A six-week course at Thames Community Centre aims to spark creativity, boost self esteem and reduce stress through art and creativity.
Creative therapist Dianne McLean said she developed the course, which begins on July 30, to help people who wanted to be more creative but didn’t know how to start.
“A lot of people don’t draw or do art, probably since primary school… but they sense they may need to be more expressive,” she said.
“For most people they come along and they don’t know what to expect. I’ve had people come along and they’ve enjoyed doing creative things in the past and they’ve let it drop, so this can be a way for them to get back into doing stuff for themselves.”
The creative therapy course was for people who were “a bit stuck or are struggling with a few issues”, she said.
“It can be quite empowering to come and do something creative.
“A creative therapist is somebody who uses all kinds of creative modalities to facilitate self healing. I’m not a counsellor, I’m not here to tell people what they should be doing or how to fix their lives, but through creativity, I hope to provide an atmosphere that helps people find the answers for themselves.”
The first part of the course was “low key”, focussing on how to create art for mindfulness and to regulate the nervous system, she said.
In week two, participants will learn how to use neuro-graphical lines to explore self-healing; and week three includes letting go of perfection or the need to do it right, using watercolour and doodling techniques.
Subsequent weeks include collage, working with metaphor and how to use meditation and intuitive techniques to facilitate self-healing and empowerment, tapping into the power of music and guided drawing.
The effects of creative therapy could be “quite revelationary” for some people, Dianne said.
“They come in and they don’t know what to expect and they get into it and all of a sudden something opens up.
“I can’t describe the process, it’s just something happens within them, something opens up in their mind, in their emotions, and that’s very empowering.”
Dianne doesn’t describe herself as an artist, but has always done art, meditation and coaching.
Before completing a course in creative therapy, she worked with elderly in rest homes with great results.
“That’s why I went and got qualified because when I was doing the work in the rest homes… I knew creative stuff was really important and I knew it was powerful. I had some very profound moments with people with dementia in particular where there were real breakthroughs.”
The course is part of a series of courses and services on offer at Thames Community Centre, which also offers a driver licence programme, weekly appointments for technology assistance and an upcoming six-week mindfulness course, which begins on August 5.
DETAILS: For more information or to book a place, contact the centre at 609 Mackay St, Thames, Ph 07 868 9797.
