Welcome to Week 14 of Mindful Arts and Creative Expression, a reflective space where you can connect with yourself and express your feelings in a creative way.

Each week we will offer a theme or creative suggestion and will talk you through ways to feel centred and connected. We will be including a variety of art forms, for example drawing, painting, sculpture, poetry and rhythm/music. 

Remember, you do not need to have any previous experience or having taken part in any of the previous weekly activities so… turn on your audio, watch your video and start to mindfully create!

When you have finished, we invite you to share your responses as seeing others’ interpretations can create a sense of togetherness in these changing times. If you choose to do so, you can share your creative reflections with others on our INSTAGRAM @MindfulArtsCreativeExpression. Guidance on how to upload can be found HERE.

Enjoy the experience and we look forward to seeing the mindful creative outputs shared in our INSTAGRAM gallery!

We have really valued facilitating a space each week to pause for reflection and creative expression.   Much has changed over the last few months and as lockdown has eased and we are moving into summer, we felt it was time to stop for now.  Even though we won’t be providing weekly prompts for a while, if you would like to continue to share your own inspirations with us via Instagram, we would love to see them.  Thank you so much for all the amazing feedback we have received and for all the creative reflections you have shared with us, both on Instagram and elsewhere.  It has been such a pleasure and an honour to be with you during this time.  Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, please know you are and remain held in mind.

Be well and stay safe,

Jude & Erminia

If you are unable to access the audio, here is a brief summary:

Week 14-Light and Shadow

• We have really valued facilitating a space each week to pause for reflection and creative expression.  Much has changed over the last few months and as lockdown has eased and we are moving into summer, we felt it was time to stop for now. 
• As this will be our last week for now, we thought it might be helpful to spend the time reflecting and considering the concept of light and shadows, to reflect the changing landscape of our emotions.
• Think about the concept of light and shadows and reflect on your feelings in relation to the last few months and how you feel right now. 
• Check in with yourself and notice which emotions surface and if any shapes or colours come to mind, any tones or any words or phrases, or if an image starts to form. 
• Allow yourself time to feel how and what you feel in the here and now and using any materials you have to hand, create whatever you are drawn to. 
• Remember that it does not have to be finished for you to share it with others, all creative expression is equally valued.
• If you would like to share your creative response with others, please share a picture of it on our Instagram gallery. Guidance on how to upload can be found HERE.
• If you use photography, please remember to avoid pictures of identifiable people or places.

Welcome to Week 13 of Mindful Arts and Creative Expression, a reflective space where you can connect with yourself and express your feelings in a creative way.

Each week we will offer a theme or creative suggestion and will talk you through ways to feel centred and connected. We will be including a variety of art forms, for example drawing, painting, sculpture, poetry and rhythm/music. 

Remember, you do not need to have any previous experience or having taken part in any of the previous weekly activities so… turn on your audio, watch your video and start to mindfully create!

When you have finished, we invite you to share your responses as seeing others’ interpretations can create a sense of togetherness in these changing times. If you choose to do so, you can share your creative reflections with others on our INSTAGRAM @MindfulArtsCreativeExpression. Guidance on how to upload can be found HERE.

Enjoy the experience and we look forward to seeing the mindful creative outputs shared in our INSTAGRAM gallery!

See you next week, at the same time at the same place! To make this a reliable weekly routine and receive a reminder with a link to next session, please join the mailing list/follow this blog.

Be well and stay safe,

Jude & Erminia

If you are unable to access the audio, here is a brief summary:

Week 13-Our World

• Welcome back.  With so much change taking place and more people meeting and socialising outside, this week we invite you to think about how you feel about these changes, the impact on yourselves and on the world.
• Take some time to reflect on how you feel in the here and now and on what you have seen and experienced as the world is starting to open up again. 
• Notice how this makes you feel and which emotions it brings up. 
• Allow yourself time for your thoughts and feelings to settle and notice whether any colours come to mind, any words, whether an image starts to form. 
• You may like to experiment with collage and use a combination of natural, human made and found objects.  Notice which materials you are drawn to, depending on what you have available and give yourself time and space to see what emerges. 
• If it is helpful, set yourself a time limit, if not take the time and space you need to express yourself until you feel ready to stop.
• Remember that it does not have to be finished for you to share it with others, all creative expression is equally valued.
• If you would like to share your creative response with others, please share a picture of it on our Instagram gallery. Guidance on how to upload can be found HERE.
• If you use photography, please remember to avoid pictures of identifiable people or places.

Welcome to Week 12 of Mindful Arts and Creative Expression, a reflective space where you can connect with yourself and express your feelings in a creative way.

Each week we will offer a theme or creative suggestion and will talk you through ways to feel centred and connected. We will be including a variety of art forms, for example drawing, painting, sculpture, poetry and rhythm/music. 

