Every November, I offer a series of sculpting workshops. There’s a great satisfaction in teaching people how to make something new, but even better is watching people rediscover their artistic side and reap the benefits that stoking your creativity brings. Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up” – this is so true. Show me a kid who doesn’t love creating, who doesn’t enjoy making some type of art, whether it’s dancing, painting, singing, writing stories, music or making things with clay. You won’t find one. Until life beats it out of us, we naturally find joy in creativity. It’s time to rediscover that part of yourself.

By simply taking an art class we can continue to grow and develop our brain cells and improve our lives at any age. Hundreds of studies have been done on the impact of art on your health and your ability to heal yourself. Here are just a few of the benefits:

• Art fills occupational voids, distracts from thoughts of illness
• Improved well–being by decreasing negative emotions and increasing positive ones
• Improved medical outcomes, reduced depression
• Reduction in stress and anxiety; increase in positive emotions
• Reduction in distress and negative emotions
• Improvements in flow and spontaneity, expression of grief, positive identity, and social networks

We are very fortunate to live in a community that offers and provides many classes and workshops by talented local artists in a variety of mediums. If you are interested in taking one of my sculpting workshops (see attached flier) or organizing a home workshop party with your friends, contact me at maria@saracino.ca – I am sure that together we can discover or rediscover your inner artist and have a blast doing it!