I had a love affair with mosaic making this summer.

There's just something so dashed cathartic about smashing up (oh especially the smashing up bit!) and cutting broken crockery and finding the best juxtaposition for whatever pattern/picture I'm making. It seems to mend broken bits in my head too. It's so absorbing.

Sat in the summer sun mosaic making was a real treat but what of the long winter nights ahead?

Well, I've set myself a challenge to make and create more.

In need of a bit of inspiration (and respite from life) mum and I toddled across the Mersey on Friday to a hidden gem in Birkenhead - the Williamson Art Gallery.

Celebrating World Mental Health Day the gallery threw an Arts and Minds Festival: "Exploring the role that creativity can play in maintaining our health and well-being". (It's incredible you know the free events that take place in our own locality. We just have to be sleuth-like in seeking them out.)

Ignoring mum's plea of, "I'm just not creative like that" (such flapdoodle this - mum is a prolific knitter, crocheter and is learning how to up-cycle old furniture), I cajoled her into The Making Room for a Calm and Create workshop.

Creating is an innate need in all of us. If you don't believe that, I'd wager that you haven't yet experienced the power of, or the catharsis of, dabbling in a bit of creativity. Already, we all of us, create more in life than we realise. Yes, even you! We put outfits together, we personalise our work spaces, we choose decor, we doodle whilst on the phone; everyday we create.

At the beginning of the class were reminded that creativity is about the process - not the end result. You can see why such a reminder is needed. It's quite amusing how stiff, uptight and terrified a bunch of adults can be when instructed to go forth with pastels and "play, have fun, make a mess!"

My first thoughts were:-

a) I don't want to get pastel dust on my black velvet jacket (at what point in life do we stop wanting to make mess? As kids it was our life's vocation to get messy).

b) I don't know what I'm doing (as adults we do so struggle to "just be" in art).

c) I can't do this. Can't do what? Er, have fun?!

Ten minutes in and the pastel dust seemed to distribute a sprinkling of magic. The inner critic started to pipe down and we rejoiced at the colourful smudges and patterns our hands created. As we limbered up a bit we made pretty, bold or bright art.

Hang on a minute! Was I having fun?!

One hour later and, as our gentle tutor, Ruth, commented, there were now 11 pieces of art work that hadn't existed 60 minutes earlier. Most importantly, however, was that we were indeed now feeling calm.

Create, make and muck about with art this winter and you may save the ole sanity.

Suzy

A Moodscope member.