I have such gratitude for the friends and colleagues that have supported the program at different times over the past 10 years, and as a result some kind of cool projects came into being that I feel very blessed to be part of. It is a great to have an idea, as I am an idea-girl, but without a community of support, it is challenging to put things into action!

For the longest time now I’ve have been so fortunate. When I least expect it, but always need it, a heart appears. Any time of day, any place. There it is.

Thanks to my personal growth journey, I was led to the knowledge and tools that I share with others in my professional life. Early on my path, I did not identify as a creative person, however, overtime I have come to realize that not only am I a highly creative individual, we all are! Life is a courageous act of creating, choosing, and becoming in each and every moment. HeartArt was unexpectedly birthed during this process.

…”I am and have always been a poet. I was a poet before I even knew I was. Poetry has enveloped me and invited me to see, explore and make meaning of the world. It has moved me closer to myself”.

…”After twenty five plus years working as a creative globally, my daughter and I chose to set down roots in Nova Scotia …..A place that you can still try out whatever you dream up. I started a film and art school in Mahone Bay with the directive of creating an environment where creativity could thrive”.

Connecting through Sharing. Art Therapy Resources for Art Therapists.

Sharing alternating photos of rich autumn colours and nature’s lines, with photos taken through the fragmented lens of a skeletal leaf during a recent nourishing nature stroll through the Royabl Botanical Gardens.

Were you able to take a moment this beautiful autumn weekend?

Independent Art Project for Nuit Blanche 2022.
Susan chose the idea of drawing breath in artful ways, because it is fully accessible to anyone who chooses to engage. This project is experiential; designed to be fully inclusive, intergenerational, and cross-cultural. Open to ALL ages/all abilities. Anyone who wants to participate has the opportunity.

It can be incredibly meaningful to take a pause to capture our state of being, and at times imperative to remind ourselves of who we are in a particular moment - connecting and reflecting upon the succint yet powerful words of “I Am”!!

Sharing a listing of Stories, Story Tellers , Creators and Contributors to the AP Connections Blog.

At the beginning of the pandemic, I started a brief gratitude project using images. I have continued this gratitude practice daily, through writing and mindfulness in nature. I decided that it would be helpful to introduce a self-compassion and self-love practice into my daily life because I had noticed a significant change in my outlook while practicing gratitude.

Painting my daily experiences among the trees created meaning and purpose when life felt confusing, overwhelming, and uncertain. They supported me and helped light the way when the path forward was unclear - Tania

Sharing my reflections and eco-art creation to celebrate all of the recent art therapy graduates from the Toronto Art Therapy Institute.

Inspiration…. In this post offerings of spring… eco-art and garden florals enjoyed and shared.

“This series of zines are created from our positions as racialized practitioners in the creative arts therapies. It comes from a process of putting together words and images that are meaningful to us, in conversations, poetry and collages. It is rooted in our experiences of accessing therapy or mental health support”.

Sharing in this post heart creations and response art shared by a variety of artists that are beautifully expressed using different approaches, materials and creative intentions.

Found and Formed Heart Art! There are so many ways to engage creatively and mindfully with the heart image around the theme of love and gratitude.

A heart-felt thank you to all of the 2021 contributors listed below who shared individual stories, or added to collective posts by providing quotes, art, photos or writing for the Connections Blog. I am inspired by you all and filled with such gratitude. Your sharing, gifted our creatively-connected-community in so many rich and meaningful ways.

Before the world turned upside down with the Pandemic, Jenny and I had celebrated a wonderful collaboration of over 10 years, designing and facilitating a creative community gathering for sensory engagement for older adults struggling with cognitive decline. We wove various types of stimulating experiences and activities within the weekly group format at our long-term care setting.

…”One serendipitous day in June 2013, I stumbled across a creative method that would change my life. Aimlessly scrolling through the latest submissions in a Facebook photo a day group, an image of one member’s in-progress black pen drawing caught my eye. More than merely a simple doodle, something about the beauty and complexity of its design appealed to me, and I knew I had to investigate this intriguing artform for myself”.