Paula MacGregor - community artist
At the end of the 1990's I found myself working as the Creative Arts tutor in a women’s prison (cat. 1 and YOI)
I learnt many things from that experience, one of which was how openly the women spoke once their hands were busy creating.
This made me consider becoming an art therapist, but at that time I did not have a degree - so I quit my job and went to art school.
Somewhere along the road I realised that art therapy was not quite what I wanted to do, too formal maybe?
I still wanted to work with people, helping them to see how being creative really helps you
and so I invented myself the role of ‘therapeutic art facilitator’.
This self-imposed role is purely voluntary, given with love to inspire people to be creative,
to give them the opportunity and the permission to simply play and see what happens.
I believe in cultivating confidence in the community through creativity – I also like alliteration!
I learnt many things from that experience, one of which was how openly the women spoke once their hands were busy creating.
This made me consider becoming an art therapist, but at that time I did not have a degree - so I quit my job and went to art school.
Somewhere along the road I realised that art therapy was not quite what I wanted to do, too formal maybe?
I still wanted to work with people, helping them to see how being creative really helps you
and so I invented myself the role of ‘therapeutic art facilitator’.
This self-imposed role is purely voluntary, given with love to inspire people to be creative,
to give them the opportunity and the permission to simply play and see what happens.
I believe in cultivating confidence in the community through creativity – I also like alliteration!
