Meghan Franklin Communications: Make Art!

25.10.13

Just some of the paintings participants made at Mind It - Make Art!

Painting reminds me of when I was a little kid doing arts and crafts with my mom and little sister at the kitchen table on the weekend. I never worried about what the finished product looked like, or whether it was perfect. I had no real plan in mind and my mom certainly wasn't handing out a mark for the best rendition of the tree outside or the family cat. The three of us were just spending time together and having fun.

This was the idea behind the art event I put on at Red River College this week with the help of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Winnipeg region (CMHA Winnipeg) and my wonderful volunteers who I can't thank enough. In the middle of a busy hallway at the college, we set up five tables with canvases, paint and a paintbrushes and invited students and staff to come over and paint whatever their heart desired. Art therapy programs have been shown to help boost mood and relieve stress. Similarly, the goal of this event was to help people relax and de-stress by getting them involved with making art.

By the end of the two hour event, over 60 canvases were transformed from blank to beautiful and many more people had stopped to see what all the excitement was about. CTV Winnipeg came by to capture the action for the evening news and Stephanie Forsyth, president of Red River College took time out of her busy schedule to show her support.

I couldn't be happier with the success of Mind It - Make Art! With careful planning and hard work an idea that took root several months ago unfolded almost exactly how I had envisioned it.

Thank you to everyone who helped me along the way. From CMHA Winnipeg's generous donations of time and supplies to the volunteers who rocked Mind It T-shirts and video/photographer, Robin Hamilton — you are all amazing!