Community Sparks Funds Mindful Art Club

February 9, 2021

Community Sparks Funds Mindful Art Club

It was great to see ourselves in The Stronger North Stonehouse Journal this month after winning a grant from their Community Sparks Fund to run mindful art groups in Stonehouse, Plymouth.

Stronger North Stonehouse is an initiative bringing local people together to create a stronger, safer and friendlier community in North Stonehouse, Plymouth. The Community Sparks Fund has just funded over 20 projects!

The scheme received 30 funding applications ranging from £150 to the maximum of £3,000.

All applications were assessed by a panel made up of members of the Safer Stonehouse Board and independent judges. The panel was asked to make recommendations based on the merit of the potential impact they could have in the community.

We have been awarded £1000 to deliver two different, weekly art groups in the Stonehouse area. One will be at The Clipper, Omnium Radio’s Community Hub, in Union Street. The other will be at Ocean Studios. Located in the historic surroundings of Royal William Yard, Ocean Studios is home to an array of resident and visiting artists who regularly host workshops, exhibitions and events for Plymouth’s creative community. We are able to work at Ocean Studios thanks to winning a place on the Start Something project, run by the Real Ideas Organisation.

The grant will help us to buy art materials, and market the project so that we can reach as many Stonehouse residents as possible. The funding will also allow us to cover our ongoing costs such as administration, staff time, project planning, insurance, and project impact evaluation.

These Stonehouse venues are large enough to allow socially distanced support groups to take place. Although the UK is currently experiencing a mental health crisis, exacerbated by the pandemic, personal finances can be a barrier to local people needing to access support. This grant will help us to offer our services to people struggling with poor mental health, social isolation, poverty or addiction.

If you would like a place in one of these Stonehouse groups, which will be up and running after the current lockdown restrictions end, please contact us now. Places are limited.

February 1, 2021February 1, 2021

She Let Go, a poem by Safire Rose

Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.
Safire Rose

Sometimes, mindfulness can be as simple as momentarily letting go of any thoughts about the past, or concerns about the future. It can be as easy as taking your pen for a walk and doodling on a blank page, letting go of any judgement of whether the image is good or bad.

Sometimes Emma likes to read out this poem, while people are drawing in our art sessions.

She Let Go.

She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go.

She let go of the fear.

She let go of the judgments.

She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head.

She let go of the committee of indecision within her.

She let go of all the ‘right’ reasons.

Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go.

She didn’t ask anyone for advice.

She didn’t read a book on how to let go.

She didn’t search the scriptures.

She just let go.

She let go of all of the memories that held her back.

She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward.

She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.

She didn’t promise to let go.

She didn’t journal about it.

She didn’t write the projected date in her Day-Timer.

She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper.

She didn’t check the weather report or read her daily horoscope.

She just let go.

She didn’t analyze whether she should let go.

She didn’t call her friends to discuss the matter.

She didn’t do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment.

She didn’t call the prayer line.

She didn’t utter one word.

She just let go.

No one was around when it happened.

There was no applause or congratulations.

No one thanked her or praised her.

No one noticed a thing.

Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go.

There was no effort.

There was no struggle.

It wasn’t good and it wasn’t bad.

It was what it was, and it is just that.

In the space of letting go, she let it all be.

A small smile came over her face.

A light breeze blew through her.

And the sun and the moon shone forevermore.

Safire Rose is a poet, teacher, speaker and spiritual life coach based in Los Angeles.

Now we’d love to hear from you. What are your thoughts on letting go? What did you think of the poem? Leave us a comment below.

January 28, 2021January 28, 2021

Comic Relief to Fund Womens Group

We are pleased to have been granted new funding to offer mindful art sessions to any Plymouth women in need of support.

The Comic Relief Community Fund offer help for projects that are in line with their theme of Mental Health Matters. These are projects that support good mental health in communities, improve access to support and tackle stigma and discrimination.

This funding will allow us to deliver 12 weekly mindful art groups at The Sunflower Women’s Centre. The issues being tackled are social isolation and poor mental health. We address these problems by using creative activities to make it easier for clients to engage in meaningful conversations.

The Sunflower is a trauma-informed women’s wellbeing hub, providing opportunities for any woman who has support needs. Women receive support in addressing and resolving substance abuse, childhood trauma, criminogenic behaviours, domestic violence or poor mental health. The centre offers a range of therapeutic activities, accredited programmes and practical support in a safe, nurturing, substance-free and valuing space for women to move from their pasts, develop their skills, regain their self-worth and go on to flourish and thrive. The Sunflower Centre has over 500 registered service users.

Mindful Art Club will offer these women peer support for common mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. New friendships are formed in our groups which combat social isolation, and we will also teach new skills such as how to use mindfulness and art for self care.

