Many of us are limited by our lack of confidence and low self-esteem. Success can sometimes be about changing our paradigm in order to address these issues effectively. And this is exactly what the program does – it helps an organization to address low self-esteem through the medium of art. The beauty of the program is that it can easily be mastered by anyone who tries. It is a unique system of portrait painting that does not require a high level of technical ability and therefore everyone experiences success. Participants learn how to produce a realistic portrait that personalises their chosen subject so they can create an original and expressive work of art. (Employees can paint portraits of their friends, other staff, themselves or their superiors).
Their end result is very special. On completion of the session an Archibald-style exhibition can be held within the office. The best portrait can be selected and a prize given to the winner.
This process of being in a relaxed and creative environment, learning new skills, working cooperatively with others, affirming each others’ works of art leads to renewed self-confidence, higher self-esteem, increased wellbeing, stronger team bonding and better work performance.
How does it work
We work from photos, which participants provide two weeks prior to the sessions. I can take up to 25 participants and I offer a flexible structure of one three-hour or two one-and-half hour sessions.
All you need to provide is a space with tables and chairs, photos of subjects to paint and perhaps a