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25.01.2022 A massive week this week with primary school graduations and presentations and shows....but I couldn’t pass up a last minute request to create with the After School Care Crew. Life is crazy but I embraced the opportunity and yes, it was so chaotic BUT also awesome. The kids had fun and Ben was an amazing assistant and participant. and even though life is a tad crazy, I embraced it! So glad I did On both days, Ben was excited to accompany me and even gained excitement by walking around advertising the activity. He was awesome.

25.01.2022 So....what was I doing whilst the prodding and poking was happening?...I may have started my latest commission again. Yep. I wasn’t happy with the right side at all and the issue with the way I work is that once the paint is down, it can’t be fixed. The layers start at the front and I continue to build the layers up and up. Once it’s fucked, however,...it’s fucked I tried a new technique with the first attempt. Let’s just say that I’m taking this one slow and steady. I haven’t destroyed the other one - I’ll let the client decide. @ Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia

25.01.2022 Anxiety exposing itself This morning over coffee, my friend stated that she wasn’t artistic. I mean, I’m sure she is...but that’s not the point. Art therapy - it’s the process and not the aesthetics that count BUT it’s something you really have to get your head around. Tomorrow I have to film myself conducting a session. Yep, I’m nervous as all get up. So much has filled my head about art and therapy and counseling and tools and what to say and not to say and being reflect...ive blah blah blah. I reckon that I’m going to be the deer in the headlights tomorrow as I have no bloody idea. Anyway...I may be a little anxious...so I found an exercise and gave it a whirl and Farout...it felt awesome!!! It helped me with my own anxiety (which is a good thing as I’m practicing what I’m preaching) but it made me realise that I really do need to be creative each day as it will help the readings make sense. So much clarity that started with a squiggle. An ugly Ursula type figure appeared which was coloured and then diluted AND now all I see is messy faded colours and a big bloody heart. All images mean all different things for all different folks. This is what I see. What I needed. Yep, a fun and rewarding exercise added to my Art Therapy toolkit. Lastly....if you e made it this far, I’m Interested to know what you see @ Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia See more

21.01.2022 ...and breath As I skipped quickly down Foveaux Street, I rummaged around for my lippy. Drink bottles had been retrieved from under the drivers seat and delicious soft food had been found and packed for Mr 8...who had lost a tooth overnight. A very tired tween was sluggish until the last minute when many things were remembered and a lunch bag was left stranded on the bench as she ran up and down stairs seeking out all the urgent things she required. My mind was elsewhere whi...ch didn’t help. I couldn’t be late as sweaty armpits isn’t a good look and I needed to find my way to my destination without my trust maps app. Yep, due to no data, I was flying blind. No train timetables to quickly look at and no ability to continue my research whilst on the train. It’s a shit show BUT it is what it is. I feel like I’m back in the 80’s going to my first interview. My hair hasn’t been attended to and my lips are sort of glossy due to the haphazard application of lipstick but I’m dressed and there’s no stopping time. I think the hospital has wifi so I may take a load off after my meeting and do the banking, book in activities and appointments, check the school enews and check out holiday destinations. It’s crazy how much you rely on internet access. Fingers crossed we get it back tomorrow Ok...time to skim my notes. Placement interview no.2 arrrggghhhh.

20.01.2022 As Ben jumped and flipped, I tore and squiggled. It’s funny how things turn out. My tearing looked initially like a big claw grrrrrrrrr.....but then I squiggled and it was like the line was escaping from the grip. Lily popped on over to suss our what I was doing and she said how whimsical the line was...like the line was going on an adventure. Funny how Lily’s comment just changed my outlook. I may have been deep in frustration due to the Friday we’d had with Benny and mayb...e my paper claw was my anger...but my whimsical line had been added and maybe it was just my sign to shake it off. It was a new day and Ben was trying out something new...and we just had to f’n reset. Whilst I was resetting, Lily asked if she could sketch and there she sat for the next half hour doodling...initially right handed with her eyes closed.... Yep, I love how I’m finally letting my art help me when last year I was nervous about the power it had and I’m loving how my kids are embracing it too. This morning, Ben asked what anxiety was and then asked what art therapy was....and then asked if art therapy helped people with anxiety? I mean...Farout. We may have been a little late for school but we had the best conversation. ‘Right. So when someone’s sad, they can draw or paint or something with you and they’ll feel better?’ ‘I feel like you’ve been doing that therapy stuff with me?’ ....and with a smile, I said YEP

20.01.2022 When you arrive back at trapeze and your little dude is climbing the ladder...and you get the video ready....and you wait and you wait...and then your little dude climbs back down My brave little dude wasn’t ready to do any fancy tricks...and due to everyone else doing said tricks, he felt like a failure and embarrassed...and decided to not take the plunge at all With two feet on the ground, he headed my way and my heart broke In watched Bowie and I thought I’d be able to... remember the moves but then I forgot...and I couldn’t just swing because that would prove that I couldn’t do it.’ My little man assumes that he can do everything first try and when he can’t, he feels like a failure. I now k ow that I can talk to him about it tomorrow BUT the cool thing is is that we drew together. Yep. Awesome. He added rain and lightening to my clouds. Thick and dark lines. ‘Interesting’ I said. To which he responded...‘Can’t you see what I’m feeling?’ After we watched the other students climbing and flying, I drew a rainbow and when he queried it, I said that a rainbow usually appears after the storm clouds have gone. I didn’t get any study done...but did I? See more

