I love you today - Day 16

I love you today because

You deserve a hug

When my son was younger and I used to ask him for a hug, his little arms would wrap themselves around me and he would squeeze, we called it a squeezy hug.  Hugs are something we could all do with every now and again.  Hugs are an essential part of our emotional development.

You deserve a hug - Mixed media

Show some love

Cross your arms in front of you and reach each hand as if you are trying to touch your fingers behind your back and hold for 30 seconds.

Share some love

Give the first person you see today a hug

To find out why 'I love you today' February Series click on the image below

I Love you today because......Day 15

I Love you today because....

Your not afraid to cry

We cry for a number of reasons, we are happy, sad, frustrated, unhappy, tired, relieved, unsure, lost, proud, thankful, grateful, and inspired.  There can be so many other reasons why we cry and your not afraid to share that emotion.

Your not afraid to cry - Pen and Ink and Promarker pens

Share some love

The next time you feel the to shed a tear, let it flow.  It is a strength and a natural release.

Show some love

Show some care to others today, be extra receptive to their emotional state.

To find out why 'I love you today' February Series click on the image below

I Love you today because....You have an Individual Style

I Love you today because.....

You have an Individual Style!

I have already told you  that you are unique, there is not another like you.  Has you delve deeper into what you really like and what in your life you will understand and listen to your true voice.  Don't compare yourself to anyone else, be yourself and celebrate your own individuality.

Show some love

That thing you want to try perhaps it's been weighing on your mind for a while, go ahead and try it with confidence - you never know how it will turn out.

Share some love

Become a mentor, sharing your experience with someone else and pass on the love!

In The News.....Art Exchange - Creative Reminiscence

Age Exchange - The Cente for Reminiscence Arts

For those of you who are keen to look at how you can use creative reminiscence in your work the course run by Age Exchange is a good one to do, facilitated by Linsay Royan we were given a great overview of the use of reminiscence within care environment and came away with lots of ideas and links to resources that could enhance any session, or as a carer ways in which you can engage the person you care for. 

It was surprising how effective the workshop was, and how many memories that can come flooding back when you see objects from your childhood - standard things that you either played with like the skipping rope which all generations can relate to and other items which pass down the generations. Funnily enough I still have a game called Jacks also known as (Knucklebones) from when I was younger, which you only seem to see now in memory boxes.

My Jacks from teenage years

I have also shared in my Material Mondays the crochet hooks that my mother used to use when I was a child and which I now use in my own projects.

Material Mondays - Crochet Hooks and Wool

Those who attended the course also got to pool resources and share ideas that they have found effective.  The Age Exchange venue is a great place to visit, founded in 1983 works with older people to improve their quality of life, which impacts on their health and well being.  They provide a range of opportunities that related to reminiscence using art projects, exhibitions and more.  They have an inter-generation program that has been doing a lot of work with schools, colleges and universities sharing their expertise in reminiscence, which is important for the younger generation to stay connected to older generation and see the wisdom, knowledge and understanding they have as valued members of society.

The 2 day course was well organised and informative and gave me a wealth of ideas to take forward with my own work as an artist and as a carer for my mother with dementia.  I do encourage you to check them out and see where memory lane takes you!  

Do let me know if you are working within Arts and Health, and perhaps you want to join my free Arts in Healthcare network which is updated with events, news and you could even highlight some of your own work