The Northwest Territory Métis Nation’s Healing and Wellness Program is hosting a neurographic art workshop in Fort Smith on Saturday.
Commonly used in art therapy, neurographic art is a freeform art technique used to connect the artists’ unconscious to their conscious, considered beneficial when healing from trauma, loss and anxiety.
Ria Coleman, a Healing and Wellness Program assistant, said the goal of the workshop is to “give an Indigenous perspective” to help people through their personal wellness journeys.
“It’s to help process whatever you may be feeling, what you may be grieving or having anxiety about, or just negative feelings that you have,” she told Cabin Radio.
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“You throw that energy down onto the paper, pretty-much just scribble it out, and when you feel like you’ve gotten it all out, you take a look at where your lines are intersecting and where they make sharp corners.”
From there, participants trace the lines to round out the corners, creating a softer and rounder piece of art, explained Coleman, saying this mimics the process of softening the negative feelings someone may be having.
“Once all of that is done, you go and paint the colours and bring in cheer and joy, and transform those negative feelings into something beautiful that you can process from the right to the left side of your brain,” said Coleman.
“It’s all about helping people process trauma, because once the trauma is transformed and processed, then we see healthier individuals, which makes for a healthier family and community.”
The workshop – to be held at Mabel’s, 183 McDougal Road, from 9am to 3pm – is free and open to the public. Preference will be given to NWT Métis Nation beneficiaries.
More information can be found on the NWT Métis Nation Facebook page.
