Art as Therapy – P8 Embracing the Present Moment
Do you have a place, a hobby or a passion project that seems to make time disappear? Totally embracing the present moment can move you into this divine, expansive space. I believe, when we allow ourselves to move into a ‘flow’ state of consciousness then time becomes irrelevant. For me, each challenging experience has given […]
Art as Therapy- P7 Honoring Your Story
Have you ever heard of story fatigue? It’s when you are asked to tell the same story over and over and eventually you get sick of hearing yourself. Apart from having to revisit all the trauma repeatedly, the more times you tell it, the more you can feel detached. During my recovery, and for a […]
Art as Therapy – P6 Embracing Vulnerability and Authenticity
It was 2012, I was asked to be part of advertisement from my health insurer BUPA Australia. The film maker was genuinely interested in my story. We met up for coffee after my interview and he was discussing my art. He said “I don’t want to see whats in here” pointing to his head, “I […]
Art as Therapy – P4 Building Resilience, Empowerment and Self-Esteem
I asked a musician friend of mine how he feels when people request his old songs. It was a question he hadn’t been asked before. After some thought, he told me that most times, he didn’t mind, but he preferred to play his new work. Someone mentioned to me that they preferred my old abstract […]
Art as Therapy P3- A Sense of Control
When I taught pastel art classes, I would divide beginner students into two categories: bakers and quilters. Like the ‘Pastel Whisperer,’ I would know within minutes what someone’s preferred style of drawing was. It was like a magic trick! Remember the Swedish chef from the muppets? He would appear to have a plan but by […]
Art as Therapy P2- Self-Exploration & Reflection
A creative life is an interesting and challenging one. My mind has so many fleeting ideas. It takes practice to catch the right one and transform it into physical form. Being creative has taught me that completing cycles carries over into life to help me finish things that I start. Not everything mind you, I […]
Art as Therapy P1 – Transformation and Growth
I didn’t specifically mean to go down a pathway of art as therapy and a form of healing; rather, it found me. It was 2012, and I was still in recovery from my stomach cancer. My life as I knew it had been turned on its head. In a parallel universe, I’m sure I was […]
Art As Therapy – The Beginning
Hello, I thought I would reintroduce myself to those who don’t know me or would like to get reacquainted. My name is Michelle, and I am a full time Artist from Melbourne, Australia. I have been married for 20 years and have two children. I am also a step-mum to my husband’s girls since they […]
Another Bumpy Ride
Hearing the ‘C’ work again after 12 years was like watching two cars collide in slow motion, only this time I felt like I was observing the accident rather that sitting behind the steering wheel. I love explaining things in metaphors, so let’s call this ‘the 2nd baby’. Anyone that has experienced childbirth knows that no matter what anyone tells you first time around, nothing can actually prepare you for parenthood. Second time around you know what’s coming and even though the experience maybe similar there will be new lessons because no second baby is ever like the first baby!
Re-Braving in 2023
“I am re-braving after a difficult stage that un-braved me.” – Jeff Brown. 2022 was indeed ‘The Tower’ for me. January 2022, things were starting to open up, people had already started planning for a mask free future, but my hesitation had all but turned me into a paranoid skeptic who saw how ugly and […]
