Creative Spaces NetworkI was recently asked to share a few thoughts about the arts sector, especially in relation to disability and mental health. Having worked in a creative space for more than 20 years, I thought it would be easy. Yet, the more I thought about it, the more muddled my thoughts became. There is so much to say.
Where on earth do you begin? How do you explain the difference that one two-hour weekly class can make in someone’s life? How do you talk about the bravery it takes for some to even walk in the door for the first time? How do you convey the feeling of coming home – comfort, love, acceptance and understanding – that permeates the four walls of C.S. Art Whare Toi in Invercargill?
Something happens here, and I am certain it is true for other creative spaces nationwide. It is inexplicable and yet connected to a power greater than what we normally encounter.
The world is big and busy and hard and wonderful and awful and beautiful. That is how we live, day to day, negotiating as best we can while trying not to be too much of a dick about it. We face all kinds of challenges outside this space because we are human and that is what is required to exist – and here we are, wonderfully existing.
All that commotion and noise stops, however, when we enter this space. There is a peace here; people say it all the time. Maybe it is something we purposefully consider when we set up the room for art. Maybe we prayerfully create it when we enter this sacred place. Maybe it is tapu and we know it instinctively, so we nurture it by respecting it.
Maintaining a safe space
One thing is for certain: we respect each other and treat each other with kindness and love. This maintains the safe space that we create for ourselves, together. I think that in today’s busy world, that philosophy is very rare. Even rarer is when that philosophy translates into a functional and safe creative place.
I must acknowledge all the other creative spaces in New Zealand that I have been fortunate enough to visit - and those I have not. Each one practises the very same philosophy in their own ways. Without the dedication of the people and communities it takes to run places like this, they simply would not exist. And we would all be the lesser for it.
I asked one of the parents of a 13-year-old who attends C.S. Art Whare Toi to write a few words about the impact that coming to the studio has had on her son. Her words follow:
“I know I have said it before, and I will say it again because sometimes it feels that words are not enough.
"The impact that C.S. Art has had on Oscar is profound. We came to you in the second term of 2024, both Oscar and I anxious. We had been and tried other things that had promised inclusiveness.
"The moment we walked in, and you helped Oscar find a space, gave him some tools, and told him to draw and create what he wanted – that was it. He had found his people.
"Oscar coming to C.S. Art has not only helped him express himself through art but also built his confidence and helped him grow as a person. He has embraced his quirkiness, and I couldn’t be prouder of him if I tried.
"The love and support he has at C.S. Art studio, from yourself, Luke and Hannah, has honestly – hand on heart – made all the difference for Oscar and our family. I can’t even imagine how Oscar would be coping in a world not designed for ‘the shining weirdos’ if not for his weekly escape.”
Shining weirdos. I believe we may have found our new motto.
C.S. Art Whare Toi is a member of the Creative Spaces Network. Visit the Creative Spaces Directory for more information and contact details.
