Creative first aid
Why Creative First Aid?
Managing and recovering from challenges to mental health require a range of interventions and supports. Treatment and recovery has been traditionally rooted in the medical sphere, in Western culture.
But, historically and culturally, humans have always turned to innate creativity and social connections for psychological healing. Creative and social prescribing is the approach that acknowledges the role that engaging in things we love, things that connect us to awe, and to each other, are powerful parts of recovery and shifting towards good mental health. And the research absolutely backs this up.
Studies show that singing in a choir, drawing daily, tending a garden, cooking for joy and creative writing can produce profound shifts in peoples' sense of themselves and the world around them. Many people close off these practices to themselves with the idea they aren't good at them. Our programs and approach aims to open up these inherently human practices in ways that support our state of mental health, with curiosity instead of critical judgement.
We know that a new, curious interest leads to greater social connections - also a powerful tool for health and wellbeing.
We train professional artists and creatives to share their practice in ways that ignite curiousity and inspiration, and contagious delight!
Become aware of your mental health and notice the way it changes
Maintain a window of tolerance for yourself and others
Gather practical tools and skills you can draw from in times of need
Build a practice that is naturally tailored to your needs and talents
A creative practice is a proven foundation of mental resilience
Outcomes
Our evidence based, trauma-informed, award-nominated* programs provide opportunity to explore a range of practices with expert teachers, and create targeted self care strategies for managing a range of physical and mental health experiences.
They are about reconnecting to moments of delight, joy, awe and calm. They are about waking up the innate muscle of creativity, and using it as a healing tool, and a gift, for ourselves.
100% of course participants report an increase in awareness of symptoms, and growth in ability to change their mood. 100% report a change in self-care habits.
Increased skill and capacity to know your symptoms and how they arise
Experiential learning to understand how to cultivate good self-care habits
An individualised self care plan with creative practices, habits and activities that respond to what you enjoy, connect with and what you need to regulate and be grounded
Increased sense of empowerment to manage an ongoing mental health issue, with strategies for daily life
Our evaluation and research of this program is contributing to the growing body of evidence on creativity as a prescription. MakeShift has Ethics Research approval from the University of Wollongong
This program changed my life. I felt so respected and have finished with a much clearer understanding of my anxiety and what I need each day to keep it in check. It was so playful, fun, supportive and my confidence is so much better”
