Summer — Joy, Connection & Being Present
Embracing the seasons through creativity, nature and wellbeing
At Art for Wellness CIC, we love the changing seasons.
Each one brings something different to notice, explore and create with. The colours change, nature changes, the light changes — and so do we.
Our seasonal creativity is about more than making art. It is about taking notice, slowing down, connecting with nature and giving ourselves permission to create simply for the joy of it.
And summer brings a wonderful invitation:
Be present. Notice the joy. Create something.
🌻 What does summer mean to you?
Summer can bring sunshine, longer days, gardens in bloom, holidays, trips to the seaside, picnics, outdoor adventures and time spent with people we love.
But summer doesn’t have to mean being busy or making the most of every minute.
Sometimes summer wellbeing can be as simple as sitting outside with a cup of tea, listening to the birds, watching the clouds or noticing the colours in a flower.
You don’t have to go anywhere special to experience a moment of summer.
It’s already happening around you.
Take a moment to look.
What can you see?
What can you hear?
What colours catch your eye?
What does the air feel like?
These small moments of noticing can help bring us back into the present.
🎨 Summer Through Art
Summer gives us an amazing natural colour palette.
Think bright flowers, blue skies, green leaves, golden sunlight, colourful gardens and shimmering water.
Nature becomes our inspiration.
You might find inspiration in:
🌻 Sunflowers
🌸 Summer flowers
🦋 Butterflies
🌿 Leaves and grasses
🌊 The sea and water
☁️ Summer skies
🍓 Summer fruits
🐝 Bees and insects
🌳 Trees and woodland
🌅 Sunsets
You don’t have to copy what you see.
Instead, ask yourself:
“How does summer make me feel?”
Maybe your answer is happy.
Perhaps calm.
Excited.
Free.
Nostalgic.
Connected.
Or maybe summer brings complicated feelings too.
Whatever comes up is okay.
There is no right way to experience a season.
And there is no right way to create.
💜 A Summer Creative Prompt: Paint the Feeling of Summer
Take a piece of paper and choose a few colours that remind you of summer.
Don’t think too much about what you are going to create.
Start with a mark.
Then another.
Perhaps a splash of colour.
A circle.
A line.
A pattern.
Let the colours move across the page.
You could add flowers, sunshine, waves, butterflies or anything else that comes to mind.
Or you can keep it completely abstract.
As you create, think about:
What brings me joy?
It might be something very small.
A favourite song.
A walk.
A cup of coffee.
Time with family.
A garden.
A holiday memory.
Laughter with a friend.
Making something with your hands.
Write a few of those things around your artwork.
This becomes your own little Summer Joy Map.
Keep it somewhere you can see it and return to it whenever you need a reminder of the good things in your life.
🌿 Nature Is Our Creative Inspiration
Nature has always been an important part of our work at Art for Wellness CIC.
We don’t see nature as something separate from creativity. It can be our inspiration, our starting point and sometimes simply a place to pause.
A walk through a garden can become a colour-hunting exercise.
A fallen leaf can become a printing tool.
A flower can inspire a painting.
A view can become an art journal page.
A pebble can become a little piece of artwork carrying a positive message.
There are endless possibilities when we start to look at the world through creative eyes.
And you don’t need expensive art materials.
A pencil, some paper and a little curiosity are enough to begin.
🌸 Creating Together
One of the things we love most about our workshops is the connection that happens when people create together.
You don’t need to be an artist.
You don’t need to have previous experience.
You don’t even need to know what you’re going to make.
Our workshops are about having a go, experimenting and enjoying the process.
We have explored painting, mixed media, collage, art journaling, mindful mark-making, nature-inspired creativity and many other activities through our community sessions.
We’ve seen people arrive saying:
“I’m not creative.”
And then, an hour or two later, they are holding something they have created themselves and smiling.
That’s why we do what we do.
Creativity can open conversations.
It can build confidence.
It can provide a sense of achievement.
And it can bring people together.
☀️ Looking Back at Our Summer Creativity
Summer has inspired many of our creative activities and community workshops.
From colourful artwork and nature-inspired projects to activities designed simply to encourage people to play, experiment and have fun, we believe there is enormous value in giving ourselves permission to create without worrying about the finished result.
Our Creative Wellbeing for Adults – Nature & Seasons work has also given us opportunities to explore how the natural world can support creative wellbeing.
We’ve watched participants discover new techniques, try something they never thought they could do and share their creativity with others.
Sometimes the artwork isn’t the most important thing.
Sometimes it’s the conversation around the table.
Sometimes it’s the laughter.
Sometimes it’s the feeling of being included.
Sometimes it’s simply having somewhere to go and something enjoyable to do.
