Memory – a word that packs a powerful punch. Nostalgic, bittersweet, or simply happy and unclouded, or painful, or dark, or everyday, or even drifting out of your grasp. Memory can desert us after all. Memory can become as fragile as a dandelion “clock” – one gust of wind and the seeds float away andContinue reading “Down Memory Lane”
Tag Archives: Art
Confidence And Community
Hold a pen or pencil in your hand and draw a line on a sheet of paper. A simple act. How do you feel? Excited, wondering what image you might go on to create? Bored? Daunted? Is it full of possibility? Many more of us all the time are experimenting with art and with theContinue reading “Confidence And Community”
Slow Looking
How long would you spend looking at a painting on an art gallery wall? Or in a book, or online? Recent research found that the average person spends just a few seconds. Is that enough? Is it more important to see as many different paintings as possible, or to dwell on one or two? There’sContinue reading “Slow Looking”
Either/Or
Can wellbeing initiatives such as befriending, arts and crafts or gardening be just as beneficial as a talking therapy like CBT? On the one hand, demand is constant and CBT has boomed, within the NHS and beyond. But on the other hand, doubts have started to be raised, and it’s now believed cognitive behavioural therapy,Continue reading “Either/Or”
Express Yourself
What do the words “comic book” or “graphic novel” conjure up for you? Do they awaken nostalgic memories of comic strips you enjoyed as a child, or do you read them here and now? Maybe you are contributing to the recent boom in comic books and graphic novels. All the time they’re becoming more variedContinue reading “Express Yourself”
Changing Minds
What’s the first thought that comes into your mind when you hear the words creativity, the arts, music, dance, drama, art or craft? Do you think “wonderful, enriching, fun”? Or do you think “boring, scary, not for you”? Many of us do have an instinctive yes or no response to lots of things in life.Continue reading “Changing Minds”
Communities That Care
Creativity plays an important part in many care homes – and so too does community. With care homes running varied activities most days, alongside the quizzes, outings and bingo there are lots of music, arts and crafts. This week is Care Home Open Week, and I’ve heard people sharing how they feel about the prospectContinue reading “Communities That Care”
A Past That Endures
Creativity, art, music, might feel a world away from the very brutal realities of war: mud, death, rubble, bomb craters. 80 years on from VE Day, which saw many countries emerge from World War Two, this week has seen crowds gather once more to commemorate and to celebrate. Those six long years of war areContinue reading “A Past That Endures”
Treasure Chest
Are you a collector? Is there something you look out to collect wherever you go – maybe hats, teapots, clocks, football shirts, first edition books or teddy bears? I’ve never formed a collection, but I’ve known people who collect Victoriana, music memorabilia, and model houses & railways – and even someone who collects anything toContinue reading “Treasure Chest”
Reinventing Community
This week I saw images online of a wonderful creative display in a Midlands town to mark Remembrance Day. Local crafters came together to yarn bomb the high street, crocheting poppy themed toppers for the postboxes and making a large fabric collage scene as a wall hanging. Creativity at its best – enhancing the communityContinue reading “Reinventing Community”
Medley 