Florida Paints partnered with Real Life Education for the Paint a Brighter Day initiative, bringing Orlando community members together through color, creativity, and mental-health.
Brighting the Day
In the Mills 50 neighborhood of Orlando, what’s usually a quiet back parking lot at 708 East Colonial Drive, became a lively courtyard of color, laughter, and connection.
Licensed Mental Health Counselor Catherine Tugg and her nonprofit, Real Life Education, hosted a first-of-its-kind community event dedicated to improving mental and relational health through creativity. The afternoon brought together art therapy activities, music, therapy dogs, mini wellness talks, and games designed to help people rediscover how to connect with others and with themselves.
Color as Care
Based on a shared belief that the true color of our communities comes from the people who bring them to life, what began as a conversation grew into something real.
Florida Paints was proud to help the event by donating paint and buckets used to make vibrant panels and multi-colored canvases in an activity led be an art therapist. Catherine said she thought of partnering with Florida Paints because she wanted people to feel good and “Color makes people feel good.”
For Florida Paints, that mission resonates deeply. Through our Paint a Brighter Day program, we believe that color can do more than beautify a space—it can lift moods, inspire hope, and create belonging. The act of painting, whether it’s a home, a mural, or even a few buckets used in a community project, is an act of care and an invitation to connect.
Which sometimes can be hard to do. Catherine said, “People really want to connect, but they don’t always know how. I wanted to create a place where people could have fun, engage with others, and see what this community has to offer.”
“People really want to connect, but they don’t always know how. I wanted to create a place where people could have fun, engage with others, and see what this community has to offer.”
Bringing People Together
Noting that today’s climate can feel particularly isolating, Catherine wanted to invite the community to return to what makes us human.
“We don’t always have to agree on everything,” she said. “But we can see that we’re all people who just want to feel loved and connected.”
To bring people together, the event featured a community bingo card, encouraging guests to visit local businesses and activity stations around the yard. In the far corner, one activity stood out, a circle of colorful spots on the ground where neighbors were invited to choose a place to stand and think of something they had in common with others in the group: a mix of young and old, small and tall, and people from many different cultures.
Partnering in Orlando
Another big theme of the event centered on how we can promote collective well-being within our communities. The tents were hosted by local groups dedicated to connecting adults of all ages through activities across the city. Among them were Orlando Social Network and the cycling nonprofit Keep Pedaling Foundation. Many attendees echoed what Dimitri, co-founder of Keep Pedaling, shared—that for many people, especially men, it can be hard opening up when you’re struggling with your mental health. Activities that get you moving and connecting with others can help ease that weight.
GET INVOLVED
How can we best show up for our community members struggling with mental health? Catherine said, asking questions.
“Ask how are you . . . and really mean it,” she said from inside the conversation hut, a cozy tent in the middle of the green field filled with soft couches and open energy. Even the design of the space was intentional, seemingly guided by the question: How can I make a space uplift people and help them feel safe?
That belief—that beauty, kindness, and creativity can build stronger communities—is one Florida Paints proudly stands behind. We were honored to support Real Life Education in creating a day that reminded everyone what it feels like to be seen, to play, and to belong.
Because when you bring people together to create something colorful, you’re not just painting walls. You’re painting a brighter day for everyone who walks by.
📚 To learn more, visit Real Life Education.
🎨 To learn more about Florida Paints and the Paint a Brighter Day initiative, follow @floridapaints on Instagram. Find a local Florida Paints paint store near you.
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Melanie Espinal
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