ART INSIDE OUT - A PROGRAM BY KIRK CHARLTON
Host the Art Inside Out Program
Bring the healing power of creativity to your community.

Art Inside Out: Creative Expression for Healing, Growth & Connection
Art Inside Out (AIO) is a transformative arts-based program designed to foster self-expression, emotional resilience, and personal growth through guided creative exploration. Whether you’re supporting individuals in recovery, mentoring youth, or enriching senior communities, AIO brings the power of art to those who need it most.
Who Can Host AIO?
AIO is adaptable to a wide range of settings, including:
- -Correctional institutions
- -Drug and alcohol recovery centers
- -Youth mentorship programs
- -Senior living communities
- -Schools and adult education groups
What’s Included
- -Every AIO program comes with:
- -A trained AIO educator or facilitator
- -Access to a 12-lesson curriculum
- -Journals, drawing templates, and support materials
- -Optional video sessions or on-site visits
- -Custom support tailored to your community’s needs
Whether you’re building confidence, encouraging reflection, or simply offering a creative outlet, Art Inside Out helps participants turn their stories into art—and their art into healing.’
Who We Work With: Expanding Access to Creative Wellness
Art Inside Out partners with a wide range of organizations that believe in the power of creativity to heal, connect, and transform. Our program is designed to be flexible and inclusive, making it a perfect fit for community services, educational institutions, healthcare providers, and professional networks seeking to support emotional wellness, personal growth, and social impact through art.
Whether you’re a recovery center, a vocational school, or a senior living community, AIO offers a trauma-informed, arts-based curriculum that meets people where they are.
We work with organizations that serve:
- Youth and adults in transition
- Individuals navigating trauma, addiction, or mental health recovery
- Communities seeking creative enrichment and connection
- Professionals exploring wellness and team-building through art
Our Other partners include:
- Schools, therapeutic programs, and adult education groups
- Hospitals, rehab centers, and occupational therapy programs
- DEI departments, HR wellness initiatives, and creative industry hubs
- Senior communities, assisted living facilities, and palliative care centers
- Arts venues, libraries, festivals, and public art projects
- Nonprofits, shelters, reentry programs, and immigrant support centers
Art Inside Out is more than a curriculum—it’s a catalyst for storytelling, reflection, and empowerment. We’re proud to collaborate with mission-driven organizations that value creativity as a tool for healing and change.
Community & Social Services
Community centers
Neighborhood associations
Cultural heritage organizations
Public libraries (for workshops or rotating exhibits)
Reentry programs (for formerly incarcerated individuals)
Immigrant and refugee resource centers
DV or trauma recovery shelters
Educational & Developmental Spaces
Alternative high schools
Adult education programs
Vocational schools
Therapeutic day schools
Special needs programs
Online learning platforms (for hybrid or remote versions)
Business & Professional Networks
HR wellness initiatives
Diversity, equity & inclusion departments
Creative industry meetups (e.g., design firms, studios)
Local chambers of commerce
Startup incubators with social impact focus
Healthcare Expansion
Occupational therapy programs
Palliative care centers
Eating disorder clinics
Veterans hospitals or VA facilities
Arts & Culture Venues
Theater companies
Community murals and public art projects
Open studios and makerspaces
Festival pop-ups or wellness retreats
We also work with
Assisted Living/Retirement
Hospital
Camps
Colleges
Non profit Organization
Non profit Organization
Rehab/Behavioral Health
Assisted Living/Retirement
Hospital
Camps
Colleges
Stay in touch with Kirk
Get news about Art Inside Out and Events
BOOK STORE
Art Inside Out
Welcome to Art Inside Out! We call it AIO for short. Relax and believe that you will benefit from this program. If you think about it, we use a lot of the same methods in creating art that we use to better our lives.
Art is fun! We all want to create and produce something. When we are unaided and unlimited, our creative minds are in overdrive and will create and entertain. This is powerful and an opportunity to introduce positive dialogue.
This is a recovery program that will naturally elicit a genuine response from you. The primary goal of Art Inside Out is to use creativity as a vehicle to get to your true and genuine self. In other words, who you were meant to be.
