News
Face To Face
You are not alone ……
Globally, no-one has remained unaffected by this pandemic…..and as we now begin to focus, at long last, on a brighter future, we need to give ourselves some much needed time and space…… to reflect on the reeling effects of recent events and, of course, our personal experiences.
I talked about ‘connection’ in my last blog, and the concept of ‘space’ features prominently in the next. In all of these messages, the importance of having access to my creative outlet cannot be emphasised enough – I feel truly blessed to have such a lifeline – something that has never before felt so important to me, as it has these last 15 months or so…….
Our creativity has the power to turn any negative into a positive. As such, the ‘Face-to-Face with Cartmel’ initiative is just one of many local opportunities sprouting up throughout the country, by way of helping us to make sense of our lockdown experiences.
In some ways, lockdown has allowed us to do what the animals do – to hibernate. As we reflect on our lives and relationships, we rediscover the value of our connections and interests, by creating some much-needed space, sometimes moving on from the people, places and things that may no longer serve us.
Having been separated from friends, family and community for so long, often at times when we’ve needed them the most, we have, hopefully, found a new appreciation for our loved ones. Face to face, once more, we find our shared values, now even clearer than before, as we gain comfort and give support.
Listening to one another and finding a way to talk, about the really important things, is a vital, privileged part of the healing process and I feel truly blessed to be able to share this message with you today – what a gift!
Lockdown’s effect on our mental health has been widely publicised, however, publicity has a habit of being quite generic. Our individual ways of coping have been as different as our own individual characters, with no two people experiencing lockdown in quite the same way…..yet, we all feel the need to be recognised by others.
The ‘Face-to-Face with Cartmel’ initiative is a superb example of community art therapy at its brilliant best! Serving as a means of talking and listening, the exhibition shows ‘faces’ revealing all manner of feelings and emotions, from the simple to the surreal, representing the various ways people have coped. Local uptake has been incredibly enthusiastic, with our student displays, especially, stunning everyone with their originality!
Entries are as varied as you can imagine and we’re sure that there’s something here to put a smile on everyone’s face! Come, take a look and, when you’re done, why not have a go at creating something similar for yourselves in your own local community?
The ‘Face-to-Face with Cartmel’ exhibition is now open at the Priory Church, running from 21st June to the end of September – we look forward to welcoming you there!