Healing power of art
Online fundraiser aids purchase of supplies for program participants
TRURO, N.S. – Paint, and the support of other women, proved most effective when Tammy was recovering from abuse.
She’s been taking part in the Heal Your Heart with Art program since it was first offered, about three years ago.
“It’s a place where I feel I’m not alone,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to get creative in a positive place and share stories with other women.”
Tammy had never painted before taking part in the program; now she also creates art at home.
“I was surprised by how much I liked it and how well things turned out,” she said. “I’ve painted purses and lamp shades, and worked on birch bark and barn boards. I feel free to experiment a bit.
“I ended up displaying some of my artwork. That was kind of scary, but I sold one, and I was quite surprised by that.”
Sometimes she heads out on program nights with an idea of what she wants to paint, other times the idea comes when she’s with the other women.
“There’s no pressure to do anything in particular,” she said. “The main idea is for support. I made new friends through this. I made one new friend the first night, and at that time neither one of us thought we’d go back. We both love it now.”
Jackie Waugh started the program after finding art helped her recover from domestic abuse.
“It’s wonderful to see this helping so many women,” she said. “I haven’t heard a bad thing about this from anyone who took part.
“Talent isn’t needed to take part. Just talking and listening is a big part of it, but there’s no pressure for anyone for share more than they want. Domestic violence is a big problem, and this is somewhere women can go to express themselves.”
Cinda Willigar, women's support counsellor at Third Place Transition House, has seen the benefits of the program.
“It’s really amazing to see how helpful this can be,” she said. “It’s not always recent abuse the women are dealing with, and it’s not just physical abuse. Mental abuse is just as damaging.”
For Tammy, the social aspect of the program has been helpful.
“I’ve tried mindfulness and some other things, but nothing has been as effective as this,” she said. “It helps having people with some of the same things in their background take part.”