Kokedama Class

How did you get started with your craft and/or business, and why are you passionate about it? As a youth worker of 12 years I always used the arts to engage young people, throughout my community development studies I became really passionate about building community and eventually found art therapy. I am now a fully qualified art therapist and run a space in Northbridge where I aim to build a community of like minded people who support each other beyond art making. Art can act as a great buffer to connection and makes it much easier to talk with others and creates something in common to chat about! Was there a pivotal moment that sparked your interest?Having a youth worker when I was young and vulnerable who let me paint the youth centre walls changed my life. Art has the ability to make people feel included and valued in their communities. Why do you love teaching?I wouldn't say that I teach persé. I am more of a guide to participants own processes and personal journey with art. I merely provide the materials, the prompt and the guidance required for self discovery through art. My sessions are more like workshops for self exploration using art with a mentally healthy perspective (the ANTI-paint and sip!) There is often a mental health theme embedded in my workshops where I create a safe space for people to show up authentically, however there is never any pressure and what you share is up to you!What's something special or interesting about you or your experiences? Or maybe something most people don't know about your craft? I did a cert 4 in Visual Arts and Contemporary Craft at North Metro Tafe, but I am much more interested in combining my Art Therapy and Community Development Degrees to help socially isolated individuals connect with community. Do you have many years of experience? Have you taught hundreds of students, run team bonding for well-known companies, etc?Previous to my business at the Social Hermit I co-founded a small social enterprise, Art Jam with another lady legend named Ellie. We did a lot of team building workshops, local government events and youth workshops, in a huge variety of places like the Banksia Hill detention centre and the Perth Mint. I did this for about 3 years before it got too big for the two of us so we split it off into two smaller businesses. Do you have any formal qualifications or accreditations related to your craft?Have you taught at established colleges or schools?I have a BA in Art Therapy from Ikon institute, a BA in Community Development, Diploma in Youth Work and Cert 4 In visual Arts and Contemporary Crafts from TAFE. I also know how to build a bike and have lots of 'trauma informed' qualifications. I have run professional development workshops for health professionals in hospitals and worked with teachers to integrate creative yet trauma informed activities in the classroom.