Creative Learning 4 Life

My 100 days of isolation culminated in a beautiful colouring book - a project with 100-hand-drawn mandalas based on 100 words of encouragement that I received from all over the world.

It all started with a 29 day boat cruise holiday on the 21st of February 2020, and it turned into 100 days of isolation in a foreign country - Rome, Italy - when all the countries went into lockdown because of the covid-19 pandemic.

We were locked down in a very tiny cabin and then isolated in a hotel room in Rome for almost 100 days after we finally docked in Savona, Italy. It included a hair raising transfer to Rome by bus full of elderly, sick and coughing people. For stretched out days we waited in anticipation until we could eventually fly back to South-Africa.

Drawing mandalas and using all the therapy modalities I usually do with the children I see in art therapy, I could keep myself grounded and sane. It was essential in the small space with restricted movement.

The result after the ordeal is a mandala colouring book. It makes me feel very excited to be able to share the one thing that kept me busy while I longed for my family and friends during that uncertain time.

I stayed healthy while we were on the cruise and there were many of our fellow passengers that were not so lucky. I attribute this to all my friends and supporters’ braveness (?) encouragement and my focus on applying my therapeutic art therapy tools.

I am planning a coast to coast road trip in South-Africa in January 2021.

I would like to take the mandala drawings, with some fun and joy, to people on my journey all over the country. Through your support I will be able to share this special art form with the elderly, with children and with interested passerby’s. I would like to let as many people as possible experience the joy of colouring in mandalas - or even teaching them to draw their own.

This initiative is part of the collective Creative Learning 4 life and you can follow us at www.creativelearning4life. and facebook page https://www.facebook.com/.

I am Photographer/Teacher/Art lover/Music Maker/Trauma Release Exercise Provider, I am teaching self help skills, art and photography where-ever I find myself.