Use art and creativity to support your mental health at our brand new, free to access Wellbeing at the Weekend sessions. 

Join artists Mishka Lesayova and Sarah O’Boyle for our series of Wellbeing at the Weekend sessions; ‘Ecology of Creativity’ running on alternate Saturday mornings 10-11:30pm from the 15th July to the 7th October 2023.

The workshop is suitable for adults, from beginners to those who have experience with drawing but want to explore new techniques.

Ecology of Creativity - Mishka’s sessions

Drawing on the philosophy of ecology and inspired by the natural world, during these sessions Mishka will share sustainable ways to support your creativity. You will be invited to try out a range of creative wellbeing practices that connect us to nature and provide a helpful structure for ongoing creative wellbeing practice.

Running over 9 weeks, Ecology of Creativity will explore the concepts of flow, playfulness, experimenting, curiosity and working seasonally. The sessions will also touch on more challenging topics linked with creativity such as being brave, finding pearls of inspiration in the everyday and facing our own notions of failure. Each session will delve deeper into our creative process sharing the valuable practices and techniques for sustainable and self-caring creativity. You will also explore alternative creative ways to document your creative process and discover how working with our senses and the natural environment can deepen and enrich our creativity.

You will come away from this course with new levels of awareness, some practical techniques and exciting methods for sustainable and self-caring creativity with nature.

These sessions have been designed to meet the sensory needs of neurodivergent practitioners and creatives as well as anyone looking to improve their wellbeing and mental health through creativity.

Pause and Process - Sarah’s Sessions

Interwoven into Mishka’s sessions, Artist Educator Sarah O’Boyle will deliver a series of reflective Pause and Process workshops that will take its themes and inspiration from the Ecology of Creativity program.

You will be invited to take part in some guided activities delivered in a gentle way that encourages a sense of relaxation and wellbeing. You will also be very welcome to use this time to work in a more independent way if preferred.

The nature inspired activities on offer will explore detail, scale, colour and layering through a variety of simple, repetitive, mixed media creative processes.

The session themes are as follows:

15th July, Ecology of Creativity – Looking

29th July, Pause and Process – Looking

12th August, Ecology of Creativity – Documenting

26th August, Ecology of Creativity – Colour

9th September, Pause and Process – Colour

23rd September, Pause and Process – Inspired by Nature

7th October, Ecology of Creativity – The Senses