We would not have received this funding without the generous help and support of the staff at The Sunflower Women’s Centre, and the funding advisors at POP. POP ideas is a service delivered by POP+ and Iridescent Ideas CIC that provides advice for small, large, new or established voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations in Plymouth.

Page 10, Plymouth Chronicle January 2021

If you’d like a place on one of these groups after the current lockdown ends, you will need to register with The Sunflower Women’s Centre and ask to be added to the waiting list for Mindful Art Club. Their staff is limited during lockdown, but you can leave a message at 01752 977614 . Groups at The Sunflower Centre are small, socially distanced, and organised with a number of Covid-19 safety measures in place. These sessions are permitted by current law, as support groups.

Here’s what some of our previous clients at The Sunflower Centre have said about us:

“I have found this group very helpful in my recovery. My biggest problem is ISOLATION. So to have this group is a lifeline. I also struggle with substance misuse, although, (thanks to help), I am clean and sober. It is nice to have a space that is non-judgmental where we can check in and connect.
I love art anyway, and find it very relaxing and engaging. But it’s so much more therapeutic to do it with others. Many thanks.”
Anna (Shared with permission).

January 16, 2021

Mindful Art Club on PTown Radio

In this relaxed and fun radio interview Chi asks Emma,

What is Mindful Art Club?

Where in Plymouth does it happen?

And who exactly is it for?

Emma Sprawson talks to Chi Bennett on Show and Tell With Queen Chi, PTown Radio, (15/01/21) about Mindful Art Club(R), a unique support group, that tackles social isolation and mental health in Plymouth, Devon.

Skip to 11 minutes in to hear Emma read a poem that explains how to stop, breathe and walk slowly into the mystery.

Skip to 12:35 where Chi asks, what if I’ve got kids at home? Can I still join in with the online group?

January 11, 2021January 9, 2021

How to Make Zentangles

Zentangles® are a kind of meditative drawing; creating abstract, repetitive patterns, without worrying what the patterns look like. This process slows down the breathing, calms the mind, and helps you to focus on the present moment. It’s a therapeutic way of drawing that offers peace of mind, and is accessible to all.

The method was created in 2003 by an American couple called Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. You can find out more about them at www.zentangle.com The Zentangle teaching materials and tools are covered by copyright and “Zentangle” is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc.

You will need a piece of plain A4 paper and a black pen.
Draw six boxes to put your Zentangles into.
Inside the first box, draw a line to make a “string.” The string separates your square into sections, in which you draw your tangles. A string can be any shape.
Take your pen for a walk, and draw random patterns inside the shapes. Try shading different areas.
On an A4 page you might have six different boxes full of Zentangles.

There are eight steps in the original Zentangle method, which you can read about on their website.

What is a Zentangle and why would you draw one? Watch Emma explain here:

Watch Peggy draw Zentangles here:

https://www.facebook.com/MindfulArtClub/videos/660535961437055/

Join in with the Facebook Live session here:

https://www.facebook.com/MindfulArtClub/videos/196899558173904/

Skip to 25 minutes in to watch the part about Zentangles.

Alternatively, instead of drawing in squares, you could incorporate zentangle style patterns into your own drawing, as with the example above created by Cara H, a client at one of our weekly groups.

Now we’d love to hear from you. Have you tried drawing zentangles? How does it make you feel? Leave us a comment below.

January 2, 2021December 31, 2020

Tier 3: Changes in January

We hope you are safe, and that you have had a chance to relax over Christmas. Although Devon is now in Tier 3 we are planning to continue to provide mutual aid and support wherever we can. However, some of our venues will be unable to open, even though support groups of up to 15 people are permitted in Tier 3. Details of how this will affect our regular groups are below.

In the meantime we want to offer you some fun resources to kick off the New Year.

Listen to Emma on the radio. She talked about how our art club continued to bring people together in a safe way, during a year when we were asked to socially distance ourselves from one another. Skip to seven minutes in to try a quick mindful drawing exercise.

Watch: MAC Awards Ceremony 2020 The celebrations were restricted to a very small, outdoor dinner party, because of the coronavirus restrictions.

Try our new online group. We are looking forward to working with Devon Recovery Learning Community in 2021 to deliver a new six week course, on Zoom, on Thursday afternoons.

Learn: A quick video guide to using Zoom.

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

Read: How to Do Art Club When You Don’t Really Want to Go Out. Includes a mindfulness recording to listen to at home, and some YouTube videos of us making art for fun.

Changes for January 2021

Mondays The Sunflower Women’s Centre – All courses at The Sunflower Centre are currently postponed.
Tuesdays Our online group continues with new co-host Linda Langart! (£3.00)
Tuesdays: 7pm 8-Week Wellbeing Course The evening course is temporarily postponed. We will contact you with more details.
Thursdays Plympton group at The Brook Inn Postponed while we are in Tier 3.
Fridays The Sunflower Women’s Centre. Group cancelled.
Fridays Ocean Studios, Royal William Yard. Postponed while we are in Tier 3.

