Our Creative Collective
We are excited to introduce the BC Brain Wellness Program’s new initiative, The Creative Collective.
The Creative Collective initiative aims to spotlight art created by members of the BC BWP community. Art can be anything from pottery, paintings, photographs, poetry, recipes, gardening arrangements and so much more… we would love to see it all!
Art expression can offer a support system that honours feelings and emotions while letting us use our brains in new ways. This project highlights the importance of art in brain wellness and hopes to encourage more people to use art as a form of healthy expression, relaxation, coping and growth.
How to submit your art: Please fill out this form and we will get in contact with you.
We hope you are as excited about this new project as we are! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email brain.wellness@ubc.ca with the subject line “Creative Collective”.
In addition, check out our Creative Collective newsletter archive below:
March Creator of the Month: Natalie Wong
Natalie Wong’s journey with art has been a profound process of healing for both her physical and mental well-being. Growing up in Hong Kong, Natalie's first exposure to art came through Japanese manga books. Despite her natural inclination for doodling, art supplies were scarce in her home, which limited her creative expression at the time. Later on, Natalie experimented with art as a collector, finding joy in crafting collages using beautiful paper.
February Creator of the Month: Kerstin Luettich
Kerstin Luettich's journey has been a vibrant fusion of artistry, exploration and self-expression. Born and raised in Berlin, Germany, Kerstin was introduced to the world of art at a very young age. With a mother, who constantly had a bowl of pencils around, Kerstin was able to delve into drawing early on in her childhood, fueling her passion for creativity.
January Creator of the Month: Jeannene Christie
Jeannene Christie has pursued two careers: she was a registered massage therapist and also worked with people with disabilities, especially those with autism. She was diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and her symptoms worsened with age. Her encounter with her chronic illness began in her 30s while she was taking a training course for working with autistic individuals.
December Creator of the Month: Victoria Marie
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Victoria Marie has and continues to embark on a life journey one can call a rich tapestry of interwoven threads within and beyond the arts. She moved from the US to Eastern Canada in 1965 and later settled in Vancouver. At age 42, Victoria decided to pivot away from her career in programming and data entry to venture into academia. Pursuing higher education, she earned both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Arts. Subsequently, she obtained a Master of Divinity from the Vancouver School of Theology.
November Creator of the Month: Marjorie Young
Marjorie Young’s artistic journey began at a very young age when her kindergarten teacher introduced her to the Vancouver Art School. Enthralled by the world of creativity, she attended the children’s art program there every Saturday through elementary school. These early experiences laid the foundation for her artistic endeavours as she learned the basics of drawing and tried out various painting mediums.
October Creator of the Month: Vivian Fitzgerald
Vivian Fitzgerald had never considered art as a part of her life until only a few years ago. Although she always had a strong tendency towards fashion, design and DIY makeovers, she only saw art as decorative pieces she could buy. Too busy with other commitments in life, she did not have the time to explore her own creativity and the magic that she admired in people who were able to use their hands to bring life to their imaginations.
September Creator of the Month: Rosemarie
Rosemarie Hurst, who was born in Sussex, England and came to Canada when she was 8, has always had a love for photography. Although as she grew older, her photography transformed from trying to capture anything and everything to focusing on nature and the creatures that roam it. This is evident in her work.
August Creator of the Month: Sherry
Sherry first got in tune with her creativity at 14 when she started figure skating. She remembers clearly how she moved into a luminal creative zone while doing an open axel jump, falling out of the traditional parameters of time and space. Moments of wonder like this inspire her, so now, she captures those moments in a variety of art forms, including painting, photography, and fabric art.
June Creator Of The Month: Lise
From day one, Lise grew up in a very arts-and-science-loving household. Her father is a professional artist with his own website and art studio. Lise believes that the arts and sciences complement each other, so it is essential to develop skills in both – she is interested in medical illustration to bridge these complementary passions.
May Creator of the Month: Kate Wolfe
Kate was introduced to painting about 10 years ago through a friend who was taking a painting course at the Dunbar Community Center led by Georgia Youngs. While she didn’t think of herself as an artistic person at the time, she gave it a try and fell in love with it.
April Creator of the Month: Doug Johnson
Doug’s passion for art and photography was put on pause until his family moved from Saskatoon to California in 1965. He describes this move as though he were “landing on a foreign planet.” During his time in California, he met someone who would become a very important person and mentor in his life: famous cartoonist, Charles Shultz. He was inspired by Shultz’s ability to capitalize upon his creativity and talents and ultimately make a living out of drawing cartoons.
March Creator of the Month: Margaret Miller
The creative arts have been part of Margaret Miller’s life since childhood. Her mother was a gifted fabric artist and at home, Margaret was surrounded by art and introduced to the world of crafts. When she was a little girl, Margaret’s mother taught her needlecraft and she spent many hours making and ornamenting felt clothes for her Troll and Barbie.
February Creator of the Month: Sue Bayley
Art has always been important to Sue Bayley, “it’s my saviour!” she says. For as far as she can remember she has always been drawing or painting. As a child, she drew on walls, paper, tables, and whatever she could find. She also experimented with different forms of creative expression and was educated at ballet school. When she was diagnosed with cancer and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), art became even more important to her.