Keep Calm and Carry On Creating

Creative practices can be great when it comes to relaxation, self-care, self-exploration, mindfulness, and enjoyment. The arts are inherently therapeutic.

In times of turmoil, when the world feels chaotic, it can feel trivial to be doing crafts and drawing pictures, even if we look at it as self-care. It can be the first thing to drop off our list of priorities when times get tough. We might view it as a luxury (of time and resources) when there's "real" work to be done.

But Art is a really impactful way to make your voice heard and understood! It can simply be for yourself — as a way to externalize and explore what you believe in, what you value, what you're passionate about, that which may be difficult to put into words yet you feel it and you know it's important, and that which needs processing and healing. And/or it can be used as a form of social action (i.e., you put your expressions, thoughts, and opinions out there) — which in itself can have a wide reaching effect. Some of the best and most memorable works of art and literature in our history came out of responses to social issues (Rage Against the Machine, Sinead O'Connor, Bob Marley to name just a few).

With all the chaos and social unrest these days — people striking or negotiating for their rights, political divisions, wars, people speaking up about civil rights, basic human rights and issues pertaining to the environment, and so on and so on — it is particularly important to be conscious of how we use our forms of expression for both self-care and care for the community and the world as a whole.

You may have heard the phrase "hurt people hurt people". Well, we believe "healing people heal people". There is an indigenous belief that when you heal yourself, you heal 7 generations in the past as well as 7 generations into the future. We are that connected! Through time and space. Your healing has a ripple effect on the energy of those in your orbit. 

Maybe you only have the capacity to create for your own mental health and emotional processing. That's amazing!! We love that for you!

If you have the capacity and urge to spread your message to a wider audience, you can inspire and engage others! That's amazing!! We love that for you! 

Approaching art with purpose has the ability to impact the greater community and that can have an exponentially healing impact when that is the intention. Remember, how you use your voice matters. All of it matters! Art is a radical act!