In February 2011 a group of women met for the first time on a small TAFE campus in the South West of WA. They were here to join the NOW course to see what they could find.
NOW stands for New Opportunities for Women and it's purpose is to help women from every type of background to come along and maybe to see what they could find in themselves, their lives and even as it turns out to be their happiness.
For some, things are hard at first - Computers and Maths being the main challenges. So we start to find ways of dealing with these fears and their energy and confidence starts to grow. Each of them expressing their ideas, thoughts, feeling free even to state their positions in life. We don't all agree but strive to understand and feel the power of the word empathy.
The project starts - I call it the 'Happiness Project' but the name means something different to everyone.
What is Happiness? It proves to be multi-layered but in the end simple - everyone has their own definition of Happiness. We start to gather words, quotes, pictures, poems, songs, stories - things that give us pleasure, make us feel good, bring a smile to our face, enhance our well being - the list just keeps getting bigger.
The project expands and now includes a journal for documenting all these wonderful discoveries and a physical representation of the edited ideas - a vision board, collage, major art works and symbolic pieces, all with the same theme - finding the positive values in your life that can lead to your Happiness.
My name is Sarah and I am their lecturer - but the story is theirs.
Oh Sarah! your so right! from the fear comes great strenght and will power to over come these challenges.
ReplyDeleteHappiness is found all over the place and it doesn't have to cost a thing, i really love working on this project and see it growing into a life long search of creativity and inspiration :)
Poem written by Jewel's.
ReplyDeletePoem: In the South of England Somewhere.
In the South of England somewhere
they race lawn mowers
The fastest goes 65 miles an hour
at top speed
with no head wind.
I don't know how men run along
behind them
Unless it's the kind you sit on
which seems like cheating
Three is a museum there
run by a fanatic
He has memorized and catalogued
the sound each mower makes
nothing fondly his favourite three
Three are also worm charming contacts
Three poeple to a team
Once to charm
once to collect
once to count
Local John McCallister reassures us,
" It's on a strictly catch and relaese
basis, of course.
My mum cames from England and I just love reading the poem.
from Donna H.