20.01.2022 Current commission is coming together. I worked on the massive happy tongue today and Im hoping to finish this lil girl this weekend. Drip and flip. Drip and flip. The way I work is quite the dance. As I paint on the back of glass, I work with two images, constantly reviewing both as I drip and flip. It’s random and back the front but it works...and amusingly, I love how the front seems all glossy and together...and the back is a total mess...yep, sorta like me @ Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia

19.01.2022 My trip home is nearly done. That’s 2 hours I won’t get back...arrrgghhh!! Anyway, this was Sunday. A morning spent making celebration pavs, morning tea for kidlets and 3 lunches for Monday busy busy busy. When Ads got home from cricket, we scooted on down to the shire to celebrate a late Christmas with my fam and another birthday celebration for dad. A great afternoon and evening with the family...and I’m glad we were able to grab the obligatory sister selfies love ya Mel xx

19.01.2022 Sunday morning at The Coop As I got stuck into art, Ben grabbed one of my new little tools and started poking and folding. His technique was a tad unique but he had taken my safety briefing on board from last week and for that, I was thankful. I didn’t tell him what to do. Just left him to it and he stuck at it for 30 minutes. I love what he created. I love how his creative mind works and how he was testing the materials. In the end, he created a sword. I said that it loo...ked like a leaf from a magical tree...his eyes lit up and took his ‘sword’ back. With a bend and a poke, he showed me again...with its little well for the magic dust to reside . Yep, a pretty nice moment for sure. Better than yesterday when he tried to play and I was trying to show him what to do and there was shouting and tears and stomping I felt like a failure...especially when I’m reading all about materials and tools and how you should allow clients to play. Be the teacher, the artist and the therapist...changing gear from one to the other...constantly. You need to figure out when to intervene and when not to. Will the client become frustrated...or do they just want to experiment and you need to allow them to get lost in the process. Such a learning curve...especially when you throw parenting in the mix. Ads just smiles and shakes his head....he he...he knows that my kids are my guinea pigs. I’m learning a lot from my little hot head and silent girl. @ Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia See more

18.01.2022 Another day at the umbrella academy...Art therapy is all about holding the space and observing in silence...silence...a skill I am finding hard to tune

17.01.2022 Just a little window into my morning Whilst she dries, I’ll get stuck into some uni stuff. I feel so lost and out of my league with all this uni stuff...but working on this lil pooch this morning has clarified some stuff...so that’s cool. I love how my spoons slow down my mind and centre me. Art...my therapy...no way

14.01.2022 Part 3 of my creative week. Yep, a pretty busy week for this little chicken BUT this piece was pretty bloody important. This is Oscar and his family lost him on Monday. Oscar had been a huge part of their lives and when I was asked if I would like to create something for this beautiful family, I was so touched. We handed the artwork over last night....I had never met Oscar but Farout, I was very sad for his little family. @ Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia

14.01.2022 It’s time....I started this lil sweetie last week and I had to put her down to review. The eyes didn’t seem right and I now know what I need to do. I’ve actually spent the last hour learning how to play ‘unstable Unicorns’...anyone else got this game? I’ve bought it for Lily for her birthday and I wanted to understand the craziness before I have two impatient kids staring at me wanting to play. It seems quite complicated (yippee) but I think it’ll be a good addition to the games cupboard. Anyway, the house is filled with music and now I’m ready to add more dots and colour.

13.01.2022 An extra long day at uni calls for a second caffeine hit. Today is the day for recording my therapy session.....give me strength

11.01.2022 ‘Entwining my rusty heart ‘ A fun morning of study...whilst my little study buddies cruised in their favourite spot. This week is all about materials and the experience they evoke. My toolbox as an artist is paint and spoons and canvas or glass but may favourite artwork series included found objects AND now, as I venture into therapy mode, my I love of found objects continues. I enjoy the unfolding of shapes...and seeing the memories they conjure up. Today I was taken back ...to clothes of little peeps that were always accompanied by a hard card swingtag along with its bright string and little safety pin. I could never bring myself to throw them out...and now I have a box full of these short lengths of twine. These, accompanied with the rusty screws and bolts that have been found by me and my kidlets on our adventures. I think about the life they’ve had and how I’m continuing their use...looking beyond their expectation and expiration date. Maybe my heart and mind has wandered to mum and how our relationship has changed. Changing my expectations and extending her expiration. Time. It can be so so heavy but then again it can be so bloody light and fly by so bloody fast. Accidental art opening my heart #arttherapy @ Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia See more

