I have long had a love, hate relationship with this time of year. You may remember this from my post last year right around this time about how to manage holiday stress. I love that this time of year often brings families together, sometimes travelling long distances to do so. I love that it brings local communities together to celebrate the holidays. What I truly love most is that I make a point of taking time off at this time of year to be with my family, particularly my wife and kids. What is even better is that they also have time off at this point in the year and we can be together. I often work fairly long hours, and between my schedule and my wife’s schedule, and the kids’ activities, it’s a challenge to get time each day to be a family. This is what I look forward to this time of year, with great anticipation. This is what brings me great joy at this time of year – being with my family.
What I haven’t put into words before, however, is my difficulty with taking time off over the holidays. With the type of work that I do, I know full well how many individuals, couples and families struggle this time of year. I also know that tragedy does not wait for holidays to pass because it’s not “a good time.” The past month seems to have had more than its’ fair share of tragedy. I’ve seen this personally, professionally, and in the news in our community. Friends have lost loved ones, family members are dealing with illnesses, clients are struggling. Although the common belief that suicide rates are higher over Christmas is not true, what is true is that for all of the joy of Christmas, there is a lot of pain and suffering to go along with it.
What do we do about the juxtaposition of joy and pain over the holidays? I believe that a lot of it comes down to perspective and what we choose to focus on. Even more, what it comes down to is acceptance. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy has a concept called radical acceptance, which is a very simple, yet very difficult concept to put into practice. What it means is that we have to be willing to accept that thing happen in life that we do not like. It does not mean that we have to agree with these things, like these things, or are even okay with these things being the way they are. What it does mean is that we have to accept that these things are indeed present in our lives, and it is what it is. What other choice to we have? If we fight against it, we will most likely become anxious, depressed, and stressed out.
I’ve been reflecting on what I need to accept this year in order to be able to leave the office for a week of holidays, enjoy Christmas with my family, and most importantly, be present when I am with them. Here are my three things and I hope they may be helpful in some way to you as well.
Accept that in order to take care of others, I need to take care of myself.
This time of year is difficult for many, and I often feel pulled to remain at the office this time of year. The reality is that with my clinical practice and the growth of Alongside You, there really is no good time to take a break. There will always be things to do, clients to see, and I will always be conflicted about taking time off. The truth of the matter is, we all need a break and I definitely need one at this point in the year. I often use the analogy of the oxygen mask in an airplane with my clients – they tell you to put your mask on first because if you don’t and you pass out, you won’t be able to help others. I need to take some of my own medicine on this one.
Accept that this time of year will always be a mixture of joy and sorrow, and possibly some stress.
I know that I will experience much joy over the next few weeks as I spend time with my family. I know that as I leave the office tonight and go to my kids’ school Christmas concert I will be filled with pride, overwhelmed by my love for my children, and enjoy every minute of it; in fact, I’m tearing up just as I write this. I know that my kids will look out into the crowd to find me, because it means so much to them that I am there, and am present.
I also know that no matter how carefully we plan, how much we try not to do too much, there will always, always be things that mess up the calm. Part of the amazing thing about Christmas is how many awesome things are going on. I also know that I get overwhelmed by all of these awesome things if I am not careful. I know that I need to take time for myself, keep myself balanced, and yes, practice some of the mindfulness skills that I teach my clients and hound them about.
Finally, I am all too aware that many of my clients, my friends, and my family will be struggling through this season. The pain of the loss of loved ones, lost jobs, ill health, and so many other things does not take a break because of Christmas. I know that they will need comfort, support, and love and while I will do my best to be these things for as many as I can, I have to trust that others in their lives will do the same.
Accept that I must focus on the joy to endure the sorrow.
Our brains are well trained to focus on the negative, and my brain is no different. It takes very little effort to notice, and remember the negative. It takes much more effort to do the same for the positive. This is not about denial, it is about intentionality. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy describes this as a validation of our situation – that is, being able to find the silver lining in any situation while not denying that the cloud we are surrounded by is indeed black. I am fortunate – this year, I feel very positive about life and the upcoming holidays. This has not always been the case, and I can identify with many who might be wondering how to find the silver lining in a black cloud.
