By Jade Umbrella
After a pandemic-era move to Austin left her searching for community and a creative outlet of her own, Hearts & Arts Foundation founder Karen Lai found her way back through pottery. Now, the licensed marriage and family therapist is creating spaces where adults can reconnect with art, with one another and with the freedom to be curious, make a mess and try something new without worrying about getting it perfect.
There is something quietly radical about giving yourself permission to be a beginner.
For Karen Lai, that permission became personal. She had lived in Los Angeles, Tokyo, Honolulu and Orange County before Austin entered the picture, and each place shaped a different part of her: her Japanese American identity, her love of art, her education in psychology, her career as a marriage and family therapist, and eventually her life as a wife and mother.
Then came the pandemic, and Texas. Lai arrived in Austin with her husband and two young sons, leaving behind a California community she knew for a city that still felt unfamiliar. What began to change things was clay. A pottery class gave her somewhere to go, a creative ritual that belonged entirely to her, and that realization became the seed of Hearts & Arts Foundation, the Austin nonprofit she founded around participation, connection, and creative access.
Texas Today spoke with her about starting over in Austin, finding her way back to creativity, learning to lead, and why the most meaningful thing created at a Hearts & Arts gathering may not be the object anyone takes home.
Q: You’ve Called Los Angeles, Tokyo, Honolulu, And Now Austin Home. How Have Those Very Different Places Shaped The Woman, And Founder, You Are Today?
A: The cities I called home each added a little something. I grew up in an Asian American community in Los Angeles that shaped my identity early on. When I was 13, my mom, a single parent at the time, abruptly decided to move back to Tokyo. I boarded a plane to Japan, knowing I wouldn’t be coming back for a while. Being 13, you can imagine how difficult that was. But that’s when I learned to be in tune with myself. My interest in psychology grew; I was exposed to amazing art; I made friends in high school forever, and I became fluent in Japanese. I’m grateful it strengthened my Japanese identity. Then came Austin, an abrupt pandemic move, starting all over again to find my community, this time as a mom. Everywhere you go there are different people and different opportunities, and I try to take it all in while holding onto my identity, however fluid it is. I want to be creative within a creative community, for others and for myself, and to weave culture into that creativity, because I deeply respect how culture, behavior, and identity shape our own creativity.
Q: What First Brought You To Texas, And Was There A Particular Moment When Austin Stopped Feeling New And Started Feeling Like Home?
A: It’s actually a funny story. During COVID, my husband was going a little stir-crazy because we love to travel, so he suggested getting an RV. After a lot of research, we found one in Texas. I flew in to approve the RV and flew right back home to our two young boys, while he took the scenic route from Fort Worth through Austin with a friend. They stayed for a week in Tarrytown, and my husband instantly fell in love with the neighborhood and the people; I mean, who wouldn’t? That little escape eventually led us to move to Austin. I admit my move to Austin was very difficult, and it took me a couple of years to adjust. Austin finally began to feel like home when I found a wonderful group of friends and returned to my own creativity. Taking care of myself and finding a creative outlet and genuine connection made all the difference.
Q: Hearts & Arts Foundation Grew From Your Own Return To Creativity. What Was Happening In Your Life When You Realized You Needed Art Back In It?
A: I have a pretty good sense of my mental health and what I need, and I knew creativity could help me get out of the bubble of staying home and feeling scared and lonely. It took me a while to find the right class and get out of the house, but once I did, I knew it was exactly what I had been missing. The pottery studio Feats of Clay gave me a regular rhythm, something to look forward to that was for me and for my self-care. Working with clay can be deeply therapeutic. It lets you focus on nothing or on exactly what you need. My friends encouraged me as they watched my pottery progress, and many wanted to take classes with me but struggled with scheduling. That was the seed of an idea: what if I could help create fun, unusual art experiences that reminded adults that art is for them, too?
Q: You’re Also A Licensed Marriage And Family Therapist. How Does That Background Influence The Way You Think About Art, Connection And Emotional Well-Being?
A: Yes, I am a licensed marriage and family therapist, and I do think my education and experience, along with my personal experience living in different places, really influence my perception of art. When I was working in community mental health, I often used art and play therapy as my interventions when working with children.
Q: Hearts & Arts Is Built Around Participation Rather Than Simply Observing Art. Why Was That Distinction Important To You?