11.01.2022 How would you present yourself as art? Would it be bright or dark? Would it be a work in progress...or a framed piece and completely shmick? Me...I’m a piece that looks finished from afar but the closer you get, the lines appear and the distinction between light and dark is obvious. The longer you look, the more you can see and I’m ok with that...but it’s the folks that stay the longest and truly see the whole of me. The ones that see me from all sides...including the hidden that’s blotchy and messy...but that completes me. I used to have the blotchy messy side hidden...but now I’m happy for others to see. This art is me...and it’s nearly ready for our uni exhibition. My pieces make up my submission ‘Down the rabbit hole’

10.01.2022 G&T...&P On return home from our massive adventure to Bunnings , Lily went to clean her room and Ben worked on his speech...so I headed into the kitchen and started to drip. Next minute, Ads brings me a drink. Winning! 3hrs of drips...doesn’t look like it hey.

09.01.2022 99% completed. Yay! I’ve had a little dude at home today as he wasn’t 100% and sleep was minimal last night...so I didn’t think I’d get much done BUT I’ve been able to punch this one out, organise a surprise for Lils on Tuesday, bootcamp, doctors appt over the phone and lunch. Yep. I didn’t forget lunch today. Winning Now it’s time to play some Nintendo switch with my little dude who was been patient all day. A little dude that missed out on making slime today with his awesome teacher. It’s the least I could do really.

08.01.2022 The creating continues....As part of my uni assignment, I’m creating this urban dream catcher. It’s representative of my Art Therapist identity which is growing and changing. Im having a lot of fun with this crazy and ridiculous rusty wheel...and so are our little bunnies. My installation is called ‘Down the rabbit hole’ ...and it seems the bunnies like down there @ Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia

05.01.2022 Fur...done and dusted. Yay! Time for that massive tongue and I am done.

04.01.2022 A massively varied creative week....from a birthday pressie sketch to minecraft-anoon aka party prep to uni work. All 3 creative pursuits were important and fun but the most freeing was ‘A Glorious Mess’. Yep, this was my ridiculously colourful creation that I created at uni on Tuesday. This piece was the first piece that I’ve created without a wish for aesthetics. It’s hard for an artist to just go for it...but I just grabbed colours and scribbled and smudged and just went for broke. The sun was shining and the breeze was light. It was perfect and freeing and wonderful and to look at it makes me truly happy. I love my glorious mess

03.01.2022 Last drip applied....and inhale Time for breaky before I collect Benny from school I was bloody determined to finish the pooch today. Tomorrow I really need to focus on uni and assignments but I’m glad I did this one again. I’m happy now.

03.01.2022 My happy place Another commission in the works...and this little dude is a real character.

03.01.2022 Trapeze is back baby...trapeze means a solid 90 minutes to be spent on uni. @ecollama ...you around next week?...I’ll ditch uni for you

02.01.2022 WHAM! As the year of placement awaits beyond the nighttime sky, I lie here, enjoying the quiet. It’s like it’s the calm before the storm but in reality, I have been weathering the storm since I started this course...and maybe even before that. This is just a different weather pattern that will take on its own personality; but whilst I batten down the hatches, there will be someone by my side, ensuring I have a clear head and an ability to flush out my anxiety. What? Yep, I ha...d my first session with a Therapist/Energy Healer on Saturday. I was nervous but the session was really good. He talked about my huge heart and my capacity for empathy and how I hold it all in. He talked about anxiety and how to flow my energy to flow the anxiety right out...like taps in your feet. Yes, it may sound like gobbledygook but it was right for me. On the bus on the way home, I illustrated the session. I am the lighthouse in search of weary travellers lost in the storm. I am forever being bashed by the approaching storms and over time, my porous walls have become weak, allowing the water to get trapped inside and then slowly drip out. Luckily the anchors are keeping me from floating out to see myself ...but how long will they hold? This year, I will continue to have the searchlight on but I am very aware that I need to focus on draining that anxiety out. I know that I will need all of my love and energy for my kids and the hubster at home but I will also need it for my dad who is feeling very lost at the moment. He needs my searchlight but at the moment, I’m still trying to work out my role...how can you be there for someone who has always saved you? Always had the answers and the power and strength to tackle anything? How do you show that respect and love and that want and need to help without taking away independence. Reversing roles is so bloody hard and sitting on the sidelines is a total bitch. Arrrgghhhh 2021 What a year it is going to be!!!! See more

01.01.2022 So many lasts...and not just for Lily. Lily enjoyed her Last art class for 2020 and Benny enjoyed our last beach visit. If Lily continues next year, I won’t be able to take her as I’ll be at my placement. My time with Benny was spent digging and jumping and enjoying yogurberry in the sunshine. This week also included my last clay club visits for the time-being as it’s on Tuesdays. I’m really going to miss the beautiful Tuesday girls but I’ll think of them each time we use the plates. I really don’t like changes or goodbyes and at the moment, there’s a lot of both

01.01.2022 YEAH BABY ...drip drip drip I’m testing a different style with this one. When it’s dry, I’ll be able to flip it and check it out. I have to be patient. Time to eat before the little poppets arrive home.