Meet the founder

Here’s a little bit about me ….

My career journey so far has largely been shaped around wanting to help people.

I started my career as a Care Assistant, supporting adults with learning disabilities after  volunteering with a Special Education Needs (SEN) drama group, whilst studying my A Level in Theatre Studies and a BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts. 

I spent a further six years in the care sector, whilst gaining my BA (Hons) Degree in Sociology and Drama at Liverpool Hope University. It was here I learnt about dramatherapy, psychodrama and drama play.

Unsure of my next steps following graduation and being financially challenged, I opted to seek work in numerous settings to establish how psychotherapeutic creative interventions could be applied to help individuals, no matter their circumstances. I secured further employment within a SEN setting, that worked with children experiencing Emotional Behavioural Disorders (EBD) and Mild Learning Disabilities (MLD). I spent six months in a maximum secure prison teaching a range of subjects, incorporating creative techniques and supporting the elderly in the community.

I then returned to working with adults with learning disabilities, in both residential and day centres, where I quickly progressed to become a manager of a local care home.

At the age of twenty-four, working long hours and giving too so many had taken its toll. Fast forward twenty years, I had landed a role in a Further Education College as a Business Development and Commercial Manager, moving into a more corporate industry, which resulted in burnout on more than one occasion, as I threw myself into my career. 

On 9thMarch 2019 Covid-19 struck. I had moved to Wales but was alone, isolated, peri-menopausal, working twice as hard and not allowed to visit anyone or go anywhere. I was completely overwhelmed by the situation and continued to live in that mode for a further two-years.

In 2021, I was completely lost, anxious, feeling angry, lacking in confidence and was fearful of becoming another mental health statistic. I kept trying to think of a point in my life when I was happy. I knew I needed to do something, but the more I tried the more stressed I become. To overcome the fears, challenging myself for a healthy happier life meant doing something I had not done for years – creative arts. 

I found the Holistic Integrated Creative Arts Therapies (HICAT) course, and it changed my life! I finally found something that allowed me to fully immerse myself in creativity, focus on my wellness, without judgement and find things that filled my cup!

After completing the course, I was bursting with excitement. I felt empowered, I had got my mojo back and I was feeling more ready than ever before to help others overcome their challenges. I continued learning, completing my Mind Body Education (MBE) Teacher training and became a fully licenced provider, delivering the HICAT course, ready to share this special journey with others. That’s when Connect with Creativity was born. 

Losing yourself affects everything, your mind, body, emotions and behaviour, but finding yourself again reignites passion, brings confidence and with daily practices enable you to live a much more fulfilled life.

It is truly a privilege to witness an individual fully immerse themselves in creative modalities, explore, experience, and achieve so much beyond who they think they are. Every student is unique, and they have gained holistic creative skills, tools and techniques equipping them to face life changing challenges, make a deeper connection and empower themselves to focus on their future.

Connect with Creativity has grown each year and now offers so much more than the HICAT course, including, 1-1 Creative Coaching and group workshops, suitable for companies wanting to empower their workforce to local communities who want to come together in a creative, fun, and safe space.

For more information get in touch, I would love to connect creatively with you✨✨✨