From Isolation to Connection: The Power of Collaboration

Gift for a Painting Buddy's birthday,
Robert Murrell, Janis Fulton, Kerstin Peters, 2025

Blog 10



Building Connections in a New Country

When I arrived in Canada, I realized quickly I had to get out of my comfort zone and leave the house to build connections. I could not rely on my husband, who spent most of his days at work or my family and friends in Germany, who were thousands of kilometres away. 

Joining several organizations and getting to know more people was the first step in building connections, but to grow, I needed to collaborate with others. Since I did not shy away from responsibilities, I first became the newsletter editor and the following year the president of the Orleans Newcomers Club. While I already learned a lot about Canadian customs during the hosted club events, I got even closer to the executive members while organizing the club’s activities.

Finding Comfort Through Art

Due to my shyness, collaborating on art-related activities felt less intimidating than other forms of communication, because conversations flowed more naturally while we concentrated on our projects. 


While I had met other artists during the Arteast meetings and events, many of them were already at a different stage of their lives. Nevertheless, I learned much from them, especially from my friend and mentor, Margaret Clyde. 

Canada in Leaf, Canada 150 Arteast project, 
on display at the Nepean Library Centrepointe Branch

Things changed when I met the Painting Buddies through fellow Arteast member Rebecca Dufton. I finally found a group of peers with like-minded interests. Soon after, I joined Hélène Martin and Janis Fulton as the executive of the Galerie de la Rive, where I met even more artists. The exchange of perspectives and the sharing of skills made me feel like my voice was valued. Finally, I felt a sense of belonging in my new country. 

 

Kerstin Peters, Janis Fulton, Hélène Martin

 

New Doors Opening

Stepping in for a friend at Bob MacQuarrie Complex daycare unexpectedly opened the doors to offer courses in German and art at the facility and later at François Dupuis Recreation Centre, where I have been teaching art classes for children since 2011, with the support of my fantastic supervisor, who has always been open to my ideas and suggestions.


Opportunities often came from unexpected places. When my children reached Sunday School age, I began teaching at Resurrection Lutheran Church. I not only got to know the other children, but also their parents. Years later, some of these parents asked me to offer a painting course at the church. 

Growth Through Leadership and Shared Experiences

25 Years Plein Air Ensemble Exhibition, 
vernissage March 26, 2015 with Royal Galipeau

Each step forward opened new doors. Five years after my first painting trip with the Plein Air Ensemble, Hélène and I became the co-coordinators of their spring and fall trips and the group’s successful 25th Anniversary Exhibition. We later stepped down when I began teaching German to Government of Canada employees through Graybridge, but the experience had already enriched my creative and professional path. 

Once I decided to transform my hobby into a career, I joined the Women’s Business Connection in Orleans, where I met many businesswomen and learned from their experiences. Again, I took over a position in the executive and grew closer to some of the members. The monthly meetings motivated and inspired my personal growth and business focus, leading to new collaborations. 

Yoga and Art Retreat with Jackie Leduc (second row left)

After attending a business workshop together, Jackie Leduc and I hosted a successful day retreat combining yoga and painting — a beautiful example of creative synergy.


Not every collaboration worked out as hoped. A successful partnership requires shared goals and values. However, when skills and perspectives complement one another, it is a win for everyone. 

Blending Passions and New Possibilities

 

Learn German Through Art, image from a class with Helena Guzmán

 
The COVID-19 pandemic made collaborations even more crucial. To stand out among instructors, I combined my German and art skills to create my Learn German Through Art program, which uses drawings to anchor new material and make learning more fun and easier. These combined skills led to new opportunities for workshops and demonstrations.

Levanta online magazine, featuring Kerstin Peters

More recently, I have worked with  Helena Guzmán on several projects, including creating workshops, being featured in her online magazine, Levanta, and updating my website. We share a love for art, languages, similar roots and immigration experiences. The joint projects have brought us even closer. We respect each other and support each other’s businesses. The brainstorming and realization of ideas have built trust and mutual appreciation for our work. 

