Art therapist (thesis pending) Erika DuChene has found a way to stay creative and connected with the community by hosting online craft sessions.
DuChene runs The Art of Healing program offered by the Mushkegowuk Council’s youth department. A big part of her job involves travelling around the Cochrane-Timmins area and to the James Bay communities holding presentations and group sessions using art as a form of therapeutic healing.
When the provincial orders restricting travelling due to COVID-19 were put in place, it became challenging to reach the coastal communities, DuChene said, so she decided to launch the Big Comfy Couch series of videos on Facebook showing how to make easy craft items.
“It’s to be able to create something that’s meditative, so still bringing that therapeutic component in,” she explained.
Using natural materials that can be easily found around home, such as old magazines, glue and dish towels, DuChene guides the viewers through the process step-by-step.
So far, she made videos on how to create a nature mandala, stuffed animals, jar lid magnets and cardboard roses. DuChene uploads videos at least once a week.
“Often when you say the word ‘art,’ there is such an expectation that there has to be fine art material like it can’t be something from outside or that’s close to you. And you might not think of it as a way of viewing certain things within your home differently.”
DuChene said she plans to keep making videos until the pandemic is over although she could possibly continue doing it after the restrictions are lifted.
“Hopefully, it keeps growing and it becomes something that would eventually be a regular Tuesday tune-in type of thing.”
She said she finds inspiration and new ideas online or from previous training experience with her art therapy program. DuChene praised the communities saying there’s so much creativity it was “mind-boggling” for her when she first started working for the program.
“Just to find that positive of being in your home and having a healthy hobby to express yourself and do something creative and give gifts. You can mail things out, you can go drive down the street and leave it on someone’s porch," DuChene said about what she hopes the viewers will take away from her sessions.
Another idea she has is to use old clothing, such as jeans, to make an apron. She also said she hopes to make a cooking-based video as well as more education-based sessions such as creative writing activities once the school is done.
"I don’t want the activities right now to take too much time away from home ... That way the kids can focus on doing something like that,” DuChene said.
The Art of Healing Mushkegowuk Council Facebook page can be found here.