Full details about these groups are here: Mindful Art Community Groups When groups begin again booking is essential due to Covid-19 safety recommendations.

If you’re on Facebook you could also join our Mindful Art Club group to stay in touch with others who come to our sessions. It’s a place to chat, maintain connections, support one another, and share your art from the Zoom sessions.

We wish you all the best for the New Year, and look forward to seeing you again when it is safe to do so.

Peggy and Emma

PS. Catch up with a video replay of one of our online art groups any time you like, on Facebook.

December 27, 2020April 25, 2023

Mindful Colouring: Free Download

Are you stressed? Anxious? Depressed? This mindful therapeutic gift could be the start of a creative solution for you.

It’s amazing how the simple act of colouring can calm the mind down. I have designed a few mindful art colouring pages around the theme of “I am enough” using a little egg character that I created. His caption is, “I am an oeuf.” (Oeuf is French for egg.) The oeuf character makes me smile. Grab your free colouring pages by signing up to our mailing list, and then we’ll write to you monthly to let you know about our latest free and low-cost events in the Plymouth area, plus videos and mindfulness recordings. (Your details are safe with us, and you can unsubscribe at any time.)

Join Our Club and Get Free Downloads

December 17, 2020

Christmas Online Group

We are running a Christmas-themed art group on Zoom on 22nd December, but there will be no other groups for the rest of December. We are going to draw a Christmas carol, and we have to guess what carol each others pictures are! There’s no pressure to be good at drawing, it’s just a bit of fun. You can also bring your own mince pie and wear a Christmas jumper if you like. Book your place now.

Thank you so much to everyone who has been to one of our groups or retreats in this very strange year. We will be back in the New Year 2021 with an exciting new online course.

Make sure to take care of yourself this Christmas.

Best wishes from Peggy and Emma. xx

December 4, 2020

New in 2021: Free Online Course

Want to learn to practice relaxation exercises, and art for self-care?

We are looking forward to working with Devon Recovery Learning Community in 2021 to deliver a new six week course, on Zoom.

This recovery college is provided by Devon Partnership NHS Trust to support mental health and wellbeing. Their students are people with experience of mental health difficulties, their family and friends, and the professionals who support them.

Each session of our new course includes five minutes of guided mindfulness, five minutes of mindful drawing, a simple art project, and the opportunity to chat and relax.

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

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 e.g. drawing Zentangles or paisley, or making a greetings card.

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

This 6 week, online course starts on Thursday 14th January, then 21st and 28th January and 4th and 11th February.

Places are limited. Book early to avoid disappointment: Doodle Your Recovery Online.

December 1, 2020

We’re Back Next Week!

We hope you were OK during the November lockdown. As you may know, we stopped all of our in-person art groups and just offered a weekly Zoom session for coffee, creativity and company every Tuesday. This will be carrying on throughout December. (We no longer live-stream this online group to Facebook because of some technical issues, so from now on you need to book a place in advance to get the Zoom link.)

We’re excited that our new 8-week wellbeing course launches in Plympton on 8th December, and this has proved to be very popular, with only two places remaining. Book now to confirm your place!

Things to look forward to in December 2020 include:

Mondays 10.30am The Sunflower Women’s Centre (we’re back on the 7th).
Tuesdays 10.00am Our friendly Online Group (£3.00)
Tuesdays: 7.00pm 8-Week Wellbeing Course (Advance booking essential, starts on the 8th.)
Thursdays 10.00am Plympton drop-in group at The Brook Inn (£5.00) We’re back on 10th.
Fridays 10.30am The Sunflower Women’s Centre (we’re back on 11th).
Fridays 1.00pm Ocean Studios, Royal William Yard (we’re back on 11th).

Full details on how to attend these groups are here: Mindful Art Community Groups For most groups booking is essential due to Covid-19 safety recommendations.

All our groups are held with Covid-19 safety measures in place, but please check the ‘Groups’ page on our website before travelling, in case there are new government guidelines affecting our meetings.

If you don’t feel safe coming to a group at the moment we totally understand. Support groups are legally allowed to meet, and we have carried out a risk assessment on our work. But if you cannot join us in person we hope some of our YouTube videos might help you to feel less isolated. If you’re on Facebook you could also join our Mindful Art Club group to stay in touch with others who come to our sessions. It’s a place to chat, maintain connections, support one another, and share your art from the Zoom sessions. You may also like to join our mailing list to get the free mindful colouring bundle.

Looking forward to seeing you again.

Peggy and Emma

Author: Peggy Melmoth