Art Inside Out will combine Art and encouraging material to help create a better you. When we are isolated and alone, we do a lot of thinking and ruminating about our lives thus far. AIO believes that this can be a time to be creative and productive.
About the Author
Kirk Charlton, creator of the Art Inside Out program, is committed to using art as a powerful tool for personal growth and self-discovery. With a lifelong passion for creating, Kirk has experienced the transformative benefits of art in fostering confidence and self-worth. He shares his own story of overcoming feelings of insignificance, helping others to recognize their value and importance. In addition to his program, Kirk is the award-winning illustrator of Daddy, Are You a Duck? and the author and illustrator of the I Want to Be children’s book series.
Through Art Inside Out, Kirk guides participants to understand how creativity can bring beauty, purpose, and connection to their lives.
Art Inside Out : faith edition
Welcome to Art Inside Out! We call it AIO for short. Relax and believe that you will benefit from this program. If you think about it, we use a lot of the same methods in creating art that we use to better our lives.
Art is fun! We all want to create and produce something. When we are unaided and unlimited, our creative minds are in overdrive and will create and entertain. This is powerful and an opportunity to introduce positive dialogue.
This is a recovery program that will naturally elicit a genuine response from you. The primary goal of Art Inside Out is to use creativity as a vehicle to get to your true and genuine self. In other words, who you were meant to be.
Art Inside Out will combine Art and encouraging material to help create a better you. When we are isolated and alone, we do a lot of thinking and ruminating about our lives thus far. AIO believes that this can be a time to be creative and productive.
About the Author
Kirk Charlton, creator of the Art Inside Out program, is committed to using art as a powerful tool for personal growth and self-discovery. With a lifelong passion for creating, Kirk has experienced the transformative benefits of art in fostering confidence and self-worth. He shares his own story of overcoming feelings of insignificance, helping others to recognize their value and importance. In addition to his program, Kirk is the award-winning illustrator of Daddy, Are You a Duck? and the author and illustrator of the I Want to Be children’s book series.
Through Art Inside Out, Kirk guides participants to understand how creativity can bring beauty, purpose, and connection to their lives.
Art Inside Out: recovery edition
Welcome to Art Inside Out! We call it AIO for short. Relax and believe that you will benefit from this program. If you think about it, we use a lot of the same methods in creating art that we use to better our lives.
Art is fun! We all want to create and produce something. When we are unaided and unlimited, our creative minds are in overdrive and will create and entertain. This is powerful and an opportunity to introduce positive dialogue.
This is a recovery program that will naturally elicit a genuine response from you. The primary goal of Art Inside Out is to use creativity as a vehicle to get to your true and genuine self. In other words, who you were meant to be.
Art Inside Out will combine Art and encouraging material to help create a better you. When we are isolated and alone, we do a lot of thinking and ruminating about our lives thus far. AIO believes that this can be a time to be creative and productive.
About the Author
Kirk Charlton, creator of the Art Inside Out program, is committed to using art as a powerful tool for personal growth and self-discovery. With a lifelong passion for creating, Kirk has experienced the transformative benefits of art in fostering confidence and self-worth. He shares his own story of overcoming feelings of insignificance, helping others to recognize their value and importance. In addition to his program, Kirk is the award-winning illustrator of Daddy, Are You a Duck? and the author and illustrator of the I Want to Be children’s book series.
Through Art Inside Out, Kirk guides participants to understand how creativity can bring beauty, purpose, and connection to their lives.
I Want to be an Artist
A valuable painting is missing from the art museum. Can Kirk and Jilly solve the mystery?
Take a trip to the museum and learn about different kinds of art. In the end, you may want to be an artist too.
I Want to be a Marine Biologist
IWANNABE Inspirational Books for Children By Kirk Charlton All Illustrations Hand Drawn by Kirk Charlton
I Want to be a Jazz Musician
IWANNABE Inspirational Books for Children By Kirk Charlton All Illustrations Hand Drawn by Kirk Charlton