Amelia, Mark & Carolyn
I’m Amelia, as an artist my goal is to encourage people to acknowledge the beauty in the world around them. I want to give people insight into the smaller details of our world that are often ignored. I have a strong urge to help people acknowledge that there is more to life and us than the struggles we face. In my practice, I typically stick to more traditional mediums, such as acrylic paint, and watercolours. I think I’m drawn to these mediums because this is where I feel most comfortable and free within my practice, which is one of the most important things to me I feel being passionate and able to enjoy my practice is what will enable me to portray the true depth of the message I want to convey. I feel being comfortable and free was also a big part of this project. The clients we worked alongside had the opportunity to be open and playful in the sessions which is what made this such a wonderful experience for everyone involved as a fine art student at the University of Lincoln. I have become more open to experimenting with different techniques and ways to effectively achieve this. when starting out with this course I felt entirely out of my comfort zone, but over time I have been encouraged to experiment with different ways to elevate my practice to have been given the opportunity to participate in this art therapy module and work alongside double impact has been, by far the most enlightening experience in my education so far. for me, personally, this experience of something that has, and will continue to impact my practice and the way I view things.
Hi, my name is mark, I have been coming too double impact (Lincolnshire recovery services) for maybe 6 months now, it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.
I was asked to do the art course by Claire milliner the team leader here at double impact. At first I felt very dubious about the course, I felt I was not good enough to do something like this, ‘I don’t know anything about art’ I thought to my self ‘gifted students are going to think I’m stupid’. The doubts I had about myself was causing me to have doubts about the course. The unknown is a scary place for anyone I tell myself, surely everyone will be feeling like this these are normal emotions for such an amazing opportunity I repeat to myself over and over again.
The faces I see on the day look just as lost as me, a room full of people, very much us of their comfort zone. I’ve had the pleasure to work with a young lady called Amelia, a very gifted student, with an amazing personality and who was also feeling just as alone as me. She has taught me to believe in myself, she has given Courage if you forgot out speak and hope the best advice and help, she has provided me with has made me change my mindset 100% for the better Amelia has a beautiful soul and she will have a very successful future I have no doubt.
I will now carry on drawing (in black and white lol) and practising at home long after the art course has finished thanks to the amazing individual. It was a wonderful experience Lincoln University, and the double impact has provided for anybody coming out of addiction. It would encourage people to try new things and help them believe that recovery is possible.
Thanks again to everyone who has helped me along this amazing journey, with many thanks.
Carolyn joined the project later than some of the other clients, she shared that she enjoys writing and likes music. Carolyn expressed that she would not consider herself to be ‘good’ at art, she believed that art is something that comes naturally or not at all. This mindset led to feeling quite reluctant to start the artwork or do any experimentation. Despite feeling this way, she still pushed herself out of her comfort zone to pick up the pencil/paintbrush and even clay and she gave it ago which the students and university of lincoln find to be a very admirable trait about Carolyn. . Moreover, it was as quickly as the second session she had attended she became more open to trying new things and her attitude towards the artwork got a bite more positive.
There became a more positive energy when we spoke about the things that were being created, quickly she had a strong inspiration and a vision of what it is she wanted to portray through the artwork, she wanted it to tell a story that resonated with herself.
We are all so grateful to have worked alongside Carolyn for the last half of this project, and hope that we have inspired her to believe she has the ability to succeed in anything she tries.