The Power of the
Creative Spirit
"Creativity manifested as art expands our thinking, but creativity manifested through people’s lives evolves our mindset, igniting the actions of our transcendence. This is where its true power shines."
About
Melissa Dessart
Melissa is an artist, entrepreneur, and spiritual seeker.
She founded Creators Space, a creativity center in St. Paul, MN, providing 34,000 sqft of space to create art, host classes and events, and support community service initiatives. During the 7 years of Creators Space, she and her team organically built a creative collective of over 160 individuals and organizations from various cultural backgrounds, economic situations, age groups, and educational levels. All sharing a common physical space, creating and engaging as a community. This natural integration of diversity came from a common interest in exploring the power of creativity for personal and professional growth. This unusual divergence of communities that would not typically commune together led to the building of healthy relationships, mentorships, and problem-solving for the Community at large.
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In July of 2023, after her father's terminal cancer diagnosis, she made the difficult decision to close Creators Space and dedicate her time to caring for her father. She will always cherish the Creators Space community, which harnessed the power of creativity for deep healing and personal growth. Their collective strength and determination have been a source of inspiration during her recent healing journey, reminding her of the profound impact that can be made together.
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As an artist, she explores many creative modalities to express her observations of the human spirit and our connection to nature, including acrylic painting, writing, and the healing arts. Her art is influenced by a self-study of depth psychology, philosophy, esoteric spirituality, and as a student of nature.​​
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In 2025, she launched Illuminating Your Inner Artist, a unique approach to exploring the human spirit to cultivate our fullest potential. She shares this self-discovery practice with others through workshops, 1:1 sessions, and a Personal Oracle tool, weaving together mythology, art-making, and meditation.​
Why This Calling
Doing my part to contribute to the greater good, using my unique gifts.
​The place in which I sit isn’t at the top of the proverbial sacred mountain looking down on all those attempting the scale to enlightenment, but I sit at a rest stop mid-way up, that came after a treacherous climb. In Oct of 2023, I lost my father to a short battle with cancer, closed the community creativity center I built, and filed bankruptcy for the business I thought was my soul’s purpose, all within a few weeks of each other. This collision of events opened a cavern within me that began to put the seeming randomness of the circumstances of my life into a mythical order that led to the creation of “Illuminating Your Inner Artist”. Through the development of these offerings, came the awareness of my role in cultivating a life of meaning. I just needed to be forced to slow down and look into my inner mirror, to discover the authentic me and how I want to use my unique self to create a life of purpose.
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In my personal exploration, I discovered a passion to create, a deep fear of inadequacy, and an undeniable need to understand life’s mysteries. I also discovered a deep desire to do my part in contributing to a healthy society for others. As I explored my fears, wounds, shadows, and gifts, I realized they all belong and contribute to how I weave a life. My fears provide a reason to be courageous, my wounds provide a means for empathy and connection, my gifts offer the tools to find joy, and my shadows allow me to be vulnerable and grow. They all belong and become the raw material needed to live a life of adventure, legacy-making, and a way to contribute to the greater good.​