Do you identify as a youth (or as youthful for that matter)? If so, this space is for you! Join us to practice challenging your inner perfectionist and just mess around with some art stuff! We will have art supplies on hand, some snacks, a playlist on and some chill vibes - all you have to do is show up, make some stuff, and see what happens! Its a f#ck-around-and-find-out kind of session! What to bring: No need to bring anything - just show up! Or if you have a project on the go bring whatever you are working on creatively (songs, sketches, poetry, knitting…painting, graphic art…). What will be available in the space: - Snacks and tea/water - All you need for collage, zine making and needle felting What we will do: Each session will include some group intros and closing shares, but the majority of the time will be spent making together. Part art class, part body doubling, part group therapy, part peer support 🙂 Extra Bits: Young people spend a lot of their time stressed and being told what to do and how to do it - and this can be exhausting! So much pressure! In Bad Art Club - there are no rules. Here we actively reject and resist doing things the ‘right way’ (like colouring in the lines, following directions, making things look a certain way)…and instead it's play time!! We try stuff out, follow curiosity and learn to trust ourselves! We play with texture and shapes, repetition and patterns. We focus on connection and meaning-making. We explore all that comes when we are open to creative possibilities. Register at the link below, spaces limited https://makespace.gymmasteronline.com/.../class/636121... It's fun and it's also good for us! Check it out: Lowers Stress Hormones: Engaging in creative activities has been shown to significantly reduce cortisol levels (the body's primary stress hormone) regardless of artistic skill or experience. Encourages Emotional Expression: Art provides a non-verbal language for expressing difficult or complex feelings that may be hard to put into words. This externalization of emotions in a safe, non-judgmental space helps in processing them and prevents them from remaining bottled up and causing internal stress. Interrupts Negative Thought Patterns: The act of making art, especially simple activities like doodling or colouring, requires focus and present-moment awareness, which can interrupt repetitive, looping anxious thoughts (rumination) and provide a type of break from our own spin. Interrupts Time: When immersed in the creative process, especially within a ritual container, we let go of linear time and let go into our own sense of time and external demands. This meditative state naturally reduces anxiety and helps the nervous system relax. Activates the Brain's Reward System: Creating art activates the brain's reward centers, releasing feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. This neurochemical response makes the experience pleasurable! Builds Flexibility: By providing ourselves space to explore challenges and find creative solutions within the art, we develop better problem-solving abilities and emotional responsiveness strategies Fosters Self-Awareness and Self-Esteem: The process of creating art and reflecting on it helps you connect with your inner self, discover hidden feelings, and build a sense of accomplishment. This boosts self-esteem and self-awareness Facilitator: My name is Sonya (they/she) - I am a queer neurodivergent solo momma to two teens. I have been here on unsurrendered Lekwungen lands as a white settler in Coast Salish territories for over 30 years. I was a registered nurse for 23 years and am now an art therapist for youth and adults - I have a creative practice studio downtown called @otherwayscreative where I see people 1:1. I am so excited to be a member at Make Space and to be the inaugural in-house art therapist.