I am challenging myself, and I welcome you to join me in this, to be intentional about looking for the joy this Christmas. We don’t have to deny the pain or sorrow, but we can choose to focus on the positive. The truth is that no matter how black we may feel the cloud is, there is always something positive to be found – the elusive silver lining. If we can’t find joy this season, we may not be looking hard enough.
From all of us at Alongside You, we wish you a wonderful Christmas and rest of the holiday season. We are grateful to be a part of your lives and are privileged to work with you through the joys, and the sorrows. May your lives be filled with joy as we finish 2016 and we look forward to 2017.
Your heart’s pounding, you can’t breathe, it’s hard to think and you feel an uncontrollable urge to escape or run away. Other symptoms could include; your stomach in knots, tension throughout your whole body and feelings that are overwhelming. Are you finding it difficult to cope with everyday situations or uncertainties of the future? Is it hard for you to control your body’s reactions when faced with these situations? These emotions are often identified as fear, anxiety, or stress.
Every person on the planet can relate to feeling anxious or stressed at some point in their lives. However, there are people who experience anxiety every day. Does this sound like you? If it does, don’t stress– there’s nothing wrong with you. Stress is your brain’s normal way of responding to impending danger or threats. Whether it is a general fear of the uncertainty of the future or specific fears such as embarrassing yourself in public, the fear you feel is actually your body’s way of protecting you. All people experience similar types of emotions when they are under threat or danger.
But what can you do about it? Sometimes, it’s hard for people (who’ve never felt such crippling anxiety) to understand what you’re going through. Your friends and loved ones might be telling you to simply relax or avoid the fearful emotions you’re experiencing. While they may have good intentions at heart, their advice doesn’t help and can further aggravate your mood.
What Causes Anxiety?
People get afraid of anxious sensations in their body (like your heart beating faster). They are also often afraid of the future. Think about waiting for those test results or waiting for the employer to get back to you after a job interview. How did you feel? It’s often thoughts about uncertainty and the future that drive our anxiety.
Acknowledging your anxiety and understanding what it is about the situation that causes you to feel anxious may help. Sometimes your brain senses danger even when other people around you don’t seem to feel the same way you do. And that’s okay. Not everyone processes external stimuli the same way. One person may feel like they’re in danger while another person standing next to them may feel perfectly fine. Knowing that everyone’s different can help you cope with your anxiety. The thing is sometimes our brains do things unconsciously. And sometimes this stuff may be based on past experiences that told us something was dangerous. Our brains’ uncanny ability to function unconsciously can be helpful in some circumstances. Take breathing for example: if you had to concentrate on that, you would never get anything else done! It’s the same when it comes to danger. Brains can unconsciously sense danger. Experiences that seemed to be dangerous in the past stick with us and our brains will tend to keep alerting us when faced with similar situations.
If our brain spots danger, it automatically equips our body to deal with the threat. It does this by releasing hormones into our system. These hormones increase our heart rate, our breathing gets faster and more shallow, and we sweat more. This is what anxiety feels like. Once we get away from the threat or danger, the feeling decreases. But we also lose the chance to find out if what our brain recognized as dangerous was truly dangerous. I often hear people say, “But it just happens to me, no particular situation causes it.” This is a common thought. But here is the thing: remember our brains look out for danger and send signals of anxiety subconsciously. However, if there are truly no outside triggers for the anxiety, we should look inside us.
How Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Can Help
Okay, so you’ve learned about the causes of anxiety and made sense of what causes these unwanted feelings. Now what? One form of therapy known as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has been known to help reduce anxiety.
CBT shows us that humans need to learn through doing. Humans that are anxious about a threat when no threat exists may benefit from learning why everyone else isn’t scared when they are. What CBT has demonstrated is that if humans can stay with the feeling of anxiousness for long enough and the thing that they fear does not occur, then their brains learn something new. What the brain learns is that the thing it thought was dangerous actually wasn’t. We have probably all experienced something like it. Feeling anxious about learning to drive, going to a new job, meeting a first date. We all know the anxious anticipation coupled with the thoughts, “Will I crash, make a fool of myself, get dumped?” And for anyone who has managed to stay in the moment, they probably noticed their anxiety reduced. If they experience the same situation often enough, they might notice their anxiety reduces over time as more time passes. The brain is good at learning through many different ways such as visually, orally, aurally, or physically. But when it comes to conquering fear, the best way is to experience it physically.
