“Painting in the Park” is a chance to come together to create some art, build some community, and enjoy the summer sunshine.
Current COVID-19 guidelines in B.C. allow outdoor event gatherings of up to 5,000 people, and personal gatherings (indoor/outdoor) have no restrictions. “Masks are recommended in indoor public settings for all people 12 and older who are not yet fully vaccinated.” (A reminder that you are fully vaccinated 14 days after dose 2.) That said, people may choose to wear a mask and social distance if that is what they are comfortable with; others may choose to forgo these precautions. We just ask that people respect each other’s choices. Hand sanitizer will be provided as supplies will be shared.
You are welcome to bring whatever creative activity suits you, rocks and art supplies will also be offered. The paints provided will be outdoor paints, environmentally friendly and non-toxic. Remember creativity is about the process, not about perfection! Rock painting is good practice in letting go of perfection as it's messy in nature.
Afterwards, you are welcome to take your rocks home or place them in your own favourite spots around the city. If preferred, we will collect the rocks and place them in the community for you.
All are welcome to attend! Bring your friends or significant others too if you like.
We recognize that a large part of the individuals in this community are in various places of recovery or are recovered from an eating disorder. We hope this event can be a chance for people to get together and practice some creativity. Conversation around personal experience is of course natural. Many of the quotes or statements painted on our rocks in the past are recovery-oriented in nature and may touch on topics such as body image, diet culture, mental health/illness, etc. But we want to encourage and remind folks that conversation (and the art we create) doesn't have to be limited to just those things, in fact, we encourage it to be much broader!
We do ask people refrain from sharing potentially triggering or graphic details of their personal experience with an eating disorder or other mental health condition.
We will have a “host” at this event who you can contact if you have questions about resources and support in your community, but we would like to remind people that while we are all peers coming together with some common experiences, we are not a replacement for professional supports. We will happily assist you in finding appropriate services/supports as best we can.