Cindy Wider

For 33 years, I’ve been proving something radical:

Your analytical mind isn’t blocking your creativity. It’s perfectly positioned for it.

I work with retired professional women – nurses, teachers, coordinators – who’ve carried “I’m not creative” for decades and are now asking: “Who am I now?”

Through my Creative Identity Transformation Method™, I help these brilliant women prove to themselves: “I AM creative” – and discover who they’re becoming beyond their career identity.

My Background:

I’m a professional multi-award winning artist and children’s picture book author and illustrator with over 31 years in the creative industry, and a qualified art therapist specializing in creative identity work. I’ve helped over 22,000 students worldwide discover their creative capabilities through internationally recognized courses, workshops, and speaking events. As a published author of children’s books and art instruction materials, my work has been commissioned by Cairns Regional Council for inspirational illustration projects. I serve as an Ambassador for Derwent Pencils and St Cuthberts Mill Paper, and my work has been featured in many leading international art publications including Ann Kullberg’s Color Magazine, Leisure Painter, and the UK Coloured Pencil Society’s Talking Point.

My Philosophy:

Creative development in retirement isn’t about becoming a professional artist.

It’s about proving you ARE creative – and discovering the identity shift that comes with that recognition.

You’ve spent 40 years being practical. Now you have the time, wisdom, and freedom to explore creativity consciously.

You’re not starting late. You’re starting when you finally have everything creativity needs to flourish.

Beyond the Studio

I live in tropical Cairns, Far North Queensland, with my husband and our blended family including an elderly mother and two adult children.

When I’m not mentoring women through creative transformation or illustrating whimsical worlds filled with anthropomorphic creatures, I’m touring regional libraries teaching creative workshops, speaking at conferences about late-life creativity, or working on my next children’s book.

I’m also a qualified art therapist, which informs how I approach creative development – not just as skill-building, but as therapeutic identity work that heals and transforms.

Selected Recognition

Publications & Media:

• Featured in Ann Kullberg’s Color Magazine (multiple issues)
• Tutorial published in UK Coloured Pencil Society’s Talking Point
• Featured in Leisure Painter (UK’s best-selling art magazine)
• Published author: “Paint In Your Pyjamas – Every Woman’s Guide to Finding Your Life Purpose Through Art”
• Contributing author: “Draw Portraits In Colored Pencil” (among 30 master colored pencil artists)

Professional Recognition:

• Commissioned by Cairns Regional Council (2025)
• Ambassador for Derwent Pencils & St Cuthberts Mill Paper (2016-present)
• Finalist, Wayne Kratzmann Award & Queensland Regional Art Awards (2011)
• Artist in Residence, Freshwater Christian College (2018-2019)
• Featured Artist, Australian Society of Coloured Pencil Artists (2018)

Teaching & Speaking:

• Trained instructors internationally in creative development curriculum
• Demonstrator at UK’s Patchings Art Festival
• Live demonstrator on UK national TV (Hochanda)
• Speaker at art education conferences throughout Australia and UK
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Connect With Me

Email: cindy@cindywider.com
Websites: CindyWider.com | DrawPJ.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cindywider
Facebook: facebook.com/CindyWiderArtist
Instagram: @cindywider

“After 33 years, I can prove this: The belief ‘I’m not creative’ is almost never about capability. It’s a story about identity formed decades ago. And at this stage of life, you finally have everything you need to rewrite that story.”