 A healthy mom equals a healthy baby. Discover how art can help achieve this goal.
Post-Partum depression is a very REAL and SCARY experience for mothers, but there is a way to make it better.The gift of an art class or paint night as form of therapy and relaxation is a great way to help a mom get back on track, and out of the house for some much needed socialization. Art provides a calm, safe, quiet, neutral environment for moms to sort out their emotions. After my first I had post-par tum depression. Thankfully, I am an Artist, and immersing myself in my art was a great way for me to relax during baby's nap time. Although parenting can be crazy and unpredictable, it can also be routine. Studies have shown that a child's mental health can be affected by a mom's health during the pre-natal, and post-partum period. That is why mom's and dad's need to have their own time away from the children, and even each other doing things they enjoy to be great moms and dads. For many new moms who are going through post-par tum depression they are adjusting to a completely different community of people, and lifestyle choices. They may not be ready to engage in highly social activities because they are tired, stressed, and may still be recovering physically. That is why sending them to a paint night or art class is so beneficial for them. Art classes, are low key, and they have the opportunity to learn techniques so when the kids get older they can start doing art at home in their downtime. Paint nights are a great alternative to a bar if a mom wants to get out and meet new people on "her time", that is not to late at night. After having my first, I realized the majority of the things I liked to do for fun started at 9pm or 10pm at night, which was too late for a new tired mom. Although the needs of each parent is different, one principal remains the same. Parents are still humans, who need community, their own identity outside of parenthood, and intellectual/ physical stimulation. When you recognize who you are, and what you stand for, and where you want your life to go as a parent, you will be more mentally clear to raise emotionally strong children. By taking care of yourself, you are taking care of your child too. Now that I am a mom, I understand the challenges parent face even more then when I was just teaching children. I want you to discover the joy of parenting without feeling caged by post-partum depression. There is nothing wrong with you, give yourself a chance to fly. Get out and try new things. Give up perfection, and comparing yourself to others. I know what Art did for me, and I would like to share that gift with you. I would love to meet you in one of my public art classes. Stay in touch.
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 Due to popular demand, I will be offering Intermediate acrylic painting and drawing classes for adults starting April.2017 at Michaels every Wednesday from 3PM to 5PM at the Polo Park location. This class is ideal for Artists with some painting and drawing experience who would like to learn how to work with specialty brushes, neon and metallic paints, sponges and painting knives tricks and techniques. From taking these classes you will learn how to: 1. Reduce paint waste 2. Save time by mastering specialty brush stroke techniques 3. Learn how to create a hyper realistic piece with only two to three brushes 4. Learn how to create texture with finger and sponge painting techniques 5. How to take photography of your choice and render it into a gorgeous painting in class in under 2 hours. (Students must submit their images a week before hand.) 6. Receive one on one coaching in a small class room setting to work out you =r learning kinks in the classroom so you can focus your energy on creating beautiful artwork at home faster. Students are recommended to sign up for a one month series of 1 class per week to learn intermediate foundation skills and receive adequate coaching. Each week we will cover the following categories with students having the ability to select the subject area they would like to focus on based on their interests: Week 1-Floral
& more! Register in person @ Michaels Polo Park and automatically get 40% off of your Grumbacher student supplies and in-store savings! 
Art, a safe, fun, relaxing activity after divorce.
Art is a meditative, conscious, healing experience where an artists at any level can create a beautiful scrapbook of their memories. Creating art is truly an adventure because it causes you to search out new places, ideas, and people, which is exactly what new Divorcee's want. This process of "re-discovering yourself" and creating a new identity outside of your spouse is important. It can be a very powerful, and uplifting experience that can take you to new heights. The process of divorce can be very hard when juggling mixed emotions, and sometimes you feel like you just want to be by yourself or an unfamiliar place where there is no reminders. This is what is so great about art, is it is a very introspective activity that can be done alone in the privacy of you own home or with a small group of people. As art classes attracts people who are looking to learn new things and make new friends, it can be a very positive environment for a new divorcee. Taking an art class or to is a great start as it helps to have a mentor/ coach/ teacher to help you set a new foundation to grow your hobby into whatever you want it to be. Whether you are just wanting to try a class or two to see if art is for you, or make it a permanent activity you do once or twice a week, art has the potential to be a positive outlet that can provide relaxation and peace to your new life. Art is an exciting adventure. Every time you learn a new technique, or master an old one it builds your confidence. Creating art is not about making something "perfect" for anyone else,It is about making something that makes YOU feel good. Having an outlet to express yourself safely on a down day can be very uplifting. Kids struggle with divorce just as much as adults do at any age. Kids who do not have a safe place to express their emotions constructively often have difficulties in their relationships as an adult. Counselling is always helpful, but not for everyone. Kids who may have excelled in other extra curricular activities before the divorce may find they need some alone time away from the familiar to gather themselves. I encourage you to try an artistic activity if you or someone you know is going through a divorce (either adult or child). If you are interested in taking art classes I would love to have you. To learn more visit: www.artwithsas.com/artwithsasartclasses.html  Art is an automatic cultural education tool that brings people from different cultures together.
