Creativity is good for your mental health

When local artist Julie Hogarth-Jones suffered a bereavement in 2021, she turned to her first love of painting.
Here is her inspiring story: “I had a really low patch after losing my Dad, John, who was a very prolific and accomplished painter himself. One thing that really helped me was to put on some music and paint my feelings out.
“The backgrounds to my work became quite abstract and allowed me to vent my emotions on some level. I subsequently then lost my Mum in November last year and turned to painting again.
“Being creative has been shown in many studies to be beneficial for your mind and body. It gives you a break from the stress of a busy life, increases self-esteem and has been shown to decrease anxiety and depression and increase your levels of happiness and contentment.
“I wanted to share my love of art with others and started looking for a way to do this.
“Sip and Paints are popular social events in London, Manchester and other areas but no one was running anything similar here. In fact, a lot of people don’t know what they are when I mention them.
“Basically, they are a very relaxed guided painting session, where you can have a go, even if you haven’t painted before. They typically take place in bars, restaurants or cafes and provide a lovely social environment, where you can relax, get creative and enjoy your favourite alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink.
“All the materials are provided and you can pre-book a seat to create your own masterpiece with Jewels Creatives. I called it Jewels as that’s what my Dad used to call me and also because everyone can create their own “jewel” - their own piece of beautiful art.”
Julie has partnered with Appleby’s in Torquay but is also looking into running events in other areas of the Bay. Sip and Paints are normally held on Fridays in Applebys, with the next event on November 3. Check out Jewels Creatives on Facebook and Instagram for further details.