“Where does that leave me”? I hear you say. I don’t want to feel this way and you are telling me the only way to conquer this feeling is to face it. Well, the saying, “The only way to conquer your fears is to face it” carries some truth. People who go into situations they fear and stay there for long enough, start to notice that their fears do not materialise. This can be a very empowering and esteem building experience. Of course, it’s also a difficult thing to do. More difficult for some and easier for others. Some people might need help while others might be able to deal with it alone. You’re not alone if you feel like you can’t handle it on your own.
Additional Resources for Anxiety Relief
Here are some places you can get some help on your own if you’d like to try:
These self-help booklets have some helpful advice for different problems. The booklets also have references for more detailed self-help books.
Go to your family doctor and ask him/her about Bounceback a CBT program that is free of charge.
Take a look at a series of books entitled Overcoming. For example: Overcoming Panic Attacks. These evidence-based self-help books are available at Amazon usually for less than $20.
Alternately, if you’d like some help figuring this anxiety thing out – we’re here to help. I specialize in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. I’d love to do what I can to help you beat this brain frenzy we call anxiety. We also have other counsellors at Alongside You. As well, we offer alternative methods for coping through yoga and creative arts that are a great help to people. Even if you just want to chat about taking the first step, give us a call. It’s what we’re here for.
I don’t know about you, but the phrase, “back to school,” is starting to sound synonymous with “My kids are nuts and I’m going to lose my mind.” Alright, that may have been a bit dramatic, but the return to school this year is really starting to feel chaotic. From what I’m hearing from clients, friends, and family members, I’m not alone in feeling this way. Whether it’s trying to calm the excited screams of our children without getting a migraine, or prying our anxious kids off the bedpost when they refuse to leave in the morning. Sound familiar? It’s not easy, trying to juggle school schedules, sports activities, and work. In today’s post, we talk about why transitioning into a back to school routine is so tough (for both parents and kids!) and provide some tips and tricks that can help you cope with it better.
What makes back to school so tough?
Times of transitions for individuals, and particularly families, can be difficult to navigate. While it may be but a long lost memory for you at this point, my suspicion is that the transition from school to summer holidays may have been a bit of a challenge too. The kids go from being occupied 6 hours a day outside of the home to being unoccupied at home which can make them bored, lethargic, and sometimes cranky. However, soon that pent up energy gets put to good use whether that’s in the form of summer camps, baking cookies with grandma, or having friends over for play dates. Time passes by quickly and before you know it, getting your kids back to the school routine becomes the new challenge.
Transitions are dreaded by people mostly due to the feeling of anxiety that often occurs during periods of uncertainty. Anxiety builds in times of transition because we’re thrown off of our rhythm. Just when we finally have a summertime routine set in place, things change and we’re back to a school schedule. Instead of the laid back summer days, we now have a jam-packed schedule of classes and other extracurricular activities. Our kids often get anxious at the return to school as they now have to adjust to new teachers, a new classroom, and reconnecting with friends who they may not have seen for 3 months. An increased workload, daily homework, and high academic expectations may send those stress levels soaring.
It also doesn’t help that school-related anxieties are met with the stresses of life at home. Parents have to juggle work with making lunches, managing sibling quarrels, childcare issues, and getting the kids to and from school and other events. Some parents get pre-empty nest syndrome where the home feels like an empty house. Their major stress comes from their kids getting older and spending more time at school. Both situations make the back-to-school transition tough for parents.
How do we stay sane and cope with the transition?
Here are a few quick tips to manage this year’s transition. This tricks will help you and your kids come out the other side with most of your marbles intact.
Get to know your kids’ teachers – sooner rather than later. They are an invaluable resource in keeping tabs on your kid’s mental and physical health, as well as their progress at school. If your kid has difficulties in school, make sure there’s a learning plan in place that is supported both at school and at home. If your kid needs extra support, schools often have Education Assistants or blocks of time for students to get extra help. It may also be wise to invest in the services of a tutor, which will give your kid some extra help, and also allow you to attend to other important things on your plate. Kids also tend to respond better to tutoring that isn’t at the hands of a parent.
