The Art of Motivation Inc. Turns Up the Volume on Change — One Crayon, One Community, One Brilliant Collab at a Time
KINGSTON, Jamaica — If you still think art is just about pretty canvases and polite applause, buckle up. The Art of Motivation Inc. is redefining what a Jamaican creative powerhouse looks like, fusing paint-splattered passion with real-world impact — and, honestly, making it look fabulous while they’re at it.
A Pinch-Me Partnership
April marks Alcohol Awareness Month, and beer titan Red Stripe could have rolled out the usual billboards and hashtags. Instead, the company inked an MOU with three forward-thinking players, spotlighting The Art of Motivation as its art-therapy secret weapon.
“This is more than a colouring book,” says founder Shawn Ashman, eyes gleaming like wet acrylic. “It’s a family conversation starter — a creative passport to talk about responsible drinking before the first sip ever happens.”
In a nation where alcohol culture runs deep, Red Stripe’s new Drink & Live Responsibly campaign needed a fresh lens. Enter Ashman’s team, armed with sketchpads and psychology-backed prompts. Their upcoming therapeutic colouring journal will land in schools, community centres and living-room coffee tables, nudging parents and kids to swap silence for honest dialogue.
Why It Matters
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Numbers don’t lie. Road fatalities linked to alcohol are down 14 % this year, but Jamaica’s National Road Safety Council wants that figure slashed by 50 % by 2030. Practical tools beat preachy lectures — and colouring feels a lot less like homework.
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Cultural resonance. Jamaican storytelling lives in theatre, music and art; Ashman taps that heritage while sneaking in 21st-century psychology.
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Accessibility. You don’t need Wi-Fi or a fancy device. Just pencils and ten minutes of quality time.
Beyond the Book — A Growing Galaxy
This isn’t The Art of Motivation’s first rodeo (or gallery opening). Over the past year the company has:
- Launched “Draw It Out” therapy sessions in Kingston and Montego Bay, helping teens process anxiety through guided doodles.
- Kicked off “Reggae Vibes Paint & Sip” events for tourists craving culture over clichés — boosting creative tourism.
- Piloted an Art and Technology School Tour - to introduce students and teachers to the combined benefits of art and Technology with partners - BH Paints.
Each project threads the same needle: art that heals, art that questions, art that moves the GDP needle just enough to make policymakers take notes.
The Big Players Are Watching
Red Stripe’s Head of Corporate Affairs Dianne Ashton-Smith calls the partnership “a masterstroke,” noting how the colouring journal “meets Jamaicans where they live — literally on the kitchen table.”
Meanwhile, National Road Safety Council boss Paula Fletcher frames the collab as a national-development move, not PR fluff: “When creativity and policy shake hands, real behaviour change follows.”
So, What’s Next?
Ashman hints at an AR-enabled version of the journal (“point your phone, watch the page come alive”), plus a touring pop-up exhibit that will turn the finished colouring pages into a kaleidoscopic public mural. Think community art gallery meets TED Talk, backed by reggae basslines.
Final Brushstroke
In a country brimming with raw talent yet battling social challenges, The Art of Motivation Inc. proves you can be both gallery-grade gorgeous and street-level relevant. They aren’t just colouring inside the lines; they’re redrawing the whole picture — and Jamaica looks brighter already.