{"id":940,"date":"2024-11-06T14:54:09","date_gmt":"2024-11-06T14:54:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wickedsister.evit.com.au\/index.php\/2024\/11\/06\/being-a-creative-dizzy-and-ms\/"},"modified":"2024-11-06T14:54:09","modified_gmt":"2024-11-06T14:54:09","slug":"being-a-creative-dizzy-and-ms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wickedsister.evit.com.au\/index.php\/2024\/11\/06\/being-a-creative-dizzy-and-ms\/","title":{"rendered":"Being a Creative Dizzy and MS"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Creativity can be a great way of helping to cope with many of the aspects that living with a chronic illness can bring. And recently, Dizzy and I have been exploring them. <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/16.0.1\/72x72\/1f642.png\" alt=\"&#x1f642;\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Over the last few months, my anxiety has been running a little wild. During the summer, it was confirmed that I had experienced my third MS relapse in 14 months, and my mum had a stroke. It was a struggly summer, so I decided to sign up for a <a href=\"https:\/\/westkentmind.org.uk\/i-want-help\/creative-minds\/\"><strong>Creative Minds<\/strong><\/a> drawing programme. West Kent Mind is running these over the course of 8 months. All are completely free, with a focus on looking after your mental health &#8211; which we thought would be perfect for us!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-11080\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dinosaursdonkeysandms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/20241106_132953-1.jpg?resize=525%2C409&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"409\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Now, Dizzy says she is an expert artist, but it is not something I see myself as having much talent in and not something I have explored since childhood. But doing creative things has loads of super, amazing benefits:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Creative outlet &#8211; art allows you to release feelings and emotions\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Emotional outlet &#8211; you can express emotions that might otherwise be hard to explore<\/p>\n<p>Reduce stress and anxiety &#8211; art has been proven to lower people&#8217;s stress and anxiety levels <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/16.0.1\/72x72\/1f642.png\" alt=\"&#x1f642;\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Self-esteem &#8211; it has also been proven that art improves people&#8217;s self-confidence<\/p>\n<p>Cognitive health &#8211; doing these activities can help improve memory, processing skills and attention spans <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/16.0.1\/72x72\/1f642.png\" alt=\"&#x1f642;\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>There are lots and lots of creative activities out there, but we are focusing on art. And these are Dizzy&#8217;s favourite 5:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Drawing\u00a0<\/strong>&#8211; this can be anything! But Dizzy says you can draw a Dizzy if you are stuck for ideas. <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/16.0.1\/72x72\/1f642.png\" alt=\"&#x1f642;\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-11075\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dinosaursdonkeysandms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/20241106_132457.jpg?resize=525%2C394&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"394\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Collage\u00a0<\/strong>&#8211; I\u00a0 love this one! Sticking coloured bits of paper on other coloured bits of paper is just the most fun thing ever!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-11079\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dinosaursdonkeysandms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/20241106_132121.jpg?resize=525%2C394&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"394\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Painting &#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>our little attempt at watercolours&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-11077\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dinosaursdonkeysandms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/20241106_132759.jpg?resize=525%2C394&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"394\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Knitting\/Crochet &#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>I adore the little cute crochet animals people make, but I have no idea how to do it! So if you would like to teach us, we would be very grateful. <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/16.0.1\/72x72\/1f642.png\" alt=\"&#x1f642;\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone  wp-image-11083\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dinosaursdonkeysandms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/4-1-scaled.jpeg?resize=522%2C514&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"522\" height=\"514\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-11074\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dinosaursdonkeysandms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/4.jpg?resize=1%2C1&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-11074\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dinosaursdonkeysandms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/4.jpg?resize=1%2C1&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-11074\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dinosaursdonkeysandms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/4.jpg?resize=1%2C1&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Writing &#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>a slightly different kind of art &#8211; but Dizzy just loves this one as she can write hundreds of stories about a wonderful Donkey named Dizzy&#8230; <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/16.0.1\/72x72\/1f642.png\" alt=\"&#x1f642;\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-11076\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dinosaursdonkeysandms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/20241106_133443.jpg?resize=525%2C496&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"496\" \/><\/p>\n<p>For myself (not Dizzy, who states she is perfect at all forms) I have realised that art is not about being perfect. It is just having fun with splashes of colours (or not if you would prefer), and letting yourself relax and enjoy the process. Then, everything you create will be unique and amazingly you. <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/16.0.1\/72x72\/1f642.png\" alt=\"&#x1f642;\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Have any of you tried these different forms of art? Or maybe a different one that we have not thought of! What benefits do you feel you gain from being creative? <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/16.0.1\/72x72\/1f642.png\" alt=\"&#x1f642;\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" \/> xxxx<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/dinosaursdonkeysandms.com\/being-a-creative-dizzy-and-ms\/\">Being a Creative Dizzy and MS<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/dinosaursdonkeysandms.com\">Dinosaurs, Donkeys and MS<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/dinosaursdonkeysandms.com\/being-a-creative-dizzy-and-ms\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">dinosaursdonkeysandms.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Creativity can be a great way of helping to cope with many of the aspects that living with a chronic illness can bring. And recently, Dizzy and I have been exploring them. &nbsp; Over the last few months, my anxiety has been running a little wild. During the summer, it was confirmed that I had&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":941,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[11,15,9,8,13,14,12,10],"class_list":["post-940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-multiple-sclerosis-research","tag-brain-repair","tag-marburg-type-ms","tag-ms","tag-multiple-sclerosis","tag-myelin","tag-neuroregeneration","tag-oligodendrocyte","tag-remyelination"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wickedsister.evit.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wickedsister.evit.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wickedsister.evit.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wickedsister.evit.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=940"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wickedsister.evit.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/940\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wickedsister.evit.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/941"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wickedsister.evit.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wickedsister.evit.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wickedsister.evit.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}