The Most Obvious Idea I've Ever Had
This morning, after yoga, a friend suggested that I run an art group.
I nodded thoughtfully, as though she had just come up with a groundbreaking new concept.
In reality, I'd been thinking about doing exactly that for months.
As she described the creative group she used to attend before the facilitator moved overseas, I found myself mentally walking through my balcony space. Six people could comfortably fit around the table. There was room for paints, collage papers, journals, cups of tea, and all the bits and pieces that seem to multiply whenever creative people gather in one place.
The funny thing is that I've been doing this little mental exercise for quite a while. Every now and then I'd stand out there and imagine the space filled with people making art together. Then I'd get distracted by an exhibition, a website update, a painting in progress, or whatever shiny object happened to be demanding my attention that week.
Meanwhile, the balcony remained exactly where it was.
What struck me after our conversation was how much of the groundwork had already been done. I have the space. I have enough mixed media supplies to keep a small village creatively occupied. I have years of experience facilitating groups. I even have a collection of exercises and prompts ready to go.
Apparently, the only missing ingredient was a creatively driven friend willing to point out the obvious.
The timing was interesting.
Over the past few weeks I've been thinking a lot about creativity and play. I've been experimenting with watercolours and collage in my art journal without any particular goal in mind. I've been reading The Imagination Muscle, a book about strengthening creativity through practice, and recently wrote a blog about rediscovering the power of play on my Inner Truth Blog on my Wellness Arts Psychology site. You can read that one here Rediscovering the Power of Play
The more I explored these ideas, the more I realised how many adults have lost touch with creativity. Not because they aren't creative, but because somewhere along the way they became convinced that creativity belongs to artists.
I don't believe that for a second.
Creativity shows up in far more places than a canvas or sketchbook. It's in the way someone gardens, cooks, decorates a home, solves a problem, tells a story, arranges flowers, photographs a landscape, or dreams up a new possibility. Creativity is part of being human.
Yet many people carry around the belief that they are "not creative" because they stopped drawing in Year 8.
As a psychologist, I've spent years helping people reconnect with forgotten parts of themselves. As a dance teacher, I've watched people discover confidence in bodies they had spent years criticising. As an artist, I've experienced firsthand how making something with your hands can quiet the constant noise of daily life and bring you back into the present moment.
Looking back, Creative Sanctuary feels less like a new idea and more like the natural meeting place of all these different parts of my life.
I've facilitated groups in hospitals, community settings, yoga studios, and creative spaces. I've spent years teaching, supporting, encouraging, and creating. Yet somehow it never occurred to me that perhaps all those experiences were preparing me for a small group of people gathered around a balcony table making art together on a Thursday morning.
Life is funny like that. Sometimes we're so busy looking for the next thing that we miss what's already sitting in front of us.
What excites me most is that this won't be an art class. There will be no pressure to create a masterpiece. No expectation that anyone arrives with artistic experience. No gold stars for staying inside the lines.
Instead, I want it to be a place where people can experiment, play, make a mess, try something new, and reconnect with the simple joy of creating.
We'll explore mixed media, collage, art journalling, creative prompts, and whatever other adventures emerge along the way. Some people may discover a love of art. Others may simply enjoy a couple of hours each week away from their screens and responsibilities.
Both outcomes seem worthwhile.
By the time I arrived home from yoga this morning, I had a name.
Creative Sanctuary.
A place to gather, create, connect, and play.
A place where curiosity is welcome.
A place where creativity matters more than talent.
A place where people who feel called to create can come together and see what happens.
And if all goes to plan, that balcony that has been occupying my imagination for months will finally be filled with the kind of people it has been asking for all along: curious minds, creative souls, people who feel the urge to make things, and people who miss having a space to play. People who don't necessarily call themselves artists but feel a little spark when they walk into an art supply store.
The kind of people who understand that creativity isn't about being good at art. It's about being willing to explore.
Come to think of it, they may have been looking for the balcony, too.
If you're reading this and something about Creative Sanctuary resonates with you, I'd love to hear from you.
I'm planning to begin with a small pilot group of up to six people on Thursday mornings from 10am to 12pm. No artistic experience is necessary—just curiosity, a willingness to explore, and an openness to creating alongside others.
If you think you might be one of the people my balcony has been waiting for, feel free to send me an email via the contact page on PopiArt.com to express your interest.
I'd love to see what we can create together.
