Author: Peggy Melmoth

Posted on

Next Retreat: 14th August

UPDATE: Saturday 14th August retreat has been postponed to a later date.

Would you like to join us for a day of laughter, conversation, mindfulness and art, surrounded by the peacefulness of nature?

  • Guided mindfulness
  • Qi Gong
  • Simple art activities
  • Nature walk


Read more: Mindful Art Retreat

On Saturday 14th August 2021 we invite you to:

  • Step away from daily distractions
  • Take some time to relax and rejuvenate
  • Enjoy the company of like-minded people
  • Rediscover your sense of inner peace

Places are limited to only eight people and we expect this to be very popular. 

If you are interested book now to avoid disappointment. 

The retreat takes place in the picturesque village of Plympton St Maurice, near Plymouth, in South Devon. Outdoor activities are held in public green spaces; lunch is served in the local Guildhall. Most of the event is outdoors but can be moved to our indoor venue in the case of rain. 

Includes coffees, teas and lunch of crusty bread, homemade cakes and a selection of cheeses, houmous, olives and fruit.

Reserve your place now.

We can’t wait to see you this summer!

Peggy and Emma

Posted on

New Group: Plympton

Learn to practice mindfulness and art for self-care at The Brook Inn in Plympton St Maurice, starting Thursday 15th July 2021. Each session includes five minutes of guided mindfulness, five minutes of mindful drawing, a simple art project, and the opportunity to chat and relax.

Come along and grab a coffee or tea in time for a 11.00 am start. The group lasts for an hour and a half. There is no set cost for this group but we are running it on a ‘pay what you feel’ donations basis. Mindful Art Club is a not-for-profit community group.

This weekly art group gives people the opportunity to share their feelings, practice mindfulness, create art, relax and chat. Mindful Art Club:

  • Improves mental health
  • Improves social connection
  • Teaches new skills (relaxation exercises and art for self care).

Send us a message now to book your place in this friendly, fun new group.

Find us at: The Brook Inn, 33 Longbrook Street, Plympton, PL7 1NJ

There is parking at the pub and the nearest bus route is 21A. Alight at Longcause.

Posted on

Surprise Donation From Plymouth Art Students

We have just received a generous and unexpected donation from the final year Fine Art students at Plymouth University.

They recently completed their degree show with Plymouth University on the Fine Art course. Prior to lockdown they raised some funds with a bake sale in order to provide them with funds for a suitable venue to host their final degree show.

After searching for a venue, they eventually found one free of charge at the Royal William Yard in Ocean Studios… meaning their funds were still untouched.

So with some funds leftover, they decided as a cohort to donate to a group or charity which they really felt linked with their own work and efforts in their show. A common theme of their work was ‘anxiety’ and ‘mindfulness’ as well as ‘self- awareness’.

So we decided to donate our unused funds to a great cause, I hope this helps in any way possible. I thought it might be nice to give you a back story… Best wishes, all our love,

Fine Art Plymouth Cohort 2021 xx

The ‘Under Current Circumstances’ University of Plymouth
Fine Art Degree Show was from June 20th – June 24th (2021)

You can see their artwork on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/uop_fineart/

On behalf of all of our clients Peggy and Emma would like to thank these fine art graduates for their very kind and unexpected donation.

Posted on

Art Retreat 2021 (Pictures)

Last weekend we enjoyed a day of laughter, conversation, mindfulness and art, surrounded by the peacefulness of nature.

  • Guided mindfulness
  • Qi Gong
  • Simple art activities
  • Nature walk
  • Delicious food

I really benefitted from the retreat. Like I said at the end, the variety and balance in the design was spot on. The group’s size also meant it felt really comfortable to share more honestly and openly. I really noticed that once one person revealed something difficult they were experiencing, it automatically gave permission for others to do the same… then that ripple effect builds trust and authenticity in the group. There’s so much power in that.

I wanted to thank you particularly for being great leaders – you are both disarming and so accessible and let the group take a natural path of development. I never felt rushed or pressured.

The day made me think about that Marianne Williamson quote… “As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence actually liberates others.”

