I am a mother, artist, gardener and arts for social change and well-being facilitator and lecturer. I have worked with educational, community and social/healthcare organisations. Many of the projects I have been involved in have supported both individuals and communities to have a voice, using creativity to support mental and physical wellbeing. My research and experience have led me to combine creativity with nature connection because of the combined positive outcomes on wellbeing both for individuals and for communities as a whole. 

‘Nature and creativity combine strongly in the arts and health sphere.  National Centre for Creative Health, has framed this powerfully, noting that ‘growing awareness of arts and health falls within a wider philosophical and societal shift around how we care for ourselves, each other and our planet’

Rootsartnature has been set up to to primarily provide creativity-based interventions to support people’s wellbeing. Many of my creative sessions can be delivered outdoors, as 'arts-in-nature' experiences, offering ways to support personal and community wellbeing, promoting care of the natural world and ourselves.

The nature connection and creativity classes/workshops that I run are based on ‘Biophilia’, the innate human instinct to connect with nature and other living beings.

Creativity and art naturally create a space for the exploration and expression of our relationship to the natural environment. The more we are with and in nature, working creatively in it and with it, we create a space of reflection about how we look after ourselves and our communities. We begin to literally and metaphorically plant seeds of hope for ourselves and our communities.

Using nature connection and creative activities can help to bring awareness of ecological and environmental issues including how and why we might want to care for nature. In turn this can improve our own wellbeing, sense of self and place and support ongoing pro-nature activities in the communities we live in.

Some of my skills and training that I bring to Rootsartnature includes a BA (Hons) in Art and Visual Culture, a MA in Curatorial Practice, Nature and Health Facilitator Training with Natural Academy , Forest School Principles, Grow Leader with Avon Wildlife Trust (covering horticulture, ecology, community engagement and wellbeing in landscape management) and supporting mental health in the Arts and Cultural Sector!