Beyond Words Exhibiton - London

A piece of Me still remains - Mixed Media Art - Amanda Trought

I have been invited to take part in the Exhibition called Beyond Words - The Healing Power of Art, running from the 4th June to 27th June, taking place at The Darnley Gallery, London.

It is great to be included in the exhibition.  My work for me has always been about unraveling and sharing stories, and I feel that there is always an element in a piece of art that can be related to.  

The Arts have been used to communicate and express experiences in our society past and present, it keeps our cultures, and traditions alive.  It can take many forms through craft disciplines such as quilting, pottery, weaving, music, dance, and so much more with the stories at the heart.  Our stories and skills are handed down the generations, and with each generation we can look back, learn and add our experience. 

When we recognized the value of the use of story telling and symbolism in our art we will also see how using it as a form of expression around our health and well-being is valuable.

There is nothing more fulfilling than learning a skill, being taught by an elder/master craftsman and creating from what you learnt, and sharing that piece of work you have created with your own hands.

I have been using art and creativity as a way to express different aspects of my life and perspective. I remember the stories heard from our elders as they gathered around the kitchen table, kids were seen and not heard and often the adults would forget were were lurking in the background until we piped up with a question, and they would order us out.  This too comes out in the creations.  

Learning to capture moments of our lives in art and creativity tells part of our life experience that you might not see if you spoke to me.  When I think of my experience as a carer I learnt to look at my role in a very ordered way and the work I have in this exhibition looks at how I learnt to compartmentalize every thing I did when I looked after my mum who is living with Dementia, and the feeling invisible around all the different roles that are taken on.

A Piece of Me still Remains - Amanda Trought Mixed Media Artist

The different images represent the different roles that I had to take on to make it work, and the numbers represent the passing of time.  I was never able to express that it was what I was doing, but as I created the painting it was what was coming out and found its way to the canvas.

A Piece of Me still Remains - Amanda Trought

I hope you will be able to make it to the exhibition, there is a wonderful range of art work on display.  The official opening night is on Friday 8th June 

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Arts in Health Network

Join the free Arts in Health Network, find out about events happening all around the world, share your Arts in Health Network projects.

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London Creativity and Wellbeing Week

If you want to take in some other events then check out the Creativity and Wellbeing Week, an initiative of the London Arts in Health Forum

For a full list of events happening both in and outside of London click HERE

There is a great variety of events that you can go along to.  Who knows it might inspire you to do something totally new and nurture your creative voice!

Stay blessed and be a blessing

UBC - Day 13 and 14 - Time to Talk - Tips for Carers

Welcome to the Ultimate Blog Challenge for today, hope your day is a blessed one!

In Sundays post I mentioned joining your local Carers group and the support and friendship that you will find if you get to know other carers.  The Carers groups have so much information, training and resources available that you will find something that will assist you in your role.

Compartments - example of how the different areas of life are managed in their neat little boxes

The thing that I wanted to focus on today was to look at resources available to allow you to talk about your role.  This is different from sitting in a group and sharing your experience, which is very helpful, but this is a one to one.

You would be surprised the amount of emotions that you go through that very often you don't have time to think about, but they are there in the background and come out in the way that you treat yourself, ie 'lack of self care' or how you respond to your caring role and what it involves.

Compartments holding hidden compartments beneath, as a way of managing the situation

As carers we can give ourselves a hard time because we feel that we should be able to cope, we don't want to ask for advice or help and we shoulder it all, locking our feelings away inside. There was nothing that prepared me for the role of caring for my mother.  One minute she was fine and I would visit on a Sunday, have dinner, chat for a while then go home and then the next I was having to leave my son at home while I stayed at my mums overnight, looking after her sometimes 3-4 nights a week.  I got stressed out, resentful, but locked my feelings inside.  I love my mum to bits but I wasn't coping and missing out on my son growing up.

Hidden faces of a carer - you see the face that is coping when beneath tells a different story

Accessing the Carers group put me in touch with a service called 'Time to Talk', which was 6 sessions with a therapist/counselor.  Whilst I was the sort of person that loved to talk the idea of sharing how I felt about my role as a carer was out of the question.  As the sessions went on I realised that talking about the situation and what I was finding difficult would actually help me get the necessary support to care for mum, which meant that I could spend the time with her, but also spend time with my son.

Hidden Faces - revealing a range of faces that are going through

I was able to articulate what I needed to help us as a family, address the guilt I felt, which was about things that I had no control over - it's not my fault that mum has dementia.  I could stop taking on the burdens of this world and spend quality time with those I cared for.  

We know that those who care take a large portion of the burden from the communities that they live and not every borough provides the same amount of support and assistance to help those who need care to stay in their own homes, and the communities that they live are fragmented, so that an elderly person can go for weeks at a time without speaking to another person.  