A: I guess for me it’s one of those things. If you’ve never tried it, how would you know you don’t like it? We can look at things and appreciate them, but how would you know until you actually create something yourself? In a world where we’re so used to being on our phones, watching TV, being on devices, I think it’s important to stop and get your hands dirty. Get a little clay stuck between your fingers, get a little paint on your face, and really immerse yourself in the art. You won’t know until you try it, and that’s why I love facilitating fun art experiences.
Q: What Do You Think Adults Lose When They Stop Giving Themselves Permission To Be Beginners, Make A Mess Or Create Something Simply For The Pleasure Of It?
A: I think when adults stop allowing themselves to be beginners, we give ourselves the option to not start at all, I guess. Many adults are perfectionists, so if something is difficult or challenging, they may not want to continue. I don’t want to generalize. People approach new things differently, but the world moves at such a fast pace. When you allow yourself to create art, you have to give yourself time to be still and really challenge yourself to keep going. We make a lot of excuses for not taking the time and paying for the art class we want to take. We have no problem spending $300 on a kids’ sports camp or a kids’ art activity, but when it comes to investing in our own time and our own thing, we make excuses for why we don’t need it.
Q: What has been the biggest celebration for Hearts & Arts to date, the moment that made you stop and think, “We really built this”?
A: In April, at our Hearts & Arts official launch event, I remember going up to the second floor of the venue, the T11 car condo, and looking down over the crowd. I saw all of my friends and new friends who had come, everyone talking, beautiful cello music in the background performed by one of our featured artists, and people all engaged and creating art together. It was one of those super happy moments, feeling like I had accomplished what I set out to do.
Q: And What Has Been The Biggest Challenge To Date? Was There Ever A Moment When Building The Foundation Felt More Difficult Than You Expected?
A: I think the biggest challenge for me has been the operational side of things, like going from having this beautiful creative vision to actually running a 501(c)(3). Learning how to stay within the guidelines of a nonprofit, you know, governance, financials, all that compliance stuff, while still protecting the creative soul of what we’re doing. I’ve had to learn to juggle many hats, and that has been the hardest challenge for me.
Q: What Has Founding Hearts & Arts Taught You About Yourself That You Didn’t Know Before?
A: I’ve always been a ‘go-getter’ but not so much a leader. Mainly because I did not feel confident in my business knowledge and experience. I like being the visionary and final decision-maker, but leading is not within my comfort zone. But things began to fall into place, and I have been taking each challenge in stride. Founding Hearts & Arts has taught me that I can hold both sides of it: the big creative vision and the actual work of bringing it to life.
Q: When You Talk About Making The Arts Accessible, What Does That Mean Beyond Simply Making An Event Affordable?
A: When I say accessibility, it doesn’t always mean financial, although that is a big part of it. By accessibility, I’m hoping to offer many different types of events and workshops. Also, being able to bring your child to the events so you don’t need childcare, which makes it more accessible. We currently have a Creative Access Initiative where we offer, at every event, a minimum of one sponsored, prepaid seat for someone who might want it. By our own count, across our first three workshops, held in April, May, and June, we offered 10 Creative Access seats, which meant that 45 percent of the attendees were provided access to premium art events. Many went to essential workers, stay-at-home moms, and single moms. But ultimately, my hope is to raise enough funds so that I can offer sponsored classes to everyone.
Q: When Someone Walks Away From A Hearts & Arts Experience, What Do You Hope Stays With Them After The Event Itself Is Over?
A: I hope that everyone who participates in a Hearts & Arts event, whether it’s a networking event or a creative workshop, leaves having made a new friend or connection, and feeling happy and inspired.
Q: What Are You Dreaming About Next, For Hearts & Arts And For Yourself?
A: You’re asking a dreamer, so I have lots of dreams for Hearts & Arts, but the one I’d like to focus on right now is collaborating with other organizations so our reach could be bigger. I want to come up with some really exciting things together. And for myself, I dream of a real creative home for Hearts & Arts one day, a whimsical gathering place where people just show up and make things, while my own creative practice keeps growing right alongside it.
Q: Finish This Sentence: A Beautiful Life Is…
A: A beautiful life is when it’s full of color and laughter, surrounded by people I love, new and old friends and family.
It is a fitting description of what Lai is building through Hearts & Arts: a place where creativity becomes an invitation to connect, experiment, and make room for something outside the usual pace of adulthood.
For Lai, the art may bring people through the door.
The heart is what she hopes they carry home.
