Buderim Craft Cottage

An informative social gathering to hear Ali’s wisdom 

 

The creative process is often sold to us as ‘fun, messy, and carefree,’ but for many, including myself, it can feel anything but. Standing before any creative endeavour, I’m often met with fear and an overwhelming sense of, “I can’t do this. Who do I think I am?” 

 

Over six years of teaching painting and drawing to students aged 14 to 102, across a vast spectrum of humanity, I’ve discovered one universal truth: I’m not alone in these feelings. While fear and overwhelm are part of the human condition, creatives uniquely confront these emotions in an intimate, hand-to-hand combat. 

 

Creativity has a way of reaching into our subconscious, dredging up hidden fears and unresolved feelings we thought were long buried. But what happens when our creative space feels tight, restrictive, or even unsafe? How do we invite fun, messy, and carefree art-making when our inner selves want to run in the other direction? Why should we lean into this fear instead of running from it? 

 

In this talk, I’ll share insights from my own experiences with mental ‘adventures’ and creative blocks, along with what I’ve learned through my studies in art therapy and counselling. Together, we’ll explore ways to get curious about the subconscious and how it shows up in our creative practice; and how embracing it can lead to deeper, freer expression. 

 

About Ali Gillett 

Ali is an artist, art educator and art therapist who teaches drawing and painting to Brisbane adults through
Brave Arts, her one-woman company, focused on taking the mystery out of art making. 

 

Ali holds a BA in Fine Art from RMIT, Melbourne, 201; a Diploma of Art Therapy, CECAT, 2023;

and is currently completing her Graduate Diploma in Counselling.