This is an invitation to take a minute to nurture what you need during this difficult time of political decision making that feels harmful and out of our control.  
Over the past month, something I continue to think about is how is everyone doing?  My friends, small businesses, individuals, and marginalized communities.  At times I find myself overwhelmed and consumed wtih a range of emotions, thoughts, and worries.  
I want to offer a creative invitation that will help ease emotional stress you may be experiencing.  You can repeat it as often as is helpful.  You can share it with friends and loved ones as a way to connect and share with each other.  
Choose and draw a symbol to represent wha tyou need in this moment.  A nest could represent comfort, a triangle could represent solid ground, and a circle could represent hope.  Then draw yourself in or around the symbol.  
What do you notice?  Do you want to add anything to help nurture or strengthen this image?  
Reach out if you'd like to learn more about how therapeutic artcan support your emotional health during times of stress and overwhelm.  

​When I heard about the Peoples Portrait Prize, hosted by the Chester Art Centre, I knew right away that I wanted to participate.  This was an opportunity intended for community regardless or age or ability.  I know it can feel vulnerable to show a piece of yourself when you believe that others have more to offer than you.  By participating I wanted to remind people that it is okay for you to believe your work is not as good as others; it is the process and courage to show up that really matters.  As a Therapeutic Arts Practitioner I want to encourage space for individuals to be witnessed, whether in a 1:1 session, small group, or as part of the larger community.  This was an opportunity for a community of people, from diverse creative abilities, to be witnessed and YOU are worth that. 
I believed it was important to show up just as I hope others feel they can show up and be seen.  In deciding on a subject for my portrait, I wanted to honour someone who has played a beautiful role in my life and chose to create a portrait of my grandmother.  She loved to be creative and would not consider herself an artist.  She valued community and the space each person holds in it.  She was humble and would be embarrassed to have her portrait on the wall.  She is my inspiration.  

I invite you to join me for a healing cup of tea. 
First, I'd like to reminder you that sometimes a cup of tea is all we need for healing and other times we need  more than one cup. A cup of tea can be a good starting point to help move us in the direction of where we want to go for deeper healing.  
Let's get started.  Pour yourself a cup of your favourite tea and sit down with your sketchbook or piece of paper.  Take a minute to think about what healing you need from this cup of tea.  Do you need to let go? Forgive? Sit with the hurt?  Do you need courage? Kindness? Is your cup of tea a starting pont for larger healing that you'd like to happen?    
As you reflect on what you need in this moment you can sketch out your cup of tea.  As you can see, it doesn't need to look pretty.  Add any notes, reminders, or symbols that you'd like to include.  As you enjoy drinking your cup of tea, imagine it providing you with the healing you are looking for in this moment.  

Affirmations are a beautiful way to start your day, create positive energy at the beginning of a group session, and can set the tone for a collaborative meeting.  These are only a few examples of when these simple cards come in handy and create a big impact.  In my experience I have invited people to choose an affirmation card at the beginning of creative groups with youth, empowering experiences with women, and business  Every time at least one person (usually more) has a strong positive response to the message they receive and many people express gratitude for the grounding experience. 
Affirmations are messages that encourage personal growth, healing, and kindness.  They reduce stress, increase confidence, and improve mood.  While I have a few affirmation decks that I use regularly I believe a personalized deck is more meaningful and creates a stronger connection between you and your life journey.  When you gather with a group of like minded individuals to create your own personalized deck the ideas flow as the room becomes filled with inspiring messages.  I hope you are inspired to create an Affirmation Deck of your own.  Watch for upcoming workshops or book one for you and a group of friends.  

Our lives are filled with things that compete for our attention and interfere with our ability to focus on what is important to us, leaving us feeling depleted, overwhelmed, irritable and stressed or anxious.  This is true for both youth and adults as we navigate social expectations, daily responsibilities, social media, academic or work performance, peer relationships, parenting dynamics, and the list goes on. 

I believe we need to normalize caring for our emotional health in a way that is meaningful and connects with our individual experiences.  This is where Therapeutic Art comes in.  Therapeutic Art uses mark making as an opportunity to validate your current experiences and nurture yourself moving forward.  Mark making is about making marks on paper rather than focusing on creating something that looks good, any creative ability can feel comfortable to participate.   Therapeutic Art is an experience that is effective in caring for,  understanding, and expressing your feelings and experiences in a way that words aren't always able to.  

I chose to become a Therapeutic Arts Practitioner because I believe in the value mark making has in supporting our emotional health providing space for us to show up as the amazing individuals we are despite the busy world that moves around us.  I specialize in working with youth, individuals who work with youth, and mothers.  

There are many ways to engage in a therapeutic art experience.  Sometimes you may begin with a topic or situation that sets the stage for the process, for example, a current challenge being faced or a hope for the future.  The participant may choose to allow the journey to unfold by trusting their intuition to lead the way without a topic or situation as a starting point. 
The image above is a collage journey that was lead with step-by-step guided invitations that encouraged a creative response and action.  It included the creation of a poem that helped to deepen the experience.  The materials used were; magazine images, pens, watercolour, and coloured pencils.  
Our bodies are amazing vessels that are strongly connected to creativity as an outlet for what words are not always able to express and share.  This is true for everyone, even individuals who do not identify as creative people.  As long as you are willing to open yourself up to the process and experience.  You never know what you may discover or the healing that is possible.  

Happy New Year!  
When I look back on 2023 I realize it was a turbulent year for me that included some really challenging moments and some very happy memories.  By the end of the year I was feeling I'd lost focus and felt like I was floundering.  
With the beginning of each year I like to reflect on the year that has passed and think about what I hope for the year ahead.  A vision board is one of the things that helps me with this process.  I am really excited about what Liz McCurdy Therapeutic Art has in store for 2024.  
​Our lives are filled with things that compete with the attention we give to our emotional health, things like social media and social expectations.  This is especially true for our youth as rates of anxiety increase at an alarming rate.  When we work with youth to build skills that will support their emotional health, the tools they gain will last them a lifetime.  This is true to ALL youth.  While I will continue to create with adults, mark making with youth will be come more of my focus.  
Stay tuned to hear about upcoming workshops with the Town of Bridgewater and Chester Art Centre.  I will also be in a few schools and at South Shore Autism.  One-to-one work is available for youth age 10 and up.  Reach out to learn more.  

We underestimate the healing power of nature.  Many of us know the value of being outdoors and breathing in the fresh air.  Take it a step further and connect with nature to gain clarity, connect, and learn about yourself.  
Step outside.  Take a breath.  Slow down.  Look around you.  What do you notice? What is your eye drawn towards?  Explore. Be curious.  When we bring our awareness to nature with intention we feel grounded, heal, discover, and gain perspective.  
In the fall I was walking along an old set of railway tracks and noticed the railway tie pictured in the bottom right image.  I was drawn in by it.  I stopped, explored, became curious, stood on top of it, noticed how it felt, thought about what I might put inside of it, and I journaled about it when I got home.  It opened doors to some healing I didn't realize I was looking for.  
As we move into the warmer days of spring I am ready to connect with people through nature based work both in private sessions and Connect & Create opportunities.  Sometimes art materials are involved and other times they are not.  Creative work in nature brings increased clarity, increased energy, and a sense of calm.