As a child, I knew something incredible was waiting to blossom deep within my soul. This magic revealed itself in my 40s. I coped by drawing and writing adventure stories but hid my talent for fear of judgement.
Abandoning my creative dreams as an adult, my lack of self-confidence blurred my ability to see what made me happy. Life became a cycle of pleasing others and putting my needs in a box. For too long, I was too shy to voice my truth, afraid to speak up.
Eventually, I experienced burnout and found healing in learning to love myself. Even in the most challenging times, my inner spirit was willing to create a better life. Divorced and a lonely single mum, I found my soulmate and took my first huge leap of faith by moving away from my comfort zone.
Ivan brought out the best in me by encouraging me to become the person I was destined to be. His love and faith reached my inner strength and ignited something.
A second entanglement with burnout left me disillusioned with life and work, and I was diagnosed with mental health issues. Attending Leeds Recovery College, I met Naetha, an inspirational recovery coach, and in her, I found a friend and mentor.
In 2019 I chose a Learn to Draw and Paint for Adults course to support my well-being, where I discovered my desire to share my lived experience and a creative passion for drawing with others. I used this new knowledge to set up an online group offering a safe space for sharing artwork, positive affirmations and fun posts. I built a friendly and engaged community of over 10,000 in only six months by encouraging members to show their work.
Members feedback:
“I joined because your posts were a ray of sunshine in
lockdown amidst all the doom and gloom.”
“I Love art, and I was looking for groups where I can get
inspired.”
“I am an isolator, so it’s helping my mental health to do
something creative.”
