For some people, painting is therapeutic as you focus on the effort to produce a nice painting and thereby forget about all your concerns, worries and stress for a few hours. As I haven’t painted since secondary school and always hated art class as my paintings were hopeless, I was a little stressed to learn that the Souse Art Therapy media event at The Hungry Tapir a few weeks ago was very much hands-on. Truth is, I wanted to flee the room as I know I suck at art and it’s among my least favourite things to do but I had to be a good sport since I’d signed up for this event. I was greeted by the lovely founder of Souse Art Therapy, Raneeta Gill.
There were less than 10 participants in this class, it was a rare bright and sunny afternoon. All of us were seated in front of a blank canvas and each of us donned an apron. All the equipment and utensils are provided, an apron, the palette, various brushes & a multitude of paint in more colours than I can count on fingers and toes. I was all set to spend 3-4 hours painting for the 1st time in a few decades & I was really not enthusiastic as I didn’t have an inkling on what to paint. I kept thinking I couldn’t paint to save my life.
Raneeta begins by asking us what our inspiration is. Mine is fashion & food. I’d be lying if I said it was nature as I don’t see the point of taking a walk in the wilderness. To each their own, I say. I looked at the food tray on the table and decided i would paint just that.
So what are the benefits of Souse Art Therapy? This therapy incorporates wellbeing of individuals and organizations facing challenging situations internally and externally. It provides an outlet to create, get inspired, detox that aids all participants’ mental, emotional and eventually physical wellbeing.
There are innumerable benefits in Souse Art Therapy (among them):
● Creative & inspired thinking
● Reduction in stress, anxiety, depression, worries, feeling inferior or any feeling of fear and negativity, coping with stress and uncertainty
● Developing communication skills through art
● Improving socialization & interaction
Now we all know there is no right or wrong in art. Not everyone views a painting the same way. The best thing about this workshop is the teacher, Raneeta is patient and guides everyone through every step of the process. I was thinking that I would definitely have enjoyed my art classes in school a lot more if I had an art teacher like her. I had rather low grades for my art as I was never encouraged to paint well, don’t even remember any techniques.
After I painted the whole canvas in one colour, Raneeta began drawing the outline for my painting which was the tray of food with the different sized bowls/containers. I don’t exactly have a steady hand to ensure that it all looks nice and tidy but Raneeta will assist in making it look better. You can turn the canvas upside-down in order to make it easier to paint.
To participate in Souse Art Therapy, you do not need to have had any previous painting experience as Raneeta has all the qualities of a wonderful art teacher. As this is a group lesson, you won’t have her undivided attention ALL the time but she does give equal time to each participant and I do appreciate her guiding hand along the way. It hasn’t made me want to take up painting or to paint another one in the near future but this is only because I have PTSD from my schooldays when it comes to art.
However, it was a memorable and interesting workshop as i indeed didn’t think of anything else other than my painting for the few hours I was there (definitely no time to check my phone). No one there will judge you on how good or in my case how bad your painting is. Every person has something they want to express on that blank canvas and build up into something they can be proud of to bring home even if painting is not their forte. The interesting thing is you will feel your creative juices flow through the canvas. Whatever you create, it’s a masterpiece because it came from your mind and body.
One thing is for sure – no one who signs up for Souse Art Therapy will leave home feeling regretful that they went to the workshop. Who knows, you may even discover something about yourself you didn’t know before you participated in Souse Art Therapy.
