This document discusses the Inspiring Minds Project run by Start in Salford and Art in Minds. It offers creative sessions in visual art, crafts, textiles, calligraphy, woodwork, ceramics, photography, gardening, music and other areas. Participants go through a journey starting with groups and meetings with mentors. Research shows that creative activities can improve confidence, self-esteem, motivation and social connections while reducing isolation. They provide a flow state that helps people forget problems and stimulates transformational personal growth. Arts programs are particularly helpful for common mental health issues by promoting recovery and a return to normal social functioning beyond just talk therapy.

1. Start in Salford
Inspiring Minds Project

2. Creative sessions
Health & Wellbeing
in the Community-
a film by Art in
Minds and PANDA

3. Referrals
Primary Care Secondary Care
Inspiring Minds
visual
art willow
crafts
textiles
calligraphy
woodwork
ceramics
photography
gardening
music
wood
turning
print making
creative writing

4. Member journey Next
steps
PDP/
group
PDP’s
and
new
groups
Start first
group
Group
visit
Meeting
with
mentor
(Completion of
questionnaires)

5. Five ways to
wellbeingConnect
Be active
Learn
Give
Take notice

6. Creativ
ity
what does art do for us?
physical
psychological
social

7. “Like a
weeble,
I may wobble
but
I won’t fall
down”

8. Community
IntegrationSupporting Recovery
P
OE
Individual
Support
+
Follow Up
Reviews

9. Next Steps Group
Peer
Support
+
Awareness
+
Confidence

10. Wellbeing & Occupation
what do activities do for us?
(Compiled by Start in Salford,
adapted from NEF(2008)– Five Ways to Wellbeing and Do Live
Well (2015) http://dolivewell.ca/)
Connect
Express
Yourself
Take Notice
Keep Learning
Living
Well
Experience Joy
Be Active
Be secure GIVE

11. Mindful
creativity
•
Slows the person down.
Helps to eliminate the back
ground chatter of our thoughts
when involved with the
creative process
Allows thoughts to come and
go, to notice and let pass
Promotes taking notice
of colours/ details etc.,
being mindful
instead of distracted.
Helps the individual
enter a meditative type
state.

12. Research
Invest to Save: Arts and health evaluation
Exploring the impact of creativity, culture and the arts on health & wellbeing
Kilroy & Garner 2008
Key points :
confidence, self esteem, interest in life, more concern for own health & wellbeing,
increased empowerment to make choices about health and greater capacity to cope
with health issues, reduced isolation, increased motivation.
Raised expectations and greater inspiration for personal growth, capacity to cope
with challenge and gaining more mastery and control over their environment.
Creative flow state where people experience deep concentration/absorption providing
a means of forgetting about pain, illness or concerns – beyond distraction.
This process stimulates a process of transformational change where people start to
see things differently and there is a shift in existing thinking & patterns of behaviour.

13. Key findings :
Talking therapy does not overcome persistent problems with social
functioning and networks
Doing not talking ,was required following therapy to get back to ‘normal’, a
stepping stone to other things giving meaning to and direction in life.
More than just social groups as there is an end product leads to sense of
achievement/ belief in own abilities.
‘Getting back to normal’: the added value of an arts based programme in
promoting recovery for common but chronic mental health problems
Makin & Gask 2011

14. Thank You
June Wilcock
Delivery Manager
june.wilcock@
startinsalford.org.uk
Rachel Jones
Community Integration
Worker
rachel.jones@
startinsalford.org.uk