Wild Life Drawing Online: Mindful Mark-making

Wild Life Drawing already combines animal and art therapy to create a relaxing atmosphere, but during the coming Mental Health Awareness week I wanted to invite you to make time for yourself and join me for a very special class where we will really have a chance to slow down.

Drawing calms the mind by inducing a flow state, and that in turn reduces stress hormones like cortisol and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, triggering "rest and digest" responses. Engaging in creative activities that use repetitive motions refocuses the mind from worry and allows for emotional expression, which gently lowers anxiety levels. And once you have a your set-esteem will be

At this 90 minute mindful mark-making class, Jennie will guide you through creating an image using gestures inspired by the ocean; the ripples, foam and waves. We will begin with some drawing exercises and experimentation, then spend some time together working on our water drawings accompanied by some thoughts from Jennie and inspirational ocean facts, and perhaps a bit of whale song or wave sounds for an extra meditative atmosphere. And afterwards, you'll be feeling accomplished after creating an artwork and grateful you invested time in your mental health.

Here at Wild Life Drawing we believe that drawing is for everyone so this class is open to all ages and all abilities – especially beginners. So whether you haven’t drawn since school or you draw daily, you’ll get plenty of joy and calm out of the session. Jennie will be supplementing the drawing with creative calming activities and ideas that you can take away for the future.

All you’ll need to take part is some paper, a pencil, a sharpener and a rubber, but feel free to experiment with other materials if you’re feeling adventurous. You will receive an email containing the event link along with instructions, material suggestions and reference images ahead of time. And as with all our online sessions, you’ll receive a recording of the class afterwards so you can watch it back whenever as many times as you like.

This class is quite a new concept, but one very close to my heart and so please feel free to share with anyone under exam stress, with work worries, or just in need of a bit of kindness.

50% of the ticket profits will be donated to MIND.