Creative Recovery

Exploring extra solutions for our mental health and anxieties.

March 17, 2021

Caring for our own mental health

Please don't get me wrong I know clinical therapy works. I have done a lot of good work through many different therapy models myself but I am also aware not everyone wants to go down that route or maybe they are not ready yet.

When it comes to Mental Health, professionals tend to refer you onto counselling or clinical therapy. However, there are other options that work really well as a precursor or alongside helping you deal with and recover from Mental Health issues. 

Core Art Journaling has worked within UKs Primary Health Care system within their new Social Prescribing model. This means when a project has been set up between us and a GP surgery link workers can propose other wellbeing activities to help alongside other medications. My creative wellbeing art journaling sessions have been used to help adults and teens to explore and process their thoughts and feelings visually through the power of creative recovery.

Core Art Journaling aims to give participants the creative tools to process and help build their own emotional resilience. With experience working  in secondary schools, and within the health service my aim is to integrate a visual process to support anyone of any art ability into this creative wellbeing programmes.

In the future I am hoping art journaling could be considered under the banner of Creative Health Health are just a couple of reasons why:

1.    Art journaling can be done in an any space and your journals become your own safe space for you. 

2.    Art Journaling is more personal as it allows you to write down all your feelings and then cover it up in amazing artwork and best of all you don’t need any prior art skills!

 It's certainly something I would like to continue exploring. A great introduction to the world of Art Journaling and the best bit about it is there are no rules!  Julia 2019

 I was more impressed with how it enabled me to get in touch with myself and psychologically begin the healing process with my personal issues. Judy 2020

 If you would like to read more about these topics, check out these links below:  https://www.culturehealthandwellbeing.org.uk/resources/social-prescribing

https://www.culturehealthandwellbeing.org.uk/appg-inquiry/

If you want to find out more about Core art journaling you can subscribe via www.coreartjounaling.com.
You can also contact me through email: Deborah@coreartjournaling.co.uk to find out more.

Workshops using mixed media

Dealing With Life After Lockdown

Dealing with the idea of life going back to ‘new’ normal in the upcoming months will be challenging. Many people will be starting to go back to work, with adults going to their workplaces and children now going back their schoolrooms.

With the government releasing restrictions there will be anxiety, mental health issues, apprehension and our stress levels will increase whilst we try to navigate what is going to be our new norm!  Maybe a new creative wellbeing tool like art journaling will help us work through this new space? Art journaling is perfect tool to help process all of these feelings. Visually working that out, flexing that creative health muscle through this creative outlet art journaling is a proven and fun way of relieving the stress you and your children may be facing whilst dealing with our new world.

 “ I didn’t feel very motivated to begin with but I went with the process and I’m so glad I did. I (almost) managed to let go of my need for perfection. After I had finished, it felt very personal and I even felt quite tearful.
So thank you.” J from Kings College workshop, London, March 2021

My journals ©imagescoreartjournaling 2021

 The concept of art journaling is to use creativity to connect emotionally, to help process negative feelings and therefore create a safe space to work through how you are REALLY feeling, not what you think you should say! Your art journal page is not about just about creating pretty pictures it’s your visual story of your inner and outer self connecting.

The bonus of doing art journaling is that you don’t have to be a professional artist; you don’t need prior art skills to produce artwork that is unique and real! You can also use a wide range of cheap accessible materials, create a safe space, and create a daily practice.

If you need support or information relating to after lockdown anxiety, find out more here:
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evidence-summary-for-policy-the-role-of-arts-in-improving-health-and-wellbeing
https://www.culturehealthandwellbeing.org.uk/sites/default/files/9789289054553-eng.pdf

If you want to find out more about art journaling you can subscribe via www.coreartjounaling.com. You can also contact me through email: Deborah@coreartjournaling.co.uk or to find out more.

Process is best - your FREE how to video

Why are we so fascinated with ‘How to” videos?

Part of the fun of art journaling is searching for new materials and I am always looking for inspiration for my Core Art Journaling.

Even as a child I loved watching the TV show Blue Peter where I would be completely absorbed in their ‘how to’ slot learning to make myself something extraordinarily useless like a cardboard jewellery box out of egg boxes, the fact that I can still visualise those demos on screen says something for my learning by watching.

Its all about the making.

You Tube

So what is it about our fixation for watching ‘how to’ videos on You tube? It seems we just can’t get enough of them and I have frequently found myself down some dark digital alley watching some random video like how to wash out plastic packaging to make mark rubbings and then wondering how on earth did I find myself here!?

Gratefully my ‘How to’ fixation came to fruition this winter when I needed to sort out my radiators and after getting fed up with some unqualified handyman overcharging me for a 10 minute job I decided to have a go myself. With my I phone in hand and a few tools I watched how to sort out my heating problem and amazingly it worked although I have sneaky feeling I got lucky on that one!

As humans we search for answers to questions online, and of those, three in five turn to online videos in particular to learn or solve problems.

Did you know that DIY slime is in the CNET top 10 vids!

Videos are a compelling way to learn how to do something online because they show you how to exactly do it. Statistics show that 4 times as many people would rather watch a video than read an instruction manual and I’m definitely one of them. The pearl is that anyone, anywhere in the world without cost or travel and importantly the embarrassment of public failure can learn about anything. Interstingly ‘How to tie a bow tie’ has up to 250,000 hits on You tube, it’s seems show rather then tell is what we want.

We are fascinated by PROCESS videos because they are:
FREE
INSTANT
CONVENIENT
We can REWIND and learn at your own pace
We GET IDEAS from someone of genuine passion and interest.

When I lived in an isolated town in the French Alps I needed to find inspiration and something creative to help me, You tube was where I found mountains of inspiration. I spent my time watching hundreds of videos which inspired me to start searching for books in the French flea markets to use to journal in.

Below is my own FREE short video on You tube showing you a process of :
How to prepare and create your own altered book for journaling

Its FREE and if you SUBSCRIBE you will regularly get updated on New Core techniques and some great tips to help anyone wanting to begin and develop Art Journaling.

But… there is nothing like experiencing and learning in person and if you want to try Art Journaling I am running a TASTER morning at Winchester Discovery Centre on Saturday March 16 2019 9.30-1pm. All levels are warmly welcome, to book click link below.