Quill & Chill creative art session with Tina Gajjar
The April workshop will be run by paper quilling artist Tina Gajjar. This month is about learning about art therapy and how it can help you become more mindful and completely focussed on the moment which will allow you to get more connected to the present.
In order to take part in this workshop, you will need to purchase a few items, you can do so by following the link here – https://www.vishwart.com/product-page/qkitbeg
Anyone purchasing this kit from the VishwArt website will also get the templates included to create the tealight holders along with a 10% discount when they use code GROWME at checkout.
What is your background, tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do?
My first job was working as a Temp Receptionist in a very small IT company as I prepared to move to my next degree in Fashion. This very quickly turned to a permanent position moving from receptionist and ending my 14 year tenure as a Director of Operations to have my first child. Since then, I have worked in senior management roles in Aerospace manufacturing and maintenance operations. Travelling the world and working in different countries until I left the business to have my second child.
I knew I didn’t want to go back to the crazy work life and really wanted to spend my time with my children, and I was lucky to have had a creative background and somehow stumbled upon the Art of Quilling whilst on my maternity leave. Having never tried this craft, I was intrigued and bought my basic kit to start quilling. I had no idea what I was doing, and through trial and error, I made my first paper quilled unicorn. I loved this process and one design led to another and within a few months, VishwArt – my creative art business was born. I knew this was the calling as it felt so right. I was doing something that brough me so much peace and gave happiness to others. Not to mention the fact that I was now spending time with my kids .. it was definitely a “win win” situation.
Can you tell us a bit about using art as a therapy to help us emotionally?
I have always found creativity as my way of expressing what I can not verbally express. Having spent months quilling, I found that it was really helping me deal with my post-natal depression.
Not to mention that I was struggling with anxiety and this process of creating and working with something tangible was helping me stay calm, focus on the present and really work through the anxiety.
Art therapy is said to have proven rather beneficial in helping us emotionally. Immersing oneself in any form of creative activity allows one to help make sense of things and understand ourselves better. It can also help us resolve complicated feelings, or find ways in dealing with them.
Art therapy allows us to be in the present moment, practice mindfulness and this in essence takes away the feelings of anxieties which in a lot of cases is to do with the fear of the future.
Can you share a story about how the work you do impacts your clients?
Since starting to teach this beautiful and ancient art of quilling, I have been invited to many such groups to host masterclasses. It has been absolutely beautiful to get the feedback on these classes as each of the attendees have felt calm, grounded and in a state of relaxation by the end of each session. And this is the feeling that I have personally experienced since I’ve started quilling, when in a state of panic or discomfort, I resort to quilling and I find myself totally calm and centred by the time I’m finished.
A lot of my students are young children as well, and the feedback from their parents have been so positive and inspiring that the kids leave their devices to one side to pick up their quilling kits and start creating from that they’ve learnt during their sessions with me.
What will the workshop be about? What will you be teaching our members?
The workshop will briefly touch on art as a form of therapy and then introduce the members to the history of Paper Quilling and fundamentals of quilling. During the session, we will be learning the basic and fundamental techniques of Paper Quilling and we will be making a Paper Quilled Tea Light Holder. This will be created through a process of learning the techniques how to create each element that forms the final creation. The techniques are very simple to follow and everyone can quill!
Become a member
Every month we have a new workshop and a new expert sharing their knowledge, offering tools and resources to aid personal, emotional and spiritual growth. You will have unlimited access to this workshop while you are a member and a chance to discuss your thoughts with the expert. If you want to join the members club, you can sign up here.