Keep tabs on what’s happening in the lives of your family members. It makes planning much easier and keeps everyone organized. My wife and I battle over how best to do this (I’m a geek, so I’m all about electronic calendars and schedules. She’s a paper pusher and loves physical calendars). So, since it’s my article, here are a few good electronic options:iCal/Outlook: Built into your operating system (OS X or Windows respectively) these calendars are flexible and networked so you can see activities/appointments/etc as they change in real time.
For what it’s worth, we use iCal at our house.Cozi: One of the most popular electronic calendars, built specifically for families and has many nice features such as calendar integration with your desktop computer calendar, as well as its own separate app. It also allows everyone in the family to add to shopping lists, to-do lists, meal planning, and even journaling functions.
Google Calendar: If you’re wrapped up in the Google ecosphere with your emails, their calendar functionality is very good. Very similar to iCal/Outlook, but quite frankly, it’s probably better. If you use Gmail, it’s well worth looking into.
If you insist on using paper, I’d suggest getting one of those large monthly calendars from somewhere like Staples that rests on a desk, and pin it to the wall and have everyone add all of their activities onto it so it’s visible, and acts as a compass for the family, and particularly the kids.
Whether you choose electronic calendars or paper calendars, kids respond best to structure, Instead of tugging them from one activity to the next, a timeline helps kids react better to change if they know what to expect.
Make your life easier by cooking in bulk, and freezing leftovers in containers to be taken for lunches. One of the best habits to get into is doing some bulk cooking on weekends and freezing meals or making extra of whatever you are eating and freezing the leftovers. Kids often have activities on weekends, or maybe you’re at church all Sunday morning, or maybe you actually work weekends so weekends may not work for you. Whatever your schedule, I highly recommend identifying chunks of time in your week where you can meal prep ahead of time and freeze meals. It will make your life easier, I guarantee it. Once you have identified the time to do this, put it on your calendar and stick to it.
Set aside time daily to connect with your family. It is a difficult task given how overscheduled we all seem to be in life, but it is incredibly important. As parents, we need to connect with each other to know where we’re at, support each other, and discuss any concerns. We also need to connect with our kids so they have the opportunity to tell us how they’re doing, and also, just have some good old-fashioned fun as a family.Now, I know how busy life gets during the week, and sometimes even sitting down to a meal together seems like a monumental task (or even impossible). We certainly know this in our family and have the same challenges!
So, here’s a quick 5- minute exercise you can do each day as a family to connect each day. It’s very straightforward – each person takes a turn telling everyone one good thing, one bad thing, and one funny thing that happened that day. This ensures that even at a basic level, everyone is connecting on a daily basis. This also gives parents a chance to talk about challenges of the day, which reinforces to kids that it’s ok to talk about difficult things in the day and that other person will listen and care. Finally, it encourages everyone to laugh together – this is perhaps the most important part!
Make sure you and the rest of your family have down time. It is so easy in our day and age to overschedule ourselves and think that we have to do everything that is presented to us as an opportunity, or that our kids have to do every school activity, sport, extra class, etc. Nobody can do it all, and further, we are not designed to work or study all day every day. As important as work and school are, the fundamental thing we all need in life to be happy, healthy, and successful is a balance. In order to be balanced in life, we need to offset work and school with social connection, play, reading, drawing, exercise, and other fun activities. We all need to be refreshed, or our well will run dry.
Seek balance, enjoy life. Even during “back to school.”
I hope that this short article encourages you – you are not alone in the mayhem that is “back to school!” This is an exciting, yet challenging time of year for us all – lots of possibilities and opportunities, while full of challenges and chaos. I hope these five strategies will help you as you muddle through this transition period and allow you and your family to strike a balance. Balance is possible, but sometimes it means making hard choices and may even mean not doing some of the things we feel we must, or even just really want to do. If you can make some of these hard choices, your family relationships and your physical and mental health will thank you. When in doubt, choose balance.
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If you’d like some help finding a balance for you or your family, we’d love to help. Please give us a call at 604-283-7827, send us an email through our website, or book an appointment online and one of our counsellors would love to help you out!
