Today I met the face of Pablos.  Not the actual face of Pablos, but one of many.  Just like the logo, the central iconic Pablos brand that is made up of an interesting array of colourful and abstract features, today I met the face of Pablos.

Meta is quietly confident, even dare I say popular among those who share in the Pablos experience.  But I suspect she would not label herself as confident or popular out there in the real world.  But that is exactly the point of  Pablos Art Studio.  The environment is welcoming, comfortable and safe for people who have been suffocated by a mental illness.  It’s a vibrant, busy, almost messy space, packed to the brim with artistic expression.  It is a place of discovery among a vast mix of people, a place where those that have experience of mental illness can reconnect with society, a place that provides routine and structure to those who desperately need a reason to get out of bed each day.

Meta is no different.  I asked her what she gained from her Pablos attendance, and with an honesty that made me smile, Meta replied “here, if you are having a difficult day, there is always someone who understands, or at least, will tolerate you.  Out in the work force you can’t say to a colleague, I feel suicidal today.  But here you can, and that’s perfectly okay”.

Meta found out about the concept of creativity in support of mental illness while spending time at the Day Hospital.  Eventually she found Pablos.  When Meta is not working, she attends Pablos every day, having done so for the past four or five years.     She has developed good connections at Pablos - people she can talk to.  She enjoys that she gets to have her own space and her own desk. 

Meta is constantly creating things and likes to paint  all sorts.    At the moment she is experimenting with the 17th Century Northern Renaissance era.  Mainly the Dutch influences of the era she explains.  "But that’s not because I am of Dutch heritage, that part is just a coincidence.  I like that this era, this style, used so little paint.  We tend to slather it on these days”

“What I may be experimenting with changes all the time.  What influences me?” she pre-empts my question, sounding like quite the seasoned pro with interviews,    “Everything does”. 

Meta tells me she gives a lot of her work away.  She insightfully adds that she is never really sure if it’s appreciated.   Every now and then she sells her work, not out of any great desire to earn a living off of her art, but just to get some money to continue to create.   She has participated in a few exhibitions, however she is not sure whether she enjoyed the experience so much.   “The exposure of your art all of a sudden means that everybody gets to have an opinion. That is not what creating art is about for me.”

“Doing art helps me to order things in my head” she explains.  “My head can be chaotic sometimes.  Doing art creates system and order for me.” 

Overall you get a real sense that participating in a creative activity of some sort is truly an outlet, or a release, on so many levels.  Community participation, routine, structure, purpose, creativity, knowledge, conversation and confidence are just some of the meaningful rewards of the Pablos experience for Meta and many other artists in the studio.

Written by Sheryl Byrne. 

Sheryl is a  member of Pablos Governance Committee