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Holy Rood House

 Time and space for creativity & restoration

Therapeutic Arts

In one sense, all the work that goes on at Holy Rood House is creative.  There is that element of newness, of restoration, in everything from the creation of the chocolate chip cookie to the powerful relaxation of massage to the quietness of prayer and meditation.


Each person involved in creative arts shares what we can of our skills and experience to give guests at Holy Rood House the skills and confidence to use our creative media for themselves.



Creative Arts

by Elaine Wisdom, Developing Art within a Therapeutic Community

The art room is an open space enabling guests to move in and out as they wish, working on their own pieces.  The space is used in various ways according to differing needs.  People may come to relax, explore possibilities...to play with colour, shape, line, texture...learning  to play again and enjoy the creative process. This may be through poster paints, clay, collage or weaving.


When life is difficult for us, we may prefer to work one to one, exploring through colour, gesture, expression and process, some of the issues that have brought us to this point in our lives.  This may be painful whilst also enabling us to work towards our own healing within a safe environment.


Connecting with the creativity, which is within all of us opens up so many areas of possibility, offering the hope of change and transformation.  The possibility of hope nurtures the spirit within, a visible expression of creative energy.  This process is ongoing, unfolding, revealing, exciting, sometimes risky, gentle and loving and full of surprises.




Creative Writing can be a therapeutic tool in the process of self exploration and healing.


Gillie Bolton, says in her book Writing Cures: Writing has a power all of its own… It can allow an exploration of cognitive, emotional and spiritual areas otherwise not accessible… The very act of creativity… tends to increase self confidence, feelings of self worth and motivation for life.


Creative Writing works in different ways:

As a pleasurable activity, it can provide ‘time out’ - a way of relaxing and actually forgetting problems.

It can be a useful way of getting distressing thoughts, feelings and experiences down onto paper.

It can be used to help people to explore feelings and thoughts and become more self aware.


Creative writing can also be used for noticing and reflecting back behaviour and life events as well as assisting in exploration of different ways of being and reacting and in finding ways forward.


A place to tap into the creative part of me


…an oasis in a desert…..helping me to rediscover my creativity…