We know that viewing art can affect us in positive ways, open us up to new experiences and enhance our quality of life. But did you know that trying to paint a masterpiece is better than just looking at one? In this post, we’ll take a look at the many brain benefits of creative arts and how to make use of the various art forms to help your brain stay sharp!
Every time you participate in a complex activity such as participating in creative art-making, your brain creates new connections as different parts of the brain communicate with each other. With the development of new neural pathways, researchers have found that people who create art show remarkable improvements in:
cognitive function and problem solving abilities
stress-relief and emotional well-being
the development of personal expression and self-awareness
psychological resilience and capacity to recall information and memory processing
The benefits for those who create art are significantly higher when compared with those who simply study art appreciation. The take home message here is: creating art has a positive impact on the brain.
Why is it important to maintain a healthy brain?
Chronic illness, diseases and conditions are on the rise More and more people are living with chronic illnesses and diseases and are facing longer recovery times and hospital stays. Art-making is an effective preventative tool in managing chronic disease, and physical and mental health stresses (depression, anxiety, chronic pain), and is becoming an essential and vital component to our health care system.
Baby boomers are aging in Canada and dementia and other cognitive/memory health issues are on the rise Creative outlets such as dance, drama, singing, painting, and writing have profound social, medical, physical and emotional effects on those who participate, especially in older adults. Studies show that those affected by Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other degenerative diseases flourish when participating in creative activities. Expressive and creative arts promote healthy living and enhance brain function as we get older. See this graphic on the implication of Dementia in Canadian society and the significant role of creative arts is now taking in wake of this medical crisis.
The brain can be shaped and re-shaped and adapt – participating in art allows the brain’s two hemispheres to work together at the same time!
How can you experience the brain benefits of creative arts right now?
“Drawing is an amazing process that requires precise orchestration of multiple brain mechanisms.”
–Dr. Lora Likova
Go back to basics: pick up a pencil and draw! Yes, adult colouring is seriously in style, but did you know that doodling and drawing, as well as coming up with your own ideas of what to draw (instead of just colouring in the lines), uses all five regions of the brain? Drawing involves spatial orientation, visual processing, memory, precise motor planning and motor control as well as movement and other diverse cognitive functions. See Dr. Lora Likova’s research for an in depth look on the affects of drawing on the brain here.
You can also pick up one of these top doodle/journal books to get you started:
The Happy Book by Rachel Kempster and Meg Leder offers creative prompts, places to make lists, fill in the blanks, drawing, and activities and wacky ideas focusing on what makes you glad and happy.
Take a Line for a Walk by Robin Linda has gathered some of the best drawing prompts from artists, architects, and illustrators in this spiral-bound book awaiting your creativity!
Try drawing with both hands at the same time! This gets both the left and right side of the brain working at the same time! Simply start with one piece of paper and two pens and create designs that are mirror images from each other. For further directions, click here to see the a video of how to do it!
Express your creativity with music! If you play an instrument, be intentional this week and set aside some time to play some tunes. Music is good for your noggin! Want to learn more about this? Check out this article on music and its benefits for the brain.
Listen to music while doing something creative! If you don’t play an instrument, do the next best thing and groove to some music while doing something creative. The combination of motor skills and cognitive functions is what activates our brain muscles! Try knitting, needle work, crochet, animation or Manga, car kits, boat or airplane kits to put together or even Lego! Drawing to music….now that’s mind-blowing!
Brain Benefits of Creative Arts: In The Studio
Hopefully by now we’ve convinced you of the brain benefits of creative arts. We have plenty of things in our art studio that will spark your imagination and flex your brain muscles and really get those creative juices flowing!
Drawing tools and sketching objects We have a wide range of pencils, pens, charcoal, chalk, and other drawing tools as well as objects to sketch. We have a changing selection of still life objects for you to use based on your own interests. The selections range from large branches, shells and textured feathers, to miniature replicas of cars, embroidered lace, stones, and playful figures such as ceramic birds. We always have a mirror on hand for those self-portraits!