Remember, you do not need to have any previous experience or having taken part in any of the previous weekly activities so… turn on your audio, watch your video and start to mindfully create!

When you have finished, we invite you to share your responses as seeing others’ interpretations can create a sense of togetherness in these changing times. If you choose to do so, you can share your creative reflections with others on our INSTAGRAM @MindfulArtsCreativeExpression. Guidance on how to upload can be found HERE.

Enjoy the experience and we look forward to seeing the mindful creative outputs shared in our INSTAGRAM gallery!

See you next week, at the same time at the same place! To make this a reliable weekly routine and receive a reminder with a link to next session, please join the mailing list/follow this blog.

Be well and stay safe,

Jude & Erminia

If you are unable to access the audio, here is a brief summary:

Week 12-Poetry Prompt

• This week we are going to try another poetry prompt, which you can approach in two different ways:

1. choose an object that you feel drawn to, maybe something that represents your time during lockdown, or something you have been using to keep yourself grounded or connected, or something that you have kept as a talisman.

• Look at it closely and see what comes up for you in the here and now.
• Notice what feelings it evokes and write down any words that come to mind.
• This is your starting point for a poem.
• You can also use this prompt as a starting point for an image.

2. Your second option is to choose a poem or some song lyrics that resonate with you.

• Choose a line that particularly stands out and in the same way, use this as a starting point for a poem and/or an image.

• Try to stay in the moment, connecting with yourself in the here and now
• Give yourself space to reflect on words, images, shapes and colours that you are drawn to.

• If it is helpful, set yourself a time limit, if not take the time and space you need to express yourself until you feel ready to stop.

• • Remember that it does not have to be finished for you to share it with others, all creative expression is equally valued.
• if you would like to share your creative reflections with others, please share a picture and/or your words on our Instagram gallery. Guidance on how to upload can be found HERE.
• If you use photography, please remember to avoid pictures of identifiable people or places.

Welcome to Week 11 of Mindful Arts and Creative Expression, a reflective space where you can connect with yourself and express your feelings in a creative way.

Each week we will offer a theme or creative suggestion and will talk you through ways to feel centred and connected. We will be including a variety of art forms, for example drawing, painting, sculpture, poetry and rhythm/music. 

THIS WEEK WE HAVE THE PLEASURE TO HOST AN ACTIVITY BY  SHARON MEHTA! Sharon has been a picture framer for more than 20 years and her connections with education and young people have shown her how precious and important free spirited creativity is. Over the past few years, she has been exploring the wonder of nature through the camera lens: “Wow, there is so much to see and so much to discover”. You can find out more about her work on Take a walk in Ham lands and bird song.

Remember, you do not need to have any previous experience or having taken part in any of the previous weekly activities so… turn on your audio, watch your video and start to mindfully create!

When you have finished, we invite you to share your responses as seeing others’ interpretations can create a sense of togetherness in these changing times. If you choose to do so, you can share your creative reflections with others on our INSTAGRAM @MindfulArtsCreativeExpression. Guidance on how to upload can be found HERE.

Enjoy the experience and we look forward to seeing the mindful creative outputs shared in our INSTAGRAM gallery!

See you next week, at the same time at the same place! To make this a reliable weekly routine and receive a reminder with a link to next session, please join the mailing list/follow this blog.

Be well and stay safe,

Jude & Erminia

If you are unable to access the audio, here is a brief summary:

Week 11-The wonder of the natural world

• With a human world that is full of uncertainty, give yourself permission for a little while to let go of the emotions those uncertainties may  bring and use your senses to discover a little more of the view out of your window, or the colours in your garden, or what is occurring in green spaces close to you.
• Spend a little time just feeling your feet connected to the ground, breath in to a count to 4, hold your breath to a count of 5, and then breath out to a count of  6.
• Be in the space you want to explore. If you are outside, listen to the sounds, could be bird song, could be a buzzing bee, could be the sound of footsteps passing by.  If it has been raining you may be able to smell the scent of moist soil.
• The sky is every changing, the clouds, the sunshine, the moonshine and the changing direction, intensity and hue of the light from dawn to dusk and right through the night. Spend time watching the sky. There are so many shades of white, so many shades of blue, so many shades of grey and so many shades of dark.  You may see faces or creatures or objects in the patterns of the clouds, but only for a short time will they be there and then transform into something else. Remember not to look directly into the sun though.
• Take time to look at how the colours and the light from the sky changes the colours of the space around you. The shades of green in the leaves may change, the vibrance of colour in flowers may change you may see reflection, you and may see shadows.  You can discover the changes in a space enjoy on different days and different times of day.
• Enjoy the sky and if you feel like sharing your creative reflections with others, please share a picture and/or your words on our Instagram gallery. Guidance on how to upload can be found HERE.