My Story
I am a creative explorer inspired by the relationship between nature, the process of art making, and the philosophies of Expressive Arts and Mindfulness.
My strength comes from the innate creative voice that resides within each one of us. Art making is my holistic wellness tool for both coping and healing from my own experience of loss, trauma and anxiety. It is from this place that I strive to be a change agent for women in their various life stages to creatively engage with themselves and others.
In my youth I attended the Ontario College of Art (the current iteration of which is now OCADU) where I built my practical skills as a visual artist. However, it was not until I reached my mid-50’s that I found a true sense of joy in my own art-making by not being perfect. As a graduate of The CREATE Institute (Centre for Expressive Arts Therapy Education - Toronto) I learned to play again, to move past fear through improv, to wonder, to hold space for others as a compassionate witness, and to celebrate vulnerability as a strength.
A component of my experiential studies at CREATE was participation in my own therapy. The Expressive Arts Psychotherapist who affected real change in my wellbeing journey integrated Mindfulness based exercises seamlessly into our sessions. Moving into unfamiliar art modalities in this way alleviated feelings of judgement and achieved an embodied state I hadn’t previously felt.
I continue to follow my curiosity through ongoing studies in Mindfulness (U of T - Foundations in Mindfulness Meditation - Certificate, The Sarana Institute - Mindfulness & Compassion for End-of-Life Care Givers - Certificate). And, like my personal arts practice, continue to explore various meditation modalities with a creative lens and mindful eye.
I am certified in Dialectical Behaviour Skills - a mindfulness based intervention (Behavioural Tech) and Palliative Care Team Training through Hospice Toronto.
I have worked collaboratively within the social services field in York Region, to build an Expressive Arts component to several mental health and developmental service programs. Within the community I have held a creative and therapeutic space for caregivers, elders, LGBTQ2S+ folks, people with AIDS and neuro-diverse young adults.
I have been particularly moved by my experience facilitating legacy work with women experiencing separation from family (through the justice system) and/or experiencing their end of life journey.
In June of 2018 I opened my private studio to my clients and established an Expressive Arts practice in York Region. In 2019 I established an Expressive Arts Facilitation business integrating Mindfulness into the Expressive Arts model. The Breathing Brush was born during much reflection during our first 2-years of Covid.
I am a professional member in good standing with the Ontario Expressive Arts Therapy Association (OEATA).
My Approach
In a world where we are continually asked to seek a better version of ourselves, smarter, fitter, more productive…developing an integrated mindful, artful and playful practice encourages us to arrive simply as we are.
The capacity to communicate creatively is innate in each one of us. I simply guide you to remember how. I weave expressive arts principles and mindfulness based exercises together to help you develop a playful arts and/or meditation practice that is both satisfying, and filled with perfectly imperfect beauty.
Expressive Arts invites us to follow the artistic process wherever it might lead through curious creative play. Mark making, sound, movement, word play, gardening, cooking, and crocheting are all examples of accessible creative processes. Both the act of making and the product are considered equally as tools for self-inquiry and healing.
Interestingly, creating in this way actively engages us in many of the core concepts of Mindfulness; non-judging, presence, curiosity (calling on our beginner’s mind), trust (in yourself), acceptance and the beauty of letting go.
“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” Kabat-Zinn
I believe that bringing our full attention to the ways we connect: to our senses, our materials and the space we occupy, will help us to create on a deeper level. Make a mark, take a step, observe the mark, observe the foot fall. And here, in reflection of both the process and our perceived final product is where we have the opportunity to further our creative response. We have in our most vulnerable moments uncovered our greatest resource - ourselves - by simply arriving as we are.
“In the still quiet, time slowed, in the unwrapping and beauty crept in.” Rowesa Gordon