Origami and Paper Cutting Crafts Origami and paper cutting crafts are great ways to participate in a creative activity and engage the brain. They develops fine motor skills, activate the right and left hemispheres of the brain, allow for imagination and require attention, patience, and the use of memory. Most of all, they help you develop pride and satisfaction in your work! If you’re interested in origami, we have an assortment of origami kits, books on origami and a beautiful selection of origami paper for you to choose from. We also have several types of paper and books on paper cutting and projects ready to go at any skill level!
Creative Cues We several prompts that we call “creative cues,” that act as starting points to get your creative juices flowing! “Creative Cues – Images” are a collection of images and quotes that help to inspire and facilitate the beginning of the creative process and allow you to narrow down your focus. “Draw Straws” are straws that have instructions at the bottom of each end. You simply choose a straw and draw whatever it indicates. Examples of this are: “Draw something that starts with the letter M;” “Create an image only using circles;” “Re-create a scene from your most recent dream,”and many more!
You can see examples of what we have in the studio in the images above, as well as the image below. We look forward to seeing you in the studio!
Producing art gives our brain a workout and creates optimal brain health! When we participate in doing something creative, we help our brains and ourselves become happier and healthier!
Create and Connect: The Social Health Benefits of Creativity!
Creative activity has a long history of being done in community with other people!
Artistic traditions around the world have master-artist-apprentice relationships, craftsman guilds, groups of artists and societies who work side by side swapping creative ideas, techniques, tools of the trade, and most notably social engagement and comradery. Just like Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh (along with Paul Cézanne, and Emily Bernard), Canada’s own Group of Seven, or even our own local Artists in the Village Society and South Delta Artists Guild, artists get together to discuss their opinions and share their art. The social health benefits of creativity are not a new concept, people have been experiencing it for years!
Doing something creative with others is not simply something we do for fun, it’s good for us too!
Those that create in the presence of others are:
More likely to have wider social networks
More likely to have a sense of purpose and belonging in a group
More likely to have a reduced sense of social isolation and marginalization
This is just the beginning of the social benefits of creativity! Let’s look at one of the groups that makes up a large part of South Delta, and is near and dear to our hearts: seniors.
The Importance of Creative arts for at Risk Populations: Seniors
Seniors have been classified as a high risk population for social isolation. Initiatives such as The Arts and Health Project: Healthy Aging Through The Arts recognize the role creative arts play in the health of seniors. Vancouver Coastal Health, the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation along with other associations and local communities, collaborated on this project to encourage and develop creative arts programs for seniors to benefit their overall sense of wellbeing and belonging. Below is a link to a video giving you a taste of what the project is all about!
Specifically for seniors, doing something creative enhances quality of life and provide the following benefits:
Less need for medications
Fewer visits to the doctor
Reduction in loneliness
Increase in daily activities
Better physical health
Better morale
Wider social network to draw from in times of need
The social health benefits of creativity are wide and far reaching, especially for seniors! See this great graphic on Creative Aging by Arts and Health Network Canada that explains this these points further. Not a senior? There’s great benefits for you too, read on!
Here are a few things that you can do right now to experience the social health benefits of creativity!
Join a club, guild, society, or group based on your own creative interests (creative writing club, pottery guild, book club, artist’s group). It’s likely you’ll meet a wide range of people who have a passion for the same things you do and who can also teach you something new! Try social sites like Facebook or MeetUp to find a group based on your own creative interests and geographical area.
If you’re not quite at the face-to-face meet and greet stage, join an online/virtual community based around your particular creative interest (a photography board, a scrapbooking site). This allows you to post pictures of your creations, get feedback, search for ideas on your next project, and ask questions about particular techniques. As long as you are contributing and participating in this virtual community the social health benefits are there.
Incorporate creative play into your social life! Switch it up and skip the movies! What about playing some board games with your family and friends for some laugh-out loud-fun? Pictionary, Teletrations, and Cranium are great games that use words to spur on drawing or sculpting actions. Here is a list of a few other games that use storytelling and words that will really get your creative juices flowing and have your group howling with laughter!
Our Open Studio Sessions Promote Social Interaction
Social interaction is the foundation for the social health benefits of creativity. If you are not already aware, our Open Studio Sessions are quite different than your typical art class and here’s how:
Our Open Studio Sessions are for all ages
So many artistic programs are segregated based on age, which makes it hard for many do to art together. Our program is open to anyone of any age!
