I gained help from a drawing class

"Life is full of ups and downs, and drawing helps me with that; it allows me to express my frustrations and worries, but also it rekindles my hope" Art class attendee

A story about the release and joy of drawing and how that helps consumers recover

"I was so happy to hear that Bo Ai She's painting class would start in August that I enrolled in the course as soon as possible. The class has now finished, but left me with unforgotten memories.

The class has provided us a good opportunity to study and communicate with each other. We shared our feelings about our learning and recovery in an open and happy atmosphere.

We gained made some great art and got a real sense if achievement from that. Our teacher, Ivan, uses a unique and flexible method. With his patient instruction, we could draw natural landscapes, like the unique beauty of Aotearoa - The Land of the Long White Cloud. We really felt pleased and proud from the bottom of our hearts.

And, lastly, we could express our emotional feelings and release our unhappiness through drawing; this really helped my recovery. I felt like I was walking back to my childhood which was a time when I also really enjoyed drawing.

Life is full of ups and downs, and drawing helps me with that; it allows me to express my frustrations and worries, but also it rekindles my hope."