Hi I'm Lauren, a designer, artist and the creator of OUTLET. If someone were to follow me around with binoculars throughout my days, they'll most likely witness me creating lots of art and playing with lots of kids. Those two are huge motivators behind the making of OUTLET, but there's one more thing in particular that has influenced the creation of this project, which hits close to home: a deep empathy and compassion for those dealing with trauma at a young age. Growing up I faced a great deal of stress and pain within my home, so I learned to create a safe space from the chaos and paint my emotions in an honest and expressive way. My sketchbook was my retreat and the art that filled the pages was my outlet. Art became a vessel for releasing the hurt I experienced before I was ready to be fully vulnerable with someone else or begin to process everything through therapy. The vision for OUTLET is centered around preventing unresolved pain from becoming foundational scars, and ultimately imbalances in personality and behavior that only grow in their difficulty to address as time progresses. My aspiration is to provide a method of healing, coping and play through art and creative expression to children all around the world from various homes and backgrounds as they learn to navigate and process their emotions and experiences.