This means that families who have children with different age-ranges can make art together, grandparents can make art alongside their grandchildren, and even friends or spouses can come for a night out or bring their parents for a special time together.
We are all about creating an environment where creativity is being shared cross-generationally.
We have a special rates for kids under 13, families, and seniors!
Our Open Studio Sessions are open to anyone and inclusive of all abilities
We encourage people who have different physical, medical, mental, emotional, and developmental abilities to attend our sessions and work alongside each other. The social health benefits of creativity are especially important across ages and abilities.
Community programs are wonderful for accommodating their target population, but most can only offer programs based on age and diagnosis. This prevents people with different diagnoses and ages from spending time with each other in creative and social environments. Families, siblings and close friends may also have a limited opportunity to do something together.
We want to promote an environment of inclusion by giving people of all abilities a place to meet and mingle with others who are both similar and different from them.
We also want to give much needed respite support to caregivers by offering them a place to unwind and do something creative!
If you are on Income Assistance or Persons With Disability benefits, your sessions are half-price, and personal attendants are free!
Our Open Studio Sessions are flexible
We have no expiry date on gift cards for Open Studio Sessions, and our sessions run every Monday evening and Wednesday during the day. Other art programs often have a set number of classes, rigid schedule, and fees where your payments expire.
We understand that because we are social beings, life gets busy and sometimes other things (mental health issues, chronic pain, travel, children) may get in the way of attending sessions regularly. This is why we have such a flexible program, and why our multi-session gift cards have no expiry date.
Being part of a community means creating activities around community needs and this is what we have tried to do.
Our Open Studio Sessions cater to a variety of interests
We know that people all have different interests so we have stocked our art studio with a wide variety of art materials that you can choose from during your visit. You can socialized with your loved ones, or meet new people while working on something that is completely unique and of interest to you! You can even switch to something else whenever you want.
We offer gentle guidance and instruction during art sessions at the beginning of each class.
Here are a few of the things we have in our art studio:
Acrylic paint (Kroma Paint from Granville Island), oil paint and tempera paint
Water-colour crayons, pencil crayons, pens, liquid and pallet paint
Scrapbooking paper, punches, and other accessories
Oil and chalk pastels
Beads and jewellery making accessories
Huge assortment of drawing implements pens, pencils, ink pens, markers, crayons, pencil crayons, geometry kits, shapes and templates
Adult Colouring books, how-to books on techniques, books on calligraphy and lettering, on contemporary and historical artists
Large assortment of still life objects and images for creative inspiration
Variety of paper, canvas board, cardboard suitable to use for pen, sketching, water-colour, tracing, pastel and charcoal. Bring your own canvas or purchase one for nominal fee
Scratch board
Lino-cut and soft-cut printmaking
Wood-burning tools. Bring your own wooden object or select from ones from our collection for a nominal fee
Air-drying clay
Magic sand and white-sand
Assortment of kid-friendly craft materials for collage
More creative arts activities are available — if what you are interested in is not on our list, just ask!
Special Interest Classes
We have started to develop programing geared towards the interests and tastes of our community.
We currently have a Friday Night Knitting Club that meets once a month! It is for all ages, genders, and stages (beginners to advanced). Basic instruction is offered and shared by those who attend. Entrance is by donation and all proceeds go toward our Step Forward Program. Read about the event here.
We want to listen to you! If you have a programming idea from the community and want to share it with us, get it touch.
We have a few programs in the works, so check back with us and wait and see what we have coming up!
We look forward to having you in the studio to experience the social health benefits of creativity for yourself!
“Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
— Pablo Picasso
Creative Arts and Health
We are starting a new blog series called the impact of creative arts and health. The posts in this series will talk about a range of health topics and give you some ideas on how to incorporate more creative activities into your daily life! We are also going to highlight some of the resources we offer in our art studio.
What are the real benefits of the creative arts and health?
Listening to music, writing in a journal, painting or sketching, or being part of a social group such as a drama group or book club is an effective way to stimulate the brain, and anyone can do it. We know it’s good for us, but in what ways?
