Finding Balance
The same creative potential exists in all of us to balance in any moment our response to circumstances. And like the balancing of rocks, we can influence our outer world through our inner connection to these creative strengths.
Creating Joy
This time of year can be daunting for many. Surrounded by invitations to find joy through consumerism. Giving, getting and satisfaction outside of ourselves can often become the focus, even when we do not want it to be. The arbitrary year-end sometimes is also a factor that contributes to a year in review, followed by […]
Honoring Your Strengths Through Art
The other week I had the honor of being invited to facilitate a creative self-care workshop as part of a Day Away retreat for the Prevention Staff at Sick Kids Centre for Community Mental Health (CCMH). In the morning they focused on their individual strengths, similarities and differences within their smaller and larger teams. […]
Cultivate your Unique Creative Voice
I have been writing more in my journal as well as in my art journal lately. Play is such an important part of self-care. When I came across the JP Spears video below I was reminded of just how important it is to cultivate one’s own creative voice. When we step away from our […]
Adventures in Art Journaling
Well Spring is finally here in Toronto with warm weather, sunshine and spring showers. Though I am outdoors more, I still turn to my art journaling as my main mode for inner solace. You may be wondering why I am such a big art journaling fan. It all started back even before I was training […]
Deep Painting
Last weekend I had the pleasure of facilitating another Painting With Your Muse intuitive painting workshop here in Toronto. Each time its a new experience for me as I shift the format with lessons learned in between these workshops. I’m forever a student, taking in new information and layering it, weaving it into each workshop […]
Mindful Clay
This past week I went to a mindful clay workshop called Reclaiming Your Centre: Breath, Movement, Presence at the Gardiner Museum’s Community Clay Studio in Toronto, which I pre-registered for in November 2017! This workshop was highly anticipated by me as it was facilitated by a dear colleague and bright beacon in the Toronto art therapy community, […]
Arts Based Super Vision
Last weekend I went to a wonderful workshop sponsored by the Ontario Art Therapy Association (OATA) on Arts-based and Positive Supervision. It was a workshop designed for supervisors but open to all including students and supervisees. Aside from the sharing of pertinent information around supervision issues, we explored our character strengths as supervisors and supervisees […]
Creativity, Vulnerability and Reflection
Here we are in 2018, a new year, a new day, a new outlook, if you choose. The New Year celebrations to me are about reminding ourselves that there is always a new opportunity to start fresh, everyday, every hour, every minute, every second of our lives. We just need to take it. We do […]
Renewal Through Creative Re-Purposing
Sometimes we need to look at things differently, with fresh eyes. Doing this allows us to take a new perspective, and opens the door to all the possibilities in life, including ones we may not have known existed. Creating art is a direct way to make this happen. When art-making, there is always the potential […]