“I have really enjoyed doing the drawings, and already my outlook is so much happier”
Some responses from participants in Medley’s events
“A huge confidence boost”
“…a fantastic project to engage people and help each other to be mindful…”
“This painting calmed my mind”
“…a massive thank you…great to have some relaxing time and focus on drawing…”
“Loving all the art ideas to share with my care home residents”
“Thank you for creating the group and for inspiring and encouraging us all”
“This was a great way to zone out”
“A month of joy”
New art for wellbeing challenge starting soon!
Make time for yourself this new year by experimenting with Time For You: A Month of Art, and try a different short art idea each day (or whenever you can) from home in your own time, during this month of creativity. Fitting “me-time” into life can be a struggle, but art is something tangible, fun and positive that doesn’t need to take long, and can help you unwind.
The ideas will be varied and flexible, and suited to all levels and abilities. You’ll receive an idea by email each morning (with example image) and there’ll be a private Facebook group where you can share how you get on and see others’ creativity as well if you wish. To sign up for the month for just £3.50, go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/time-for-you-a-month-of-art-tickets-1979742366712?aff=oddtdtcreator
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This autumn, 60 participants experimented with art and creativity each day (from 11 October to 8 November) in a flexible and relaxed wellbeing challenge from home, in their own time, Draw Day By Day. They received a different art activity idea each day, ideas which varied, highlighting the many different ways art can boost wellbeing, lift mood and enhance life. Themes ranged from dot drawings to Alice in Wonderland and from street art to all the fun of the fair. Suitable for all levels and abilities. It was wonderful to see the artwork shared by some participants in the challenge’s optional Facebook group as well.
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During May and early June 2025, 37 participants experimented with my A-Z Of Mindful Art. From A = Animation to Z = Zany, via letters such as D = Daydreaming, F = Fantasy and S = Symbol, it was fantastic to see how people interpreted each idea in different and imaginative ways. Here are a few images shared by participants:
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A new year, a new chance to get creative. In February 2025, 25 Creative Ideas was a wellbeing challenge to enjoy from home in your own time – with a difference. Every day, I suggested one word as a theme, and gave participants an art idea and a craft idea for that theme (sent by email, with example images). They decided which to do each day! From coffee to cake, via theatre, letting go and many more – it was wonderful to see (in the challenge’s Facebook group) how people responded to each single word prompt.
Creativity comes in so many different forms and some can feel more relaxing or more inspiring than others, at different times.
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25 people took part in Medley’s latest art for wellbeing challenge, An Autumn Sketchbook: Nature Journaling For Wellbeing, which ran from 28 September-26 October 2024. Experimenting with different styles and media on themes ranging from dark skies to bottling & preserving and from hibernation to autumn berries and leaves was an opportunity to spend time with nature and creativity. Thank you to all who took part.
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For Creativity and Wellbeing Week 2024 I held a free online drawing workshop, Ready Steady Draw – a fun 40 minutes spent experimenting with quick figurative and abstract ideas.
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A Summer Of Sport was a Medley art challenge during the month of June 2024, celebrating sport through a variety of ideas. With the Olympics, Euros football, Wimbledon, the Tour de France and more besides, this promises to be a bumper summer of sport – so it was a good time to get sketching!
I am excited to announce that I have been awarded funding by Arts Council England’s Developing Your Creative Practice fund: to move my practice on to the next level, focusing on art as a tool to help mental health. My project is entitled Paint Your Mind: Art As Tool, and will run from January to June 2024, as I look, listen and learn, and share different ways in which art can help. Go to the Paint Your Mind page to learn more. And to read more about Arts Council England, go to https://www.artscouncil.org.uk
September 2023 saw another art for wellbeing challenge: 30 Days Of Creativity, A Wellbeing Challenge For September – combining art and craft this time. 51 participants signed up and experimented with a variety of art and craft, from sewing to decoupage, weaving to pattern drawing, stencilling to scrapbooking, painting to silhouettes.
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For the month of June 2023 Medley ran a daily art for wellbeing challenge on a gardens theme, “A Secret Garden“. 38 participants experimented with a variety of ideas and media, exploring how gardens and creativity enhance life and wellbeing. Here is some of the artwork participants shared:
65 people took part in Medley’s Treasure Trove Art Challenge for Creativity & Wellbeing Week 2023, which ran from 15-21 May. The 2023 theme for the Week was “Creativity”, so the challenge was an opportunity to explore creativity’s many forms, and how each can help wellbeing. Each day focused on a different artform (from music to drama to sewing), with an art idea for the day as well as suggestions of music or songs to listen to and ways to connect with nature, all on that day’s theme.
Through the month of February 2023 Medley ran an online Set Aside Daily Art For Wellbeing Challenge, with 44 participants. The idea was to “set aside” time for art, so every day I sent participants a different art idea : each idea could be completed in around 15 minutes, although you could take as long as you wanted! Some ideas were figurative, some were abstract, some expressed thoughts and feelings. It was wonderful to see the Challenge come to life as people shared artwork and experiences in the Facebook group, interpreting the ideas in such imaginative and creative ways. Here you can see examples shared by some participants:
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