Selection of art produced in Art Therapy class

The other thing that might help you address some of your feelings is getting involved in Art Therapy groups and a number of them are running specifically for those who are carers. I was again able to take part in a series of 12 sessions that allowed me play with the art materials, spend time for myself, but also produced work that without having to articulate expressed how I felt, the work that you can see in this post enabled me to express visually how I felt, and how I wanted to feel.

Encouraging post cards to post to myself over a period of time as a reminder to make time for myself

For now recognise the importance of communication, talking about what the role that your talking on has impacted on your life.  Talk about the guilt, the fear, accept that you may not want to do the role that your doing, talking about those tough things will make how you relate to your role and help you move forward.  Also try and incorporate some creativity in your day to day, I will be creating a series of short tutorial videos to show you how you can get your creative juices flowing in coming weeks.   Also ask at your Carers Group if they run any Art Therapy sessions that you can join.

You can also click on the 'Celebrating life' image to be taken to the rest of the posts from the Journey of a Carer.

31 Tips for Carers

31 Tips for Carers

During the month of October I am taking part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge.  The overall title for my posts is 31 Tips for Carers.  It is a combination of things that I have done and found useful in my walk as a carer.  For ease, I thought that I would put all the posts that I had written together in one place.  If you want to get in touch with me about any of the tips do leave a message, share your experiences and any tips that you have found useful!

Reflections and Understanding

Celebrate Your Life - Day 31

Permission to Breath - Day 30

Long Term Plans - Day 29

Each Day is a Gift - Make it special - Day 28

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff - Day 27

Dealing with the Loss - Day 26

When Fear Strikes - Day 25

Support Network - Day 24

Guess who is coming to dinner - Day 23

Caring Faith - Day 22

Once a man, twice a child - Day 21

Being Practical - Day 20

Tell Your own story - Day 19

Time for a Book - Day 18

Taking a break - Day 17

Home Environment - Day 16

Eating Healthily - Day 15

Time to Talk - Day 13 & 14

Local Resources - Day 12

Fresh Air - Day 11

Release - Day 10

Day 9 - to come...

Day 8 - to come...

Encourage - Day 7

Family and Friends - Day 6

Independence - Day 5

Remember their Story - Day 4

Savor - Day 3

Organise - Day 2

Adapt - Day 1

Come back tomorrow for another tip!

If you want to read about some of my experiences as a carer as I look after my mum who has dementia, check out the image below and it will take you to the posts.

Gratitudes - Art Journals

Art Journals - my visual adventure.  I try out new techniques, play, gain understanding, support and encourage myself to be the creative person I feel I have been called to be.  I am grateful that my art journal doesn't judge or remind me of my areas of immaturity but encourages me to be my true self and enjoy the journey!  What are you grateful for today?

N is for News!

I wanted to share some great news and what better place to share it.

 

A while ago I submitted two pieces of art for selection in an exhibition about art therapy, and they have both been accepted.

Here is a sneak peek at a section of the two paintings.

The exhibition is called Art and Healing and explores how art psychotherapy and creativity can have a positive effect on health and well-being.  There are a range of artists, art therapists and their clients who have use art in a therapeutic way.

Dates for your Diary

19th April - 5 June 2013 - Exhibition in both venues - Street Gallery and London Art Therapy Centre

Thursday 18th April 2013 - Private view - Street Gallery - It would be great if you could come!
Venue: University College London Hospital, 235 Euston Road, NW1 2BU if you would like to come to the private view email arttherapy4all@mail.com to request an invitation.

Saturday 4th May - The Satellite venue will also be having a special event/workshop on Saturday 4th May to request an invitation email kim@arttherapy.com

 Blog Love

I am sharing some love with those who are also taking part in the challenge, it's not everyone whose blog starts with the letter N, but a few of them for you to start with....

Noveltea

Nothing but Truth

Nettiewriting

Not Just Another Mother Blogger

Nicole - The Madlab Post

Making time for Art

I have been busy in my studio space of 8 months, and doing a happy dance every time I remember how far I have come from the edge of my kitchen table.  With that aside I have neglected sharing some of the larger pieces art work I have done.  I have been working regularly in my Art journal, not really doing much writing in the journal which I leave to my 'morning pages', but using the journal to explore techniques and smaller pieces of work.

I am also working on submitting work for an exhibition entitled: Art and Healing The deadline for sending in your applications is 15th February, so you will need to get a move on!  I have been wanting more and more for my work to tell a story and be encouraging, whether it has the words of encouragement weaved within the paint layers or open to interpretation by the viewer.  The work I'm working on for submission combines some of the writing that I share about my role as a carer last year.

Here are snippets of some of my most recent pieces to see the full image check out my mixed media art site

Getting your wings

In thought

Working through the midst

Home from home

I hope you are able to spend time being creative this weekend!  Blessings

Creative Interventions

I recently took part in some Art Therapy sessions for carers and found it really great to work with art materials in a space and time that was just for me.  It has been a regular feature in my work as a mixed media artist and I would recommend that you give it a try.  In this video I talk about the benefits of taking part in the sessions alongside what I learned about myself and how through creativity I deal with aspects of being a carer.