C & C is a recreational outreach to educate, enrich, & save lives. Hello! My name is Katelyn Sherman & I’m the founder of Canvas & Clarity, a Sober Paint n' Sip Recreational Outreach, in the Chicago area. My mission is to let one's creative side come out without being under the influence of alcohol. It’s to show others it's possible to have fun being sober. It’s to educate others on addiction/ment
al health awareness, enrich others in the community, help those suffering from addiction, & save lives in a fun way. I'm a person in recovery who has been abstinent since August 26, 2017. I’m very interested in providing others an AF outlet for those who need it. During my time in sobriety, I felt that I might not be able to go to certain scenes because of the alcohol or drugs present. At the end of 2019, I started working for Paint n' Sip franchises as an art instructor for entertainment events. I have often been questioned why I would choose to work there from others who know my story; I honestly did it for the love of art, not for the drinking scene. I have been creating art since I was about the age of 5 & I'm 31 now; it's my passion & I want to share that with others. I got myself thinking about how much the sober community is missing out on the fun Paint n' Sips do offer. So that got me interested in starting a side gig as a sober paint n' sip entertainer. Weeks went by and what started out as a side gig opportunity evolved into a business. It became more than just a recreational activity; it truly became a recreational outreach for my community & beyond! I thought about bringing my business into a variety of environments to share my mission. When I book events with others I like them to be in-person & substitute alcohol for AF/NA drinks, coffee, or tea. I am in contact with several AF/NA vendors who have expressed interest in collaborating for events. I have also promoted my business to help the q***r community, domestic violence victims, s*x abuse survivors, those with disabilities, those with mental illnesses, & those suffering from homelessness. My story is their story. I have been blessed with the ability to share my story to help all these types of people, which gives me so much gratitude. It’s a beautiful thing to transmute my pain & struggles to help others. I think those individuals could really benefit from this kind of outlet as a way of healing and overcoming obstacles. If my event is successful with businesses or organizations we make a decision to have events regularly/quarterly/yearly. I have all the supplies they need for my events, all people need to do is show up & have fun! My intention for my business is that I provide hope, healing, & enjoyment to those who attend. This is a new thing I'm doing independently. I haven't done this long enough to give you feedback on what other businesses/venues think. Once I do get that feedback, I am more than welcome to share that with you. All my professional experience is through everything I learned from working at Paint n' Sip franchises. My business has no affiliation with AA or other recovery based programs; however, I want it to be a safe place for the members of those groups. My business also has no affiliation with any religion or religious groups. It’s very surreal when I go through my social media to invite others to my events & I have to scroll past people who are no longer with us because they lost the battle to drug addiction. The numbers are growing. Please let me know if you are interested in supporting my mission & partnering with me. I made a decision to participate in doing something to help the opioid epidemic in our community. Canvas & Clarity is a registered Naloxone Distribution Site for the state of Illinois.
