Tiger: Hi Folks, One of my favourite disability... - Headway

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Tiger

Matt2584 profile image
10 Replies

Hi Folks,

One of my favourite disability groups has closed now :(.

It was mainly due to the pandemic.

The two ladies who run the club are in their late 70s, early 80s and have been looking for younger management for a long time now.

The club was supposed to restart in September but the covid restrictions that would have to be put in place would make things even more difficult so the best thing would be to close the group which is a massive shame indeed.

When I started the club in 2010? That was when I showed off my art to the ladies who run the group.

They thought what I could do was good and they happen to be into art as well.

They called on another friend who is an artist and she tutored me on my art and bettered my art greatly.

So as a massive thank you I am sending a card to these ladies with this drawing on it and will add some kind words inside :).

I took my time on this drawing and think they will really like where I have come with my art.

AND...

Not only will the drawing be printed onto cards but also I have done this drawing for somebody I know of.

He is/was a homeless person but there is a place close to me called The Centre and they support the homeless and vulnerable people.

My craft groups happen to be held at The Centre and this is how I know of this homeless guy, Brandon is his name.

So with the help of The Centre he has moved into a flat now and he wanted me to do a drawing for him anyway, so I thought he could have a little discount of the price as a ‘house warming’ gift from me :).

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Matt2584 profile image
Matt2584
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10 Replies
iforget profile image
iforget

Matt that is a wonderful drawing and what a lovely and kind idea to send a card with this image on it. I am sure they will really appreciate it.

Matt2584 profile image
Matt2584 in reply to iforget

Thank you iforget :).

cat3 profile image
cat3

Just beautiful artwork as always ! Sorry to hear about the group closing Matt but a nice gesture for the ladies and for Brandon. Gifts with such a personal touch can give great pleasure.... Cat x

Matt2584 profile image
Matt2584 in reply to cat3

Thanks Cat :).You always say the nicest things :).

Leaf100 profile image
Leaf100

Lovely art work, Matt2584. And really very sweet to send the card to the ladies, they will really appreciate it. I am sure they miss the group, too.I am glad Brandon is also doing better and has some beautiful art to help lift his spirits.

Art is something I hope to get more in to a bit later. I have done some and found it like a form of meditation, but also harder brain work than I thought.

It is wonderful you have managed to have this in your life so successfully!

Leaf100

Matt2584 profile image
Matt2584 in reply to Leaf100

Thank you very much Leaf :).I used to draw when I was younger. I drew more cartoons back then.

I still draw in a cartoon/caricature-style but I mostly concentrate on drawing wildlife.

I think the ladies who ran this group will definitely like the drawing/cards.

They aren’t expecting them either so it will be a nice surprise for them.

A few years ago, I used to draw for up to 2 or 3 hours and at the end of a session my head would feel think and my eyes would be very heavy and I would feel very tired.

Around this time was when I started looking more into natural medicines and shunned commercial medicines aside.

I looked into frankincense essential oil which is very good stuff for the brain.

All essential oils when inhaled are sent to the brain but frankincense (and some other oils) cross the blood brain barrier and carry oxygen to the brain.

Oxygen is what the brain needs in order to heal.

I use to sniff it directly out of the bottle.

After a few weeks I found that the fatigue I experienced after drawing had eased.

I have a diffuser in my bedroom so when I sleep I have that on so I constantly breathing in frankincense when I sleep :).

Leaf100 profile image
Leaf100

Thanks for the tip, Matt2584

Matt2584 profile image
Matt2584 in reply to Leaf100

No problem :).Read up more on essential oils if interested.

Some oils you can use topically like Lavender and Frankincense but most of them you shouldn’t use topically.

Painting-girl profile image
Painting-girl

That's a fantastic drawing Matt - you are very talented indeed. It's lovely to hear who and why you are doing them for too.People do really appreciate something that you've spent time on yourself.

So sorry you are losing your club, when you've grown so much through it as an artist. I hope you will find another similar club or class in your area, though it's hard to change when you are used to a particular set of people.

Matt2584 profile image
Matt2584

Thank you, Girl :).

To be honest, I don’t think you could EVER get another club similar to the one that just closed.

That club started up 36 years ago when I was a baby.

The lady who invented the club/the leader was an ex nurse.

She began small meetings in her very own front room and provided sandwiches as lunch and at the club they would either gossip or play games and quizzes.

As the club grew in numbers, meetings had to be held in different, bigger places.

More staff appeared as well and there was no payroll, it was all voluntary.

So when I joined the club there must have been about 40-60 members in all. A lot of them were 40s,50s and some older but as the years went on they tried to get more younger people to join.

If there was one word to describe the club I would probably say “love”.

The club was full of love and kindness and giggles too.

I will dearly miss the club, and my mum too who was also a member, but I have said to one of the ladies who run the club that I don’t think this is the end though.

Covid has buggered things up whether you believe in it or not, and I am a believer of good things coming from bad things.

I was speaking to another lady who was part of the club last year and I told to be positive as I can see good things coming from all of this.

She told me that she was the most optimistic person you could meet but she really doesn’t see much good at the end of this.

Seems like she is not as optimistic as I she says.

I mean, what I have been through in the past is terrible, the worst thing that could ever happen to me but if none of it happened then I probably won’t be where I am now and know the people I know now.

There is a great quote I stick by with,

“Your current situation is not your final destination.

The best is yet to come” :).

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