Sarah and I met with a group of students in Snelsmore Common on a chilly May morning recently. It’s such a joy to work together creatively. We worked individually to collect all kinds of items from nature found on the ground. Everyone returned with an interesting and also curious haul. We then went about making a ‘mandala’ suggested by one student to use the found items. We took time to notice their texture, shape and sometimes sound. We created a work of collaborative art that was beautiful, fun and interesting . For those of us living alongside mental health challenges we can struggle to recognise that our input and ideas matter or that we have talents and skills that can be appreciated and seen by others. However, workshops like this provide evidence that we all have something to offer, that our ideas and input are worthwhile and that fun and laughter is possible. Creativity is wonderful at inspiring and supporting ‘recovery’ on many levels. Thank you to all of you who threw yourselves into the workshop and made it such a success for everyone. Angela
