ASTAR is a Healing Art which draws on the transformative power of artmaking for health and well-being. The ASTAR approach is non-judgemental. The process is guided by a skilled facilitator who provides the group with inspirational exercises to overcome fear and to bypass the inner critic. The art process engages the “don’t think mind” and encourages finding intuitive solutions and experimenting with a wide variety of art materials, found objects and natural materials. While the entry point is not technical, many art skills and techniques are learnt along the way. Participants are encouraged to work without any planned outcomes or expectations, to trust the creative process and to honour all that is made with acceptance. The studio is quiet and undisturbed by the outside world and the process is essentially non-verbal. The process can be light and playful, or meditative or, at times, deeply moving and powerful. In today’s stressful world, a non-judgemental creative space is a sanctuary for free expression, self-reflection and restoration. For all of us, rediscovering and honouring the creative self is essential in our journey towards wholeness. ‘Art is medicine for the soul.’
