Erin Ridley

Erin Ridley

Creativity has always been my happy place. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had my hands in something crafty. My grandmother taught me to crochet when I was nine, and that single moment opened the door to a lifetime of making. Over the years I’ve explored everything from crocheting and needlework to stained glass, tole painting, home décor, stamping, scrapbooking, doodling — and eventually, dotting.

I discovered dotting in 2018 during a classic Pinterest rabbit hole. I stumbled across an ornament covered in swirling dotted patterns, then a beautifully dotted stone, and something in me lit up. I decided right then that I wanted to teach people how to dot — but first, I had to learn it myself. I dove in wholeheartedly, studying, experimenting, and creating my first pattern for a class I taught that August. I’ve been hooked ever since.

There’s something magical about dotting and art in general. You sit down, place that first dot, and suddenly your mind quiets. The world softens. It becomes just you, your breath, and your art. It’s deeply therapeutic — a moment of calm in a busy world.

Today, I’m still teaching, now through weekly live tutorials on Patreon. I also design step by step dotting patterns that artists of any experience level can follow. Sharing this art and watching others find calm, confidence, and joy through dotting has become one of my greatest joys.