Mental Health Benefits
Participating in creative activity can reduce stress, strengthen the immune system and protect against depression and anxiety. Doing something creative gives your brain a break from usual stresses and thoughts. It can improve self-confidence, self-esteem and positive identity. People who create art are more likely to practice self-reflection, self-care, and are more likely to be open to positive perceptions of their own health and their goals about their own health.
Social Health Benefits
People who engage in creative activities are more likely to have wider social networks, have a sense of belonging and purpose, engage in volunteering and are less likely to feel isolate and marginalized. Art provides an increased opportunity for multi-generational interactions and reduces discrimination between ages. All of this combines to provide a greater chance at a satisfying quality of life!
Brain Health
Challenging ourselves creatively can improve our memory, problem solving, maintain neuro-spactial functions as we age, and improve our ability to recall information and recognize and be aware of the world around us. Art gives our brains a workout!
Path to Healing
Creative engagement can provide an outlet for healing for those who have suffered abuse or trauma, and provides an avenue that may help us cope with a transitional event or stressful change in life. Artistic activities can be used as ways to explore emotions or a path to healing and can even be used to express ideas and solutions to larger social issues (addiction, bullying or domestic violence as an example).
Chronic Pain
Doing something creative can help us manage persistent pain and other chronic illnesses. It can be used as a distraction tool to keep the focus off the pain or illness and can aid in calming the mind and body.
Practical Strategies for Using Art To Improve Health At Home
Here are three quick exercises you can do at home to relax, de-stress, and get those creative juices flowing:
Get your doodle on! Doodling is a great way to loosen up the mind and start to relax the body. Take a break and let your hand start moving and your imagination flow. Experiment with different lines, shapes, textures, swirls, and before you know it, you will have covered a whole page! Begin with a sheet of plain paper and start with a dot or line in the middle, the next step is up to you!
Play dough is not just for kids! Pick some up from the store, use your own recipe, ask a friend or search online. Squash, stretch, and roll your stress away. Add essential oils for an extra boost of therapeutic benefit! Great to do with kids or on your own!
Kinetic Sand or fine-grain sand! If you haven’t yet tried any of these, they’re awesome! Kinetic Sand is a great sensory product that moves and melts in your hand is relaxing to play with. Fine grain sand also has Zen-like properties. Whether you choose to go to the beach or write your name in a sand tray using a rake or your finger, the act of moving sand in different directions and making different patterns is another great way to release tension.
Creative Arts and Health at the Alongside You Open Studio Sessions
We have a huge selection of gel pens, pencil crayons, markers, and more for all your doodling needs! We stock play dough for those of all ages, and have both kinetic and fine-grain sand if you are curious and want to give them both a try!
Get your Zentangle on. Zentangle is a drawing activity invented by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas, designed to make drawing meditative and accessible to all. Patterns and shapes are drawn inside a 3.5″ square piece of paper. It’s very mesmerizing and there is no erasing allowed! We have Zendoodle Kits, pre-cut papers ready for use, a wide variety of ink pens, Zendoodle books full of pattern ideas, and books on how to incorporate colour into your designs.
Make prayer bead projects (necklaces and bracelets). Many different groups of people, cultures and faiths have used beads in a variety of ways for reflection and contemplation. We have a variety of beads, charms, string, hemp, and jewellery-making tools and supplies at your disposal. Try something new and add it to your day as a reminder to take a moment yourself to breathe!
Take up Knitting! We have a wide variety of knitting needles and yarn at your disposal! We even have a monthly Friday Night Knitting Club if that is of interest to you! The repetitive nature of activities such as knitting helps to quiet the nervous system, releasing dopamine, a natural anti-depressant!
Resources On The Impact of Creative Arts and Health
For a more detailed study on the benefits of Creative Arts and Health, check out the following resources! We hope they’re helpful for you and if you have questions we’re more than happy to sit down over a cup of coffee or tea and chat about it with you!
The connection between art, healing, and public health: a review of current literature. Stuckey, H. L., & Nobel, J. (2010). American Journal of Public Health, 100(2), 254–63.This review explores the relationship between engagement with the creative arts and health outcomes, specifically the health effects of music engagement, visual arts therapy, movement-based creative expression, and expressive writing.