We’re in a coworking space right now to help with our neurodivergent need for body doubling and it’s working well. However, we’ve hit a snag…

Well, less of a snag and more of a realisation! We’d like to ask for your help so we can plan for the next project by meeting your expectations as best as possible, as we’re at the stage where some things we plan would be best checked with you first.

Please check out the survey below by clicking the link and fill it in when you have a few moments with a nice cuppa, we’re looking forward to the next round of applications and bringing you more in 2024!

Survey for project 2, 2024-2026

Very best wishes,

Lyndsey

This year we’ve run art workshops combined with therapeutic coaching and documented the process on film. On June 6th 2024 we screened the film at Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, UK illustrating what our participants explored through the project with regards to being autistic/adhd women. It was nothing short of wonderful. However, we missed you if you couldn’t be there…

If you missed the in-person screening for any reason, you still have another opportunity to view the film and take part in the Q&A, all online from the comfort of your own home. We look forward to seeing you! Hope you can be there!

Signup for online screening + Q&A

(The online film screening has now passed as this took place in June 2024, but we’ll offer other ways to see this for the future).

Very best wishes,

Lyndsey x

This year we’ve run art workshops with some therapeutic coaching mixed in and documented the process. On June 6th 2024 we screened a film at Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, UK illustrating what our participants explored through the project with regards to being autistic/adhd women. It was nothing short of wonderful. We aim to help autistic and/or adhd women like yourself explore your neurodivergent experience away from medical model gaze so that you can feel seen and more empowered.

If you missed the in-person screening for any reason, you still have another opportunity to view the film and take part in the Q&A, all online from the comfort of your own home. We look forward to seeing you there! Look out for our email shortly to signup!

Very best wishes,

Lyndsey

xxx

The online workshops help us explore social isolation and masking as autistic, adhd or audhd women  – a perfect chance to enhance your skills and express yourself creatively, get started for the first time, or engage in some self-reflective enquiry.

The mission of The Soft Expressive CIC is to help women lead even more fulfilling, mentally healthier lives* by coming together around their creativity and self-reflection. Many have mentioned that attending in person can be a bit of a challenge, so the online space feels like the next place to deliver this to you! 

What’s in Store?

There are 2 online workshops of 60 minutes minutes each (Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th May 2024), and each session is part :

1) tuition on wonky pen illustration and wash (watercolour) using photos and objects as reference.

2) with self-reflective prompts, and for this project, the prompts are around masking and social connectedness as voted for by you lovely people.

We have 10 spots for each workshop to get things off the ground. (We do have plans to run more workshops in future - look out for our survey soon!) 

You don’t have to be a visual artist to take part in the online workshops, just curious. If you’ve never done art before and feel anxious about even the thought but would like to try, that’s perfect! Wonky illustration is perfect for the slightly shaky nervous system as a rule and is itself an exercise in radical acceptance, if this is a way you’d like to consider acceptance as part of your neurodivergent self-compassionate explorations. 

The list of materials needed are as follows and if you are having trouble sourcing some contact thesoftexpressive@gmail.com and we can post them out to you ahead of the workshop.

1. Waterproof pen for drawing

2. Sketchbook

3. Travel watercolour pocket set

4. Watercolour brushes

5. Tear-off palettes

6. 2 small jars filled with water (jam jars or similar will do)

We like to encourage comfort, togetherness and pleasure, so would encourage attendees to bring a blanket, cushion for their chair and a candle (LED or otherwise) to bring soft light and a sense of cosiness and reflectiveness - we’ve had some warm days but you never know!

This isn’t about creating perfect art, it’s about slipping into a state of safety and relaxation and creating something unexpectedly beautiful with marks and colour through the wonderful instrument that is your body, gently dancing, or simply chilling, on paper! You can’t get it wrong! 

Why Join?

• Live Interaction: Engage with seasoned and newly emerging fellow art lovers

• Engage with your unique experience as an audhd woman (autism, and/or adhd, and of course non-binary people are also welcome)

• Flexibility: Join from the comfort of your home and at your own pace.

How to Register?

Easy! Just click this link: https://tinyurl.com/ya9y4e9p

📅 Mark your calendars! Don’t miss out on this chance to learn something about yourself, share something if you wish, and connect with other artists in a fun, gentle and exploratory setting. Share this with anyone who might be interested and let’s make it a grand creative and self-reflective gathering.

Let's make art, connect, and create together! 💖

*We have to stress, this isn’t therapy nor can it ever be, and if you feel you need a mental health professional its strongly advised that you see your GP. However, we do create a safe container, so if you wish to explore your experience among like-minds you are welcome to do so as the art often serves as a mirror and part of the prompts we offer encourage you to consider what you see in your creation as it speaks to your experience of being neurodivergent. That said, you can share or choose not to and keep the enquiry for yourself only - both are welcome:) 

Looking forward to seeing you!

Very best wishes,

Lyndsey @ The Soft Expressive

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