Lorna (Retreat Participant)

See short videos and find out more about our mindful art retreats.

Posted on

New: Evening Group

Do you work during the daytime?

Is travel a challenge for you?

Want to experience Mindful Art Club in the comfort of your own home?

We have the easy solution!

We are launching a new evening group on Zoom.

A supportive online meeting offering creativity, company and social connection: A short mindful meditation and an easy art project.

About this event

No art experience required! Friendly and informal. Just grab a coffee and join in. Hosted by south Devon artists Peggy Melmoth and Emma Sprawson.

Tuesdays 7.00pm – 8.00pm.

Connect with others, share your experiences of COVID-19, and discover new ways of practising self-care through easy art and mindfulness exercises. Practice being here in the present moment, and accept where you are right now, without self-judgement.

We start with a brief chat about how everyone is feeling, then a short guided mindfulness session, followed by a simple art activity that anyone can do. Our mission is to make mindfulness more fun! We’re not teaching art techniques, we’re just here to play.

You will need any pen, felt tips, some plain paper and a cup of tea or coffee.

You will also need to download Zoom, free video-conferencing software, to your computer, tablet or smart phone, before the day. https://zoom.us

After payment you will receive an email from Eventbrite saying, “Check the event page for all the information you need to join.” The link in that email will take you to a page with the Zoom invite. *Check your spam folder, notifications folder or promotions tab for the email!*

Book now for this exciting new online art club!

Posted on

New Course: Ivybridge

Learn to practice relaxation exercises and art for self-care at The Salvation Army in Ivybridge. Each session includes five minutes of guided mindfulness, five minutes of mindful drawing, a simple art project, and the opportunity to chat and relax.

This weekly art group gives people the opportunity to share their feelings, practice mindfulness, create art, relax and chat. Doodle Your Recovery:

  • Improves mental health
  • Improves social connection
  • Teaches new skills (relaxation exercises and art for self care).

We start with a ‘check in’ to see how everyone is feeling. There is no obligation to speak if you don’t want to. This is followed by some guided mindfulness, then a simple art project which anyone can do e.g., drawing Zentangles or paisley, or making a greeting card.

We end the group with a ‘check out’ to share how everyone is feeling after practicing mindfulness and making art.

This free 6 week, in-person course will start on Tuesday 22nd June, then 29th June, 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th July.

Book here.

NB: Bookings for this course will open on Monday 24th May.

Update: This course has been postponed due to changing Covid-19 guidelines.

Funded by Devon Recovery Learning Community.

Posted on

Providing a Lifeline to Those in Need

Mindful Art Club has provided a lifeline to people across Plymouth facing mental health challenges – and now our group is back operating in the community.

For Mental Health Awareness Week Plymouth Live has published a feature article explaining that we were gutted when a drug and alcohol rehab centre announced its shock closure two years ago.

“Having worked at Broadreach House for several years, (Emma and Peggy) had been able to support people from all walks of life and had seen first-hand how beneficial different creative activities could be for people struggling with their mental health and other issues.

Wanting to continue to serve the community and support people facing challenges in their lives, the colleagues teamed up to launch a “mindfulness art club” to support people manage their anxiety, stress and other mental health issues in a relaxed and safe creative environment.

The club became particularly popular at the start of 2020 and soon became a lifeline for members, with many people relishing the opportunity to connect with others in a non-judgemental environment while being able to talk freely about how they’re feeling and any stresses or anxieties in their lives.”

Read the full article on Plymouth Live, The Plymouth Herald website.

Posted on

Next Retreat: 19th June

Would you like to join us for a day of laughter, conversation, mindfulness and art, surrounded by the peacefulness of nature?

  • Guided mindfulness
  • Qi Gong
  • Simple art activities
  • Nature walk


Read more: Mindful Art Retreat

On Saturday 19th June 2021 we invite you to:

  • Step away from daily distractions
  • Take some time to relax and rejuvenate
  • Enjoy the company of like-minded people
  • Rediscover your sense of inner peace

Places are limited to only eight people and we expect this to be very popular. 

If you are interested book now to avoid disappointment. 

