Art Not Shame is launching a new club this fall aimed at bringing out your creativity and offering a chance to ‘reset.’
The Brown Bag Club is a drop-in style art club that will run on Thursday’s from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Sunday Bloom’s back patio on Woolwich Street.
It’s an invitation to take a break in your day for some creative self-care, said Art Not Shame artist and spokesperson Alisa McRonald, calling it the “perfect reset.”
“If you’re working in the morning, or concentrating on something like schoolwork, the stress kind of builds and you (might) forget to take care of yourself,” she said. “Doing some art gives you some time to recenter and reset for your afternoon activities.”
She said they had their first session last week with about six people, and there was “a lot of casual talking and connecting. It was just a really nice, relaxing hour and a half.”
Everyone is welcome, at any age or skill level. McRonald said last week they had a child as young as three, some seniors and “everyone in between” – including students and some professionals who work from home.
Entry is a pay-what-you-can donation between $5 to $20, which will support the organization’s goal of opening a fully-accessible community arts hub.
A variety of art supplies will be provided on communal tables, from different kinds of paper to watercolour paints, markers, glue sticks and magazines.
There will also be a bag of prompts to reach in and pull something out at random.
“It might say something like, draw your favourite place. And you can choose to do that, or another,” McRonald said. But there aren’t restrictions or guidelines – attendees are welcome to come up with their own ideas, bring something they’re already working on, or just doodle.
“It’s just a nice break to reconnect with yourself and your creativity; recenter yourself,” she said. “It's also lovely to be in (the) community.”
Participants are encouraged to bring their own lunch – hence the name, the Brown Bag Club, Food and drinks will also be available for purchase inside.
The club will run Sept. 14, Sept. 21 and Sept. 28 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. October dates will be announced soon.