Just like music art speaks to everyone in a unique language that is received by each individual differently. As ancient and classic oil and acrylic paintings are a historical cultural archive, by studying art one can learn about various cultures without traveling in a non-intimidating fashion.Art has the power of decreasing in differences in two separate individuals through the process of art education. People from two completely different walks of life can connect over the same piece art. Just like music and dance, visual arts is a communication of the deepest thought and feelings of the mind and soul. Feelings that even the Artist who created the piece does not always understand to explain. Art has a way of showing how incredibly similar we are to each other. Kids who may have conflict with each other are suddenly calm and congenial with each other after participating in an art class together. When I was beginning my awkward pre-teen years I met my best friend of my childhood through participating in an art class. He was quiet, shy, and kind of anti-social, but we connected over the same drawing interests while sitting beside each other in detention (lol).I talked to him for months before he finally said a word to me. He showed up at my house one day after school, after I had totally forgotten about him and given up. It turns out that although we were from two completely different cultures we had a lot in common, and so it goes. This same friend was for many years, the only one encouraging me to pursue my artistic interests professionally. If you are interested in having your child receive an arts education that teaches them about different cultures, sign them up for an art class that focuses on one or more cultures. The art class can be anything from how to make moccasins, to decorating Ukrainian eggs. As long as their is art history included in the class your child will easily learn about another culture, and will in turn gain more social skills, and cultural understanding. A child with cultural understanding will transition better in school in their teen years, and will also be a better team player when they enter the workforce. For more information on my cultural enrichment art workshops for schools and daycare's please visit: www.artwithsas.com/about.html
Arts Enrichment Education for Home Schools is an absolute must have for mom's to provide a well-rounded arts literacy for their child.
For the past 8 years I have taught dance, music, and fitness classes in various home schools and it was an eyeopening, rewarding experience. To be honest, before having my own children I didn't fully understood the core reasons why parents chose to home school their child. After deciding that I want to home school my children as a part of their education plan my first mission was to research educational tools and mobile programs. It was then that I found not only can you ensure your child is educated in their own style, but they can also learn a bit of everything while focusing on their interests. Home schooling education is just as good as a other forms of children's education. For thousands of years before their was such a thing as a school curriculum, and private/ public schools, all children were informally educated in a home school fashion from their community/ village. Educating children was a collaborative effort just like it is today in modern society. Artists, engineers, scientists, and mathematicians who were raised in this environment invented the marvelous technologies we have available to us today. I do believe that all works of art are an expressions of the souls memories, dreams, desires, and fears. Every child at every age, from every walk of life should study art because it increases their cultural literacy. Children with an increased cultural literacy communicate better with their peers, and are much more likely to develop relationships with people from various walks of life from the time they are a child into their adult years. Children with an arts education will also become more interested in their natural environment as they develop literacy in all things nature such as water and animals, and the importance of caring for them. For children who struggle with subjects such as math, science, history, and even biology, a cultural arts education can cause an interest in these subject.s This will make it easier for them to overcome any learning difficulties they may be having. My goal when offering an art workshop or class to a student whether a child or an adult, is to challenge them to explore the world around them. To learn more about art wrokshops for your homeschool please visit: www.artwithsas.com/about.html Or contact me directly in the form below. |
Author 
Stephanie A.E Strugar
Certified Grumbacher Painting & Drawing Instructor. She is a retired Certified Face/ Body & Temporary Tattoo Artist. Caricaturist. She is currently an active Public Speaker, Consultant, and Arts Educator in the Manitoba and greater Canada area. Archives
May 2020
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