How it all began....
Back in 2008 I was a Carer for my (then) Husband and living a simple life in sunny Bedford.
Life was not easy and I coped by taking time to be creative. This was a great way for me to manage my emotions and loneliness at this time but it resulted in a pile up of art work which I found was causing me stress. The more I stressed, the more I created, and the bigger the problem got! So one day I decided to just leave it out for people to find. I figured that the person who found it would be the one to enjoy it, kind of like a Karma idea. I packed up my work with a little note from me explaining my predicament and I left my pieces in the local park initially.
I came home with a sense of excitement but also nervousness, expecting a knock at the door any moment to be told off for littering or something. This didn't happen so I relaxed and carried on doing what I now call Art Ninjaing.
I found this had lots of benefits for me and my emotional and physical health. It motivated me to get out of the house, not only to leave art but to see if anyone else had done anything similar. I increased my activity and got loads more fresh air which helped me sleep and reduced my stress levels. It also gave me a great purpose and a reason to be creative.
I carried on Art Ninjaing over the years and as I have moved around the country (to Cambridge 2012) I found myself Art Ninjaing to help me explore new places. I love to do positive acts of kindness and Art Ninjaing is just that for me!
In 2016 I moved to Lincoln and started Art Ninjaing again to help me settle in. One day I thought how much it had helped me over the years and decided to set up a Facebook group to share what I do in the hope it might help others too... and mainly its FUN! It makes the world a kinder and brighter place so that can only be a good thing!
click the Art Ninja logo to go to the Facebook group.
This has evolved into Art Ninja HQ - a hub and home we can use for all our creative mischief and to support creative health. The aim is to have a safe place where people can come and explore their own creativity, to relax and make new friends. The Art Ninjas are a friendly and diverse group - open to all sorts of projects, big and small. As a group we get involved in festivals, group murals, exhibitions, hospital artwork, community gardens...all sorts!
This really is just the beginning for us and I look forward to how this space evolves and grows.