That is creative wellbeing too.
🎨 What’s Coming Up?
Our programme of creative wellbeing workshops continues throughout the year across Penistone, Barnsley, Sheffield and surrounding communities.
Depending on the project, our sessions can include therapeutic art, seasonal creativity, nature-inspired activities, mixed media, painting, creative journaling and mindful art.
Some workshops are funded and free to attend, while other sessions are available through our public bookings.
If you’d like to find out where we’re holding our latest workshops, keep an eye on our upcoming events and join us for some creative time together.
You don’t have to be good at art. You just have to be willing to have a go.
🌱 Bring Creativity Into Your Summer at Home
You can also create your own little summer wellbeing ritual.
Try taking 10 minutes each day to:
🌻 Notice something beautiful
🎨 Make a few marks on paper
🌿 Spend time outside
📖 Write something you’re grateful for
🦋 Photograph something that catches your attention
☀️ Sit quietly and notice the world around you
💜 Do something creative simply because you enjoy it
It doesn’t have to become another thing on your to-do list.
There are no rules.
There is no target.
There is no finished product required.
Just make some space for creativity.
💜 Create With Us Online
And if you can’t make it to one of our face-to-face workshops, you can still be part of our creative community online.
Our stART Therapeutic Art membership is a wonderful place to begin.
🌱 Start for free
Our free membership gives you access to creative wellbeing resources and activities that you can explore from home, at your own pace.
You don’t need to consider yourself artistic.
You don’t need lots of materials.
You can simply start where you are.
✨ Take it further with the HUB
For those who want more, our Start Therapeutic Art HUB membership is £10 per month.
Join Now & Lock in Your Lifetime Price*
Prices increase to £15 in 2027—buy now and beat the rise!
*Lifetime price applies as long as membership remains active.
The HUB provides enhanced access to our creative wellbeing resources and gives you more opportunities to explore therapeutic art, creative activities, inspiration and wellbeing.
It’s designed for people who want creativity to become a regular part of their wellbeing routine.
Whether you have five minutes or an afternoon, you can dip in and create whenever you need it.
The HUB gives you enhanced access to our creative wellbeing resources, inspiration and activities, helping you make creativity a more regular part of your wellbeing routine.
Whether you have ten minutes, half an hour or a whole afternoon, you can dip in whenever you need some creative time.
It’s your space to create, explore, reflect and connect.
☀️ Let Summer Remind You to Notice the Good
Summer can be a beautiful reminder that we don’t always have to be looking towards the next thing.
Sometimes we can simply be here.
Feeling the sunshine.
Listening to the birds.
Watching the clouds.
Smelling the flowers.
Laughing with someone we love.
Picking up a paintbrush.
Making something with our hands.
Being present doesn’t mean everything in life has to be perfect.
It simply means giving ourselves permission to notice the moment we’re in.
What if, this summer, you looked for the little moments of joy?
Not the big ones.
Not the perfect ones.
Just the little ones.
Because sometimes wellbeing isn’t about changing everything.
Sometimes it’s about noticing what is already there.
🌻 Creativity. Nature. Connection. Wellbeing.
At Art for Wellness CIC, our aim is to make creativity and creative wellbeing accessible, inclusive and affordable.
We believe everyone should have the opportunity to explore creativity, connect with others and take time for their own wellbeing.
So this summer, why not pick up a pencil?
Paint a flower.
Collect a pebble.
Write down something that makes you smile.
Sit outside.
Notice the colours.
Create something just for you.
And most importantly…
Don’t forget to enjoy the season you’re in.
Create • Connect • Inspire Wellbeing
With love,
Debbie, Heather & Rosie
Art for Wellness CIC 💜
🎧 Summer Series – Create Your Best Life Podcast
Summer is also a time to explore, imagine and create, and our Create Your Best Life podcast Summer Series takes you on a creative journey through different places, landscapes and experiences around the world.
From Scotland and Wales to Africa, Gran Canaria, Tokyo, India, London and even beneath the waves, each episode invites you to pause, imagine and see the world through a creative lens. With guided meditations, visualisation, creative prompts and gentle wellbeing reflections, the series encourages you to step away from everyday life for a little while and give yourself permission to dream, explore and reconnect with your imagination.
You don’t need to travel anywhere — simply press play, close your eyes and let your creativity take you there. 💜🎨
PODCAST – Create Your Best Life
The podcast that inspires you to live your best life.
https://artforwellness.podbean.com
All channels for podcast
Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/create-your-best-life/id1706973791
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/34hlEYw9FOTLLvvb0ofWuH?si=4d488b2bb8694f34
Amazon Music https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cba2f877-0f31-411c-80fe-d7a88840e7f7/create-your-best-life
