What motivates you to create?
Telling my story is what motivates me to create. I use painting as a tool to heal. I find it so therapeutic to paint my story rather than to talk about it. There is a positive connection between art and mental health—artistic activities such as sculpting, painting, or drawing are known to lower stress levels and promote mental calmness. Creating art takes my mind off everyday life and provides a relaxing distraction.
Where do you find inspiration?
When creating a piece I spend time alone, practice mindfulness, listening to my favourite musician ‘Goldheist’, with my sketch pad in hand and sketching what comes to mind. I find mindfulness meditation a wonderful way to get inspirated if I have a creativity block. Meditation opens my mind to new ideas, improves my attention and makes it easier to register ideas.
What is your favourite medium/style?
I have always been crafty and have dabbled in various mediums, but my favourite medium is acrylic on canvas. I have a new love of ceramics and clay.
What are you currently working on or finished?
I have just finished creating for the opening of the new premises of Creative Wauchope the Art gallery in Wauchope. The brief was Saltwater Freshwater in tones of cool blues and greens. I tried something new by combining my normal style with a paint pour. Lots of mess and fun.
I am currently working on sketches for a mindfulness and gratitude journal.
How long have you been creating art and what got you started?
I have always been creative and loved craft especially scrapbooking and sewing but have only been painting for a few years. I started painting when I was receiving treatment following a very traumatic incident that resulting in being diagnosed with PTSD. I used painting to help give voice to experiences and feelings not easily expressed in words. Painting has brought purpose back into my life, giving me a way to heal from the trauma and tell my story.
My family and friends would comment on my paintings, the colour palette, and stories they told and with encouragement from my daughter and husband I enrolled in the Certificate ll in Cultural Arts. This was the best decision I have made in my creative arts journey. The people in the course were inspirational, compassionate and inclusive and the teaching staff, leaders in the Cultural Arts industry and imparted so much knowledge and an amazing support.
Can you tell us bit about your background?
I studied nursing when leaving school and worked as a Registered Nurse. I soon found that the needs for our people were not being meet and wanted to work within the community to assist and in the community service sector for 30 years, working to improve the social and emotional wellbeing of the community.
Any major success?
My art journey is very new, and I have just completed a Certificate ll in Cultural Arts and received a Certificate of Excellence.
Where do you see yourself in the future with your art?
I would love to see my art in galleries internationally. I would like to have a range of beautiful culturally inspired mindfulness and gratitude journals and resources to aid people’s mental health. I would also like to be an Art Therapist and help people like myself recover from trauma.
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