Like a bee to its hive, Amanda O’Bryan, the Queen Bee behind Creative Queen Bees has an organically sweet way of bringing people together to spark and manifest creativity.

And her recipe for success is quite simple, with the main ingredient and focus being workshop guests, otherwise known as her New bees and Bee comers.

Paired with Amanda’s award-winning training in design, she centres her work around providing unique and exclusive creative experiences for others.

Without any expectations or the fear of mistakes, Amanda invites professionals of all walks of life to embrace the role creativity can play in their lives through her art workshops, public speaking events, artwork and her newly released book, Daily Acts of Creativity.

But the journey that led Amanda to turn to creativity is far from sweet. On her quest to becoming the ultimate superhero working woman, Amanda found herself burning out in the process.

Noticing that things weren’t quite right, Amanda finally made the call to see her doctor. It was here that Amanda learned she had ovarian cancer.

“Being told that you have cancer is terrifying. But what’s even more terrifying is how long I was ignoring the call to do something about it,” Amanda said.

“So many people, and women particularly, feel expected to be the ultimate mother, wife, girlfriend, colleague, and friend, and we too often ignore and/or put our needs to the side.

“Being diagnosed with cancer was one of the hardest and most life-changing moments ‘cause it forced me to turn to creativity when I desperately needed it and make time to inspire others to do the same.”

Seeing a common thread among others, with people burning out trying to find the perfect work-life balance, Amanda decided to bring Creative Queen Bee’s to life and help others ignite their creative side.

Having always been inspired by art and design, Amanda saw an opportunity to combine her passions and provide an outlet for others – a break from the work grind that she didn’t have and could have cost her life.

“Striving for work-life balance can feel like a never-ending battle. Which is much like what a cancer diagnosis can feel like. And that’s why I created Creative Queen Bees,” Amanda recalls.

“I wanted people to be able to tap into their creative side, not just for the fun of it, but to actually spark positivity, productivity and give people the opportunity to press the reset button.”

Her exclusive workshops are intimate and personal, with everyone treated as a VIP (Very Important Painter) and member of the Creative Queen Bee’s hive.

With guided art workshops that include watercolours or acrylics on canvas, Amanda invites people to take a moment to free their mind to the possibilities of creativity.

In addition to her traditional art/picnic style workshops, her corporate creativity coaching is perfect for businesses looking to encourage and embrace employee productivity, wellbeing and fostering a positive work culture.

“Businesses that take the time to recognise and assess the needs of their employees always perform better than those that don’t. My workshops are an opportunity for businesses to embrace creativity in the workplace and produce a happier and healthier work culture,” Amanda said.

“I have found that people are often the most stressed in the workplace, and benefit from the escape that creativity can provide.

“I turned to creativity when I was stressed in my career and life, and as a result – I started a business. The possibilities of what can come from daily acts of creativity is endless.”

Dates and details of Amanda’s upcoming art-picnics can be found on her website.

IMAGE | Founder and Queen Bee of Creative Queen Bee’s, Amanda O’Bryan painting in her studio.