A series of experiential workshops at the AG Leventis Gallery will take place soon with art psychotherapists Eleni Petridou and Marina Ioannou, members of the Association of Art Therapists and Friends of Cyprus.
The Self-care Lab will be a series of workshops sponsored by IKEA Cyprus in which participants will have the opportunity to visit the AG Leventis Gallery and view some of the exhibits. Then, with the help of the facilitators, they will be encouraged to make personal and emotional connections with the paintings to inspire their own artmaking and self-expression.
Afterwards, the group will go to Claude Monet Hall to create artworks. Through the creative process, participants will relax, unwind and reflect on the challenges of everyday life; they will explore and discuss different ways of self-care, what self-care means to them and why it is important. The Self-care Lab will be a space where they will be able to take care and reconnect with themselves and also socialise and connect with other participants.
The sessions will take place on October 7, 14 and 21, running from 10.15am to 12.15pm with a €25 fee for each session.
“In today’s fast-paced world, it is easy to forget to take time for yourself to ensure that you are receiving what you need from life. Self-care is sometimes connected with the ‘treat yourself’ approach, but their long-term impacts might differ substantially. Treating ourselves to a new pair of shoes or a cheat meal, for example, might make us feel good for a brief period of time. Nevertheless, this euphoric sensation usually vanishes after a few hours as the ‘newness’ wears off,” organisers say.
“Self-care,” they add, “is less about external items and more about reconnecting with internal experiences that we frequently forget or become too busy to notice. It is about making time to check in with yourself, completely experience your current condition and re-centre yourself with the things that give you vitality. Self-care entails taking the time to do things that will help you live a better life and enhance both your mental and physical well-being.”
Self-care Lab
Wellness, art and creative expression sessions with art psychotherapists Eleni Petridou and Marina Ioannou. October 7, 14 and 21. A. G. Leventis Gallery, Nicosia. 10.15am-12.15pm. €25 (for one workshop) or €65 (for all three workshops). Reservations: 22-668838 or education@leventisgallery.org