The retreat takes place in the picturesque village of Plympton St Maurice, near Plymouth, in South Devon. Outdoor activities are held in public green spaces; lunch is served in the local Guildhall. Most of the event is outdoors but can be moved to our indoor venue in the case of rain. 

Includes coffees, teas and lunch of crusty bread, homemade cakes and a selection of cheeses, houmous, olives and fruit.

Reserve your place now.

We can’t wait to see you this summer!

Peggy and Emma

Posted on

Royal William Yard Group Returns!

Want to learn to manage stress in a creative way?

Want to meet new people without feeling awkward?

Want to relax your busy mind, without the practice and discipline needed for meditation?

You just found the easy answer!

Our weekly art group at 1pm on Friday afternoons returns to Ocean Studios, Royal William Yard, next Friday 7th May. It offers a safe, easy-going space to have coffee, try guided mindfulness and do some art, just for fun. There is absolutely no talent required, so if you haven’t done anything creative since school that’s fine.

  • Ocean Studios
    Event Space Ocean Studios

Booking

Booking is essential due to restricted numbers during the pandemic. Message us to confirm your place. We have some limited funding to cover the cost of your session. You can also book here.

If you arrive around 12.45pm you can grab a coffee at the Ocean Studios Cafe, then head upstairs to the Event Space on the right, where you will find Mindful Art Club. You will need to wear a mask to enter the café, but once you are seated at our (socially distanced) art table you can remove your mask for the duration of the group.

How to find us

Ocean Studios, The Factory Cooperage, Royal William Yard, Plymouth PL1 3RP. 

Plymouth city centre is 20-minute walk or a 12-minute cycle away. Find us at The Factory Cooperage, opposite Las Iguanas with the red telephone box. 

Drive  

From Plymouth City Centre take A374 to Durnford Street in Stonehouse. From Cornwall take the Tamar Bridge, A38, A3064, B3396 and A374, continue onto Durnford St until you reach the yard. There are plenty of Pay and Display car parking spaces at Royal William Yard. 

Bus  

The number 34 bus travels from the city centre and stops at the Royal William Yard roundabout. It leaves from Royal Parade stop A2. 12.20pm. The bus stop is near the Guildhall car park, just down from St Andrews Church.

Boat  

The ferry runs every hour from the Barbican to Royal William Yard, or you can travel from Cornwall on the Cremyll Ferry to Stonehouse. 

Read more details about accessibility at Ocean Studios.

Feeling unsure? Send us a message and we can chat. We’d love to see you there.

Posted on

The Real Reason Our Logo is an Egg

I am an oeuf

Sometimes, anxiety can make it difficult to get out of bed in the morning. You wake up with a stomach ache, and an overwhelming feeling of dread. Everything just feels “too much.”

It was on a day like this, when I was suffering with (what I now know) was an anxiety disorder, that I decided to try to lift my mood by repeating the mantra, “I am enough” to myself. I was also trying something new. I had decided to start drawing little cartoons to illustrate my mental health struggles. Because I had noticed that when I was drawing, absorbed in creativity, that was the only time that my head wasn’t busy with anxious overthinking. Creativity calmed my mind.

“I am enough.”

If you say it fast enough it sounds like “I am an oeuf.” Oeuf is French for egg. I grabbed a chalk board we have in the kitchen and spontaneously drew a serene-looking egg who believed that he was enough. Underneath him I wrote,

“I am an oeuf.”

It made me smile. So I got into drawing this little egg character, in various different situations.

And after a lot more doodling, colouring, meditating, chats with friends, counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy, I eventually overcame that pesky anxiety.

A few years later, Emma and I decided to start our mindful art business, and when we needed a logo it seemed appropriate to me to use the egg. Because I am an oeuf.

You are enough.

We are enough.

So shine like an egg.

And if you want to try using mindfulness and creativity to calm your busy mind today, grab yourself a bundle of free colouring pages and doodling printables by entering your email here.

Yes please, send me free stuff!

* indicates required

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)

Follow by Email
Facebook
Facebook
fb-share-icon
YouTube
YouTube
LinkedIn
INSTAGRAM