Creative Well-Being Lived Experiences
Maryam participated in many Amina group activities and made friends along the way which helped her build confidence and connections. She would happily take the bus and attend these sessions weekly. However, recently Maryam suffered from a stroke. This meant she had to take time out of the activities which lead her to feeling isolated and lonely. Loneliness and isolation are two interconnected phenomena that can have negative effects on an individual's emotional and psychological well-being.
Maryam found it difficult to get back into her previous routine as she lost her confidence in taking the bus to the group activities held by Amina. Initially when coming back to the group, she would get someone to drop her although this was not reliable. Once reconnecting with the group members and being part of the weekly sessions, her confidence slowly started building up again.
It is essential to recognise and address loneliness and isolation to prevent their negative effects. Social support, meaningful activities, and community involvement can help individuals overcome loneliness and isolation and improve their overall well-being. Through encouragement from peers in the group, she was able to take the bus home one day and felt extremely happy when she had achieved to overcome this difficulty she was facing.
Sara suffered from loneliness for a long time and since her recent reversion to Islam, this increased as she did not know anyone from the community. In order to seek help in connecting with others in the community, she reached out to find support. This is where she found out about our Creative Well-being sessions.
These sessions provide various activities such as stitching, arts and crafts, printing, and so much more. This allows people to learn something new and find what best supports them. These weekly sessions also give those who suffer from loneliness the motivation to get ready and leave their house, enabling them to feel more confident in themselves. Meeting and connecting with others in the group opens doors to learning about different experiences and cultures.
Sara benefitted from meeting people from different faiths and backgrounds as it allowed her to build meaningful friendships with like-minded individuals.
Iqra began as a client looking to participate in Amina’s Creative Well-being sessions. This was to help her build her confidence and interactions with others. This was something she initially struggled with especially since the pandemic where she lacked confidence within herself and her abilities.
Iqra participated in every activity that was on and took a more supportive role showcasing she had a lot of skills to offer for these classes. She was approached for volunteering, which helped her confidence grow. She became committed to this role.
Through these experiences, she was then able to run her group activities independently with staff members in the background to support her. This shows Iqra’s progression in attending these classes to now having the confidence to volunteer and run sessions independently. Since being in this role, she has been able to recognise her ability and regain self-confidence in applying for jobs. Amina can further support as a reference highlighting her commitment and quick development in her current role.