapy, community, and the small acts that keep me tethered to life. Creativity is still part of my healing, even when my heart is too heavy to make “bright and fun” art. I’m trying to find a new normal, even if normal feels overrated, and I’m holding onto glimmers of light through family, pets, and tiny creative steps. If this resonates, share this with someone who needs it...maybe it can help more people find honest conversations about grief, trauma, and creative healing. What’s one small thing that helps you keep going? Support the show Catch the doodles on YouTube My socials: Sign up for my monthly newsletter Portfolio website: Brewtifully.com Instagram: /Brewtifully Facebook: /brewtifully TikTok: GettingSmallwithGrandma LinkedIn: Tracy Dawn Brewer

    What Happens To Your Identity When Your Life Shatters

  6. Jun 3

    Pause in the podcast

    Send us Fan Mail My husband passed away 5/13 unexpectedly. I am pausing my podcast as I have to close my art studio, sell and relocate. Please know I hope to be back soon. If you are a Veteran, PTSD is a silently-lurking ailment and you are not alone, please seek help early and diligently. Support the show Catch the doodles on YouTube My socials: Sign up for my monthly newsletter Portfolio website: Brewtifully.com Instagram: /Brewtifully Facebook: /brewtifully TikTok: GettingSmallwithGrandma LinkedIn: Tracy Dawn Brewer

  7. May 2

    I Built A Creative Life By Saying Yes

    Send us Fan Mail A crowded studio, a “cap it at 40” plan that turns into 50-plus guests, and a spring season that suddenly feels like it’s accelerating. I’m checking in from Brewtifully with a real-time look at what it takes to grow a creative studio around mahjong, art, and community and what happens when you let people in, even when the day doesn’t go exactly as planned. National Mahjong Day brought tables full of laughter, unexpected visitors, and the kind of feedback that makes me want to schedule more events immediately.  Next up, I’m leaning into collaborations that connect new audiences: a June pickleball mahjong event at a new spot called Hotshots, plus another gathering tied to the Ohio State University Alumni Association. I also share an invitation to Art in the Park in Hartville, where I’ll be setting up tables and teaching the art of mahjong to anyone curious. If you’re building a small business, planning community events, or trying to grow a creative brand, these partnerships are a practical reminder that you don’t have to do it alone.  On the making side, I talk through how I’m creating my own mahjong tiles from blank tiles to drawing, laser engraving, and hand painting, plus how manufacturing and licensing help turn artwork into products people can actually buy. The biggest takeaway is simple and hard-earned: leave room in your plans for the unplanned, share the littlest thing, and let it grow into something bigger than you could have mapped out. If you like this kind of creative business update, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a quick review so more makers and mahjong lovers can find us. Support the show Catch the doodles on YouTube My socials: Sign up for my monthly newsletter Portfolio website: Brewtifully.com Instagram: /Brewtifully Facebook: /brewtifully TikTok: GettingSmallwithGrandma LinkedIn: Tracy Dawn Brewer

    I Built A Creative Life By Saying Yes

  8. Apr 17

    Sharing What You Love Can Become Your Next Business

    Send us Fan Mail Mahjong started as pure fun for me, and it keeps turning into something bigger: a creative business thread that connects art, friendship, and a surprisingly deep design world. Coming to you from a late Friday afternoon as the shop winds down, fresh off a lively mahjong session and the simple joy of putting a beautiful new set on the table. I talk about trying a new Jonathan Adler mahjong set sourced through Michael’s, why exploring new tiles and layouts sparks new ideas, and how those small details shape the whole playing experience. Then, a wild update from the product side: our mahjong mats are doing really well, and the company licensing our artwork is heading toward a television moment through a new collaboration with a studio and network. If you’re curious about art licensing, building a niche product line, or what it looks like when a creative career takes an unexpected turn, this one is for you. Also, I lay out our affiliate program for people who genuinely love playing and want to share mats, tiles, and game-night culture with their audience. I will explain how the special code works, how commissions are tracked, whyIe offer a big first-order discount for samples, and the platform (UpPromote). To bring it back to community, I preview upcoming local classes, share how to teach without gatekeeping, and invite you to send tile photos or ask about a custom mahjong mat if you can’t find the right match. Subscribe for more honest creator updates, share this with a mahjong friend, and leave a review if it helped you see a new path forward.  What’s one hobby you could share more boldly this month? Support the show Catch the doodles on YouTube My socials: Sign up for my monthly newsletter Portfolio website: Brewtifully.com Instagram: /Brewtifully Facebook: /brewtifully TikTok: GettingSmallwithGrandma LinkedIn: Tracy Dawn Brewer

    Sharing What You Love Can Become Your Next Business
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5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

This endeavor started off with sharing and exploring all of my creative pursuits...retiring to open my beautiful art studio and sharing art throughout my community.In 2026, my world collapsed around me...imploding after the suicide of my husband. I lost my business, my home, my friends, my community, my livelihood...with a move from Canton, Ohio to Seattle, Washington to be near two of my children and grandchildren. At 56 years old I am literally starting completely over.I am trying to find myself because I don't know who I am now. I am not the same person. I am struggling to make art out of my broken spirit and heart. I am navigating how to work through everything new, from where I live, what I do and more. In the middle of it all, I hope I can find a glimmer of light. 

Information

  • Creator
    Tracy Dawn Brewer
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    93
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Brewtifully Made
  • Show Website
    Brewtifully Made