One of our participants this week told me of how they had jumped up at another organisation to put them straight when they talked about S2C. Apparently they had described S2C as giving “art lessons”. “No, no, no….” the participant had cried out. “………they do so much more than that. It’s not a school, it’s a safe community that makes you feel happy”. Can’t argue with that.
This, though, had me thinking, again, about how people react to S2C. I have invariably found that if you talk to anyone who attends sessions and ask them what they get out of coming and joining in then you get a uniquely different answer from each individual. Really that is not surprising because one thing I have found in helping individuals who are struggling with long-term illness, mental health, social problems and isolation is that despite professionals giving them a label or a named condition they don’t all respond or act in the same way. Every individual has a unique experience of an illness or a particular set of circumstances. Yes there are common elements, symptoms or reactions but alongside this runs the influence of their life experience and personality which colours that condition differently for each one.
This is why, at S2C, we don’t generally do labels. If you need to come to S2C you can come to S2C.
So of course (I’m still thinking about it) this different experience that each individual encounters has common themes. You can go round a room after a session and ask each person what they gained from that session and each will give a different answer but if you do that for a week then certain categories start to emerge. And he we are finally getting around to todays blog topic as one of these threads is that of distraction.
Many artists will tell you about being in the moment when creating where you are focused on the act of creating and everything else recedes. At S2C when everyone is busy creating it can go from a bustling, chatting laughing environment to utter silence. There can be twelve people creating side by side but each is lost in the act of creativity. It’s not something that can happen in a place where people feel uncomfortable or threatened. In those moment there is an ultimate level of distraction where nobody is concerned about there issues. Now this may not sound like much but hey, ive been there and definitely have the t-shirt. To be able to escape that over arching all-consuming voice of depression (or whatever each individual is facing) is a blessing. It helps you escape the worries for a while and not only that, it enables you to experience and build realisation that you can escape them.
Personal experience of course. Though if you talk to people it is a similar story. You can escape the negative thoughts and through experience relearn to have a positive mindset.
Thankyou for listening………..
PS don’t forget that our Trustee is doing the Great North Swim on Saturday 9th June swimming across the open water of Lake Windermere to raise funds for S2C. Julie has been training hard so please sponsor her. You can find forms at S2C or Julie herself and you can sponsor her by making a donation thorough the Donate button on our website and Facebook page.
This weeks distrations:
