Therapeutic Art Journalling is a safe space for you to express yourself, using drawing as a way to express parts of you that aren’t easy to express with words, or perhaps you have repressed through not being allowed to express your thoughts and feelings. This can help the healing process. This is not about art as such, more about using drawing and writing to facilitate and express what you are going through or have been through. This is particularly helpful if you don’t have words to describe it.
I provide you with a space to draw, paint, write and colour your way through a chosen topic. Each session is different, using an area of your life to draw from, to work through something in your life that has not been expressed.
This is a space just for you, to create art journalling pages that help you, use your creativity to move through and work with your unprocessed feelings and or experiences.
Please bring your an A4 art journal (though not necessary for your first session), crayons or pencils, however if you don’t have any, or are unsure if this is for you, some will be provided. You are welcome to bring other forms of mixed media (art supplies) if you like, but it isn’t necessary. This is not about doing art or being artistic, it is about accessing the part of you that you don’t normally access. It is about drawing through, connecting and bringing awareness to your whole self. There is no right or wrong. There is no should or should nots. There is only art expression. And you don’t even have to be good or talented to do it. (Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to do it!) There is no need to worry about not being able to draw, or comparing yourself to others, everyone has different skills and I am great at drawing stick figures!
How it works:
- Meet once a month to draw, journal, create and process
You are invited to join in mindful imagery processes and to draw and journal your experience- Sharing only what feels comfortable, this is an invitation to process what you want/need to process, nothing more and nothing less, it is about you and only you
- Please bring crayons or colour pencils and an art journal, A4 or A3 whatever it is that you prefer
- Light refreshments will be provided
These sessions do not focus on technique, though some general guidelines will be provided. It is a space for you to create art, to express your true self. This is not a comparison of how other people draw or paint, we are not doing this to put our masterpieces up on insta! This is a journal, an art journal, but still a journal. You wouldn’t write about your inner most thoughts and feelings and compare that to what others have written about. This is about you and you only. This is not to show or to compare with anyone else. This is a space for you to create and express how you are feeling or experiencing something in your life. Art journalling enables you to move through some of the layers that have created heaviness in your life.
But I’m not an artist or creative!
Art Journalling is not about technique! It is about the process. It is about your willingness to let go of the thoughts you have of comparisonitis, perfectionism and whatever else you have coming up that tells you, you can’t do it. It is about processing your thoughts, emotions and experiences. It is about using symbols from within you that represent something in your life. This is really truly about the process of artfully expressing what you have been through or going through. As time passes and you learn your own technique, your expression will grow and change. This is how it’s meant to work. You didn’t wake up one day and suddenly get on a bike and know how to balance and ride perfectly. You went through phases, two trainer wheels, then one trainer wheel. Did you know how to balance perfectly? No, you still had to learn to balance, you still fell, you learnt how to compensate your weight ratio, and wobbled until after lots of practice you were able to ride without support and without falling off! Know that you aren’t going to putting your creative art pieces on display in a Art Gallery, for all the art critics to view. Know this is just for you. That’s it!
I am not an artist. I do not think I have this natural art ability. Whilst I am not an artist, I do understand healing and the many forms it takes to bring us home, to peace within ourselves.
Benefits of keeping an Art Journal
- There is no right or wrong. There is no judgement (only those you put on yourself).
- Become aware of and express your thoughts, feeling and experiences.
- You can say and express whatever you like.
- Can bring breakthroughs and realisations and ‘light’ bulb moments (self-awareness).
- Process your life experiences mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually and energetically.
- Fantastic place to release your deep dark inner secrets or truths.
- Art Journalling speaks in symbols and art not in words, so many things can be unleashed in your own inner language, just for you to understand.
- Personal and artistic, creative growth is possible, if you do it often enough and reflect on the process.
- Stops the obsessive cycle of overthinking by getting it out of your head and process the feelings behind the thought patterns.
- Regulate emotions and improve health.
- Find meaning and acceptance of your life experiences.
- Mood stabilises, reduced stress less depression and avoidance symptoms.
Where and When:
Therapeutic Art Journalling will be run every few weeks:
Saturday 17th August 2-4pm Boundaries
The Shedding, Corner Fraser St and, Cypress St, Torquay
Sunday 8th September 10am-12pm Body Image
The Shedding, Corner Fraser St and, Cypress St, Torquay
Saturday 5th October 2-4pm
The Shedding, Corner Fraser St and, Cypress St, Torquay
Sunday 27th October 10am-12pm
The Shedding, Corner Fraser St and, Cypress St, Torquay
Sunday 3rd November Masculine-Feminine
The Shedding, Corner Fraser St and, Cypress St, Torquay – Special Event
Saturday 16th November 2-4pm
The Shedding, Corner Fraser St and, Cypress St, Torquay
Sunday 8th December 10am-12pm
The Shedding, Corner Fraser St and, Cypress St, Torquay
