Julie Bertram
Special to the Tribune
One of many activities around West Nipissing during March Break was a day of joy, self-discovery and artistic expression for kids aged 9-14, held at Cache Bay Community Centre.
Kim Peterson from The Healing H’Art (www.thehealinghart.com) hosted the workshop and was thoroughly impressed by her 12 young attendees. “I usually teach adults expressive arts, but really enjoyed teaching this youth workshop. It was about remembering that childlike essence, carefree, and letting the creative juices flow without having a preconceived image of what they should paint. It can be difficult to understand that creativity comes from the heart and learning to express it. For me, it was a beautiful reminder of how everyone can benefit from letting go of what you think you should be doing and being okay with ‘not knowing’. The unknown can be uncomfortable, but this style of painting is a tool that teaches us to navigate the uncomfortable emotions that arise and eventually leads us to express what is felt and see the transformation on the canvas as a result. When I tie in the fundamentals of yoga, it teaches them the importance of the breath in order to calm their mind and body, bringing them to the present moment to hear and feel what is inside. Every emotion felt was welcomed.”
She also appreciated the support of municipal employee Michel Gervais, who coordinated the event as part of efforts to bring activities to local youth during their school break. Gervais spoke about how Peterson’s expertise helped guide the kids. “She encouraged them not to follow pre-established structures often taught in a classroom setting to create their work. Both practices [yoga and painting] require them to be present. The session started with 15 minutes of simple yoga to ground them before starting their artwork. Then, each of them was set up with a canvas, a piece of paper, some oil pastels and paint supplies. They were encouraged to layer paint onto the canvas using the colours they were drawn to.”
The unique benefit for kids, especially as they’ve been dealing with complicated issues such as the pandemic, world conflicts and more, is “using creative means to channel inner emotions and to process feelings,” Gervais enthuses. He hopes “to continue putting together these events in the coming years. The response was quite positive. We even had a waitlist for this particular event!”
Word on future events will be announced soon for Museum Month in May at the Sturgeon River House Museum.