{"id":32,"date":"2023-08-15T00:40:32","date_gmt":"2023-08-15T00:40:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/altheaknight.com\/renew\/?page_id=32"},"modified":"2026-09-25T21:40:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T21:40:10","slug":"community","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/altheaknight.com\/index.php\/community\/","title":{"rendered":"Community Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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 The Creative Art of Being\u00a9<\/strong><\/h2>

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What happens when we play, explore and make without worrying whether we’re doing it right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Creative Art of Being\u00a9 began in 2007, after hearing people say, \u201cI\u2019m not creative\u201d or \u201cI could never do that.\u201d I never believed it belonged to some and not others. It\u2019s something we all have. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes our access to it gets shut down by criticism, by being told we can\u2019t do something, or by deciding for ourselves that we can\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes we need a space to find our way back in, and someone who knows how to open that door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Creative Art of Being\u00a9 is that space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You don\u2019t need to be an artist, know what you want to make, or have any particular skill. We play, explore and make through movement, sound, colour, texture, writing, drawing, materials, working individually, with another person, or creating together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can try something, change it, let it go and begin again. There is no pressure to make something good, beautiful or finished. What matters is having the freedom to explore without judgment and discover through the experience itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe Creative Art of Being\u00a9 created an intimate community and stimulated creation and inspiration for exploration beyond the session itself. Althea is a joyous, sensitive and energetic facilitator. Her commitment to the practice is felt by everyone participating, deepening the experience as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014 Madeline Brown, Theatre Direct<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Community Practice<\/h2>
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There are places where words run out: shelters, classrooms, community spaces, places where something needs to be expressed, explored, or simply held. I go there with movement, art, walking, breath, sound, silence, and everything I\u2019ve learned through years of exploring, practicing, and discovering what helps, both for myself and in working with others. I listen, adapt, and draw on what I\u2019ve learned in ways that meet what is needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Not everyone arrives in crisis. Some simply want to shift something in their lives. Either way, the work begins with what is already there: curiosity, experience, memory, questions, and the possibility of change. It doesn\u2019t begin with talking or explaining. It begins by creating enough safety and space for people to notice what they already know, and discover what might be possible next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI am very particular about who works with the often-vulnerable individuals we serve, and have
complete faith in Althea in all areas.\u201d
<\/p>\n\u2014 Yvonne Jack, Founder, Xhastin\u2019s Healing Journey; Member, Taku River Tlingit First Nation<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

That trust shows up differently depending on where the work is needed.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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When something needs to shift<\/h2>
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The work has taken place with women and children leaving violent homes, people navigating mental health challenges, substance use or housing instability, and people looking for something different in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The work creates room to care for ourselves, name what\u2019s difficult without having to explain everything, and find ways of moving forward that can be carried beyond the session. Mostly, it helps people reconnect with what they already know and build from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cShe created a space of openness, caring and safe expression in a challenging environment,
resulting in tools for real change.\u201d
<\/p>\n\u2014 Gloria Johnston, Whitehorse Correctional Centre<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes what\u2019s carried beyond the session travels further than one room. Some invitations aren\u2019t organized at all someone experiences the work, brings it home, and gathers their own community to receive it.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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For community and connection<\/h2>
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A weekly walking group for women and children carrying grief and the effects of gender-based violence, bringing gentle movement, nature, art, laughter, and conversation through parks, ravines, and city streets. We walked and talked, noticing what was around us, exchanging stories, and finding moments of connection and joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The LOVE Walk, raising awareness around gender-based violence through simultaneous walks in cities across the country, each led by someone committed to bringing the conversation into their own community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parkdale Community Walking Group<\/strong>
<\/strong>Connecting our community in wellness and experiences, one step at a time<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A weekly neighbourhood walking group created in Parkdale, an underserved community, to bring people together, reduce isolation and encourage a deeper connection with our shared urban environment. We explored parks, streets, community gardens and local landmarks, noticing nature and the changing seasons along the way, while looking at art, participating in community cleanups, sharing resources, stories and laughter, and creating special gatherings throughout the year, including holiday celebrations, Seniors\u2019 Day activities and a Jane\u2019s Walk: A Church and Two Temples<\/em>, exploring the history and cultural life of the neighbourhood. The group offered a simple way to get outside, meet neighbours, discover more of the place we called home and experience the pleasure of doing things together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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All three share a simple premise: moving through the natural world can change how we experience ourselves, one another, and the places we live. Sometimes a walk is enough to begin noticing what has been dfficult to reach while standing stil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That same premise, that presence and movement can open something words can\u2019t, carries into classrooms and training rooms as well.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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For learning, community, and change<\/h2>
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Students, educators, community members, and people participating in mental health, peer support, and self-care programs have all experienced the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes it takes the form of a single session; sometimes it unfolds over weeks or months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI was really impressed, especially by how the difficult content was handled. It still needed
careful, professional facilitation to properly convey to the kids.\u201d
<\/p>\n\u2014 Karl Calhoun, Vice Principal<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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What people carried forward<\/h2>
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\u201cI found it interesting to observe my inner world expressed in ways other than words, how
blockages dissolved through drawing, dance, sound.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\u2014 Maja Bratuz, Nova Gorica, Slovenia<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cBefore, I worried a lot. After walking with Althea, I felt lighter.\u201d
<\/p>\n\u2014 Resident, Redwood Shelter<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cAlthea did a phenomenal job creating the LOVE Walk. It happened simultaneously in Paris, Whitehorse, Italy, New York, and Ottawa. She\u2019s a special and magical woman, able to create truly comfortable spaces for people.\u201d
<\/p>\n\u2014 Sidrah Ahmad, Senior Coordinator, Gender-Based Violence Program<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Since 2007, the work has traveled to:<\/strong>
Ottawa \u00b7 Toronto \u00b7 Montreal \u00b7 New York \u00b7 E!on \u00b7 London \u00b7 Paris \u00b7 Ljubljana \u00b7 Bled \u00b7 Osaka \u00b7 Nagoya \u00b7 Melbourne \u00b7 Kingston, Jamaica \u00b7 Whitehorse<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you\u2019re wondering whether this could work for you, your community, or your organization, get in touch. We\u2019ll have a conversation and figure out what\u2019s possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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