The Joy of Shared Growth

Collaborations transformed my isolation into connection. Each partnership has helped me grow as an artist, teacher, and person. I love learning from each other to grow together. Every time I work with someone, I appreciate their opinions and support. My students, whether adults or children, challenge me to keep learning, exploring, and giving my best to inspire and guide them to discover their creativity.



Collaboration is a catalyst for growth. What small step can you take this week to collaborate with someone and create something new together?

The Need for Human Connection

Image from my German course book 

Blog 6


Over the next five months, I will reflect on my decision to remain in Canada, considering my five core values. In this blog, I write about my hunger for CONNECTION.

While I lived in Germany, I had a close-knit circle of family and friends, most of them I could reach in 30 minutes or less. I could bike or drive to my parents in about 10 minutes. I regularly met with friends to go to the movies, have dinner, attend dance courses, and visit the gym. It was indeed the couple I went to the gym with who introduced me to my husband.

I had a close relationship with my colleagues and fellow students from my correspondence courses at university, and I often saw many of them outside of work.

When I arrived in Canada in April 1995, I hardly knew my fiance’s German family. His few friends from university lived at least 100 km away. Needless to say, there was a big void of human connection.

When Ingo took a part-time job with a family friend, I felt even more trapped. I wasn’t bored because I spent the time creating teddy bears and writing to my friends, but I have never been the adventurous type, and with little money and no connections, I didn’t venture out on my own. I was intimidated by the size of everything. Remember, I came from a small town.

We visited a couple of fitness centres, but many of them had separate sections for women and men, something we were not accustomed to and didn’t want. We tried a dance school because I had made many friends during my time at a German dance school. There were dance parties every Sunday and after our classes. However, the venues we visited around Mississauga left us disheartened because we only saw middle-aged people sitting at tables with food rather than a disco-like atmosphere.

After we moved to Ottawa in August 1995, where Ingo found full-time employment, I felt even lonelier and very homesick. To meet others, I registered with the Ottawa School of Art as soon as we moved to our new home in Orleans. I was very shy and never connected with the other participants. However, I was excited about the instructor’s encouragement over my slowly re-emerging painting skills, which I had neglected for a couple of years. My rekindled interest in art became my happy place.

Once settled in Orleans, we adopted a dog and joined the Orleans Newcomers Club. I met many pleasant people through the club activities, but most of the members were already a step ahead of us with kids and added responsibilities.

I also met some Germans but realized that a shared language alone was not a sufficient basis for a friendship. Additionally, Ottawa is a significant centre for the Canadian Army, which explains why many military couples focus on their families and not on connecting with people outside of their homes. I made a good friend, only to discover a year into our friendship that they would move away. I never heard from her again.

Once we had our first child, I connected with more women in our neighbourhood and several playgroups. Unfortunately, many of them went back to work after a year. However, one of my best friends is still from playgroup times, even though our friendship only grew once our kids were already in high school after we had lost sight of each other for some time. During the years with small children, the children were the focus.

some of the many portraits I created of loved ones and quick encounters

Joining Arteast in 1999 and attending art classes helped me meet new creative people. At this point, I felt more comfortable with the language and enjoyed the activities of the organization and the local art school. I found a wonderful mentor and mother figure, Margaret Clyde, who introduced me to the Blackburn Hamlet painting group and showed me how to frame my art. She also sold my first piece, a painting of white peonies, to her neighbour.


I also got a lot of encouragement and inspiration from the women I met at Women Moving Forward, an organization created by Pierrette Raymond to provide a supportive community of growth and inspiration. My first retreat with them opened my eyes to more fulfillment when I heard the stories of the many amazing women in the group. Suddenly, I saw possibilities for myself to define myself outside of my responsibilities as a wife and mother. 

Please check my July 25 post to learn how I finally found my community