Morwhenna. The Creative Adventurer: If not Now, when?

“Art changes lives. If a voice can't be heard, teach it to be seen."- Emily Scott, Former Art Director – Art Relief International

Today I took a step to make one of my dreams come true. I paid the deposit.

I am going on a 4-week Volunteer Art Placement with Art Relief International in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Leaving in 8 weeks time.

*Happy Dance* I am SO excited and nervous all rolled in to one massive ball of butterflies. I still can't quite believe that I'm going as it has taken me a long time to get to this point.

I started looking at Volunteer Art placements a few years ago as I became more interested in Art as Therapy. During this search, I came across Art Relief International. They ‘use art as a way to help transform the lives of struggling social groups in Chiang Mai, Thailand by offering them the opportunity to express themselves through an artistic lens.’

What they were doing really sang out to me. LOUDLY. At the time I was wading through my depression and had personally discovered how hugely beneficial art as therapy was, even though it was something I found towards the end of my getting better-ness.

Since then, I've gone between filling out the form to join then cancelling it, getting in touch with people who have actually volunteered there and emailing the organisers to get further information. Everything I was hearing was great, and my confidence in them and what they were doing grew and I knew this was something I wanted to do.

Yet I was still coming up with too many excuses not to go, such as; I’m not ready, I don’t have the confidence, how will I raise the funds to pay for it? everyone will be younger/fitter/smarter/artier/more creative than me, I don’t have the right skills or experience, I’m not the right kind of person, etc, etc. (Sound familiar? This internal chatter is super tiring, isn't it?) None of which was actually true.

The real truth was I had lost all confidence in myself. I wasn't always like this, so I knew I needed to find where my fearless younger-self had gone and bring her back. Which is what I've been doing over the past few years.

The desire to join Art Relief hadn't gone away and it popped back into my head last week along with the words ‘If not NOW, when?’ and wouldn't go away so...I am GOING!!!

I am giving my self permission to go on this Creative Volunteer Adventure that has been calling me for so long. I also knew if I kept ignoring this call it could easily turn in to - 'ah yes I wanted to do that, but never did' conversations when I was 90. I didn't want that to happen.

I also thought having the conversation with my chap about me going for a month would be hard, he's so supportive and knows how much I want to do this that it wasn't that difficult after all. I just needed to say the words out loud rather than only having the conversation with myself!

I now have 8 weeks to raise the £2,500 I need for this Creative Volunteer Adventure. I already have some ideas of how to do this and this will be a creative adventure in itself.

My first idea is to create a ‘Donate’ button on my site. Part of me feels this to be rather ‘cheeky’ and the other part says ‘no harm in trying this out’ So I'd created it! if you feel you’d like to donate something, any amount at all, towards this Creative Volunteer Adventure I will be extremely grateful.

Thank YOU. x

I've taken my rucksack out of storage already and I am now a nervous excited bundle, think excitable puppy, who has some planning to do!

My Target to raise is £2,500 ($4,160) every single £1 and $1 helps x

Thank you so very much for your support.