Painting helps heal the pain

The paints and pencils of the art world are helping local adult child abuse sufferers deal with their painful pasts.

Last weekend participants in a series of art workshops held by Wollongong’s Advocates for Adult Survivors of Child Abuse held an exhibition of their recent works.

The group is made up of people who experienced abuse as a child and wish to use art and the camaraderie of the group to help them deal with the trauma of the past.

West Wollongong resident and group member Jenny Phillips, who sold her first painting over the weekend, said she heard about the group through a television advertisement, but had no prior artistic experience.

She said shared experiences and a culture of acceptance made the workshops a wonderful experience.

“It’s a happy place to be and you don’t feel like you have to prove anything to anybody,” Ms Phillips told the Wollongong and Northern Leader.

“It means that I’ve found people who understand my feelings (and) we all have a common goal – we’re trying to survive this.”

Another group member, Kay Dwyer, said the number of people involved in the group fluctuated between six and 12 most of the time.

Ms Dwyer, who has been attending the workshops for several years, said she finds it very relaxing to come together and create with the other members.

“I find it very relaxing and therapeutic and we sort of enjoy each others company,” she said.

“It’s sort of like a sharing thing – that people can understand what we’ve gone through.”

The group’s recent exhibition included a number of paintings in a variety of styles and covering a range of themes.

Ms Phillips estimated that over 200 people attended.

Ms Dwyer said many people who come to the group have no artistic skills whatsoever to begin with, but said many people have liked it so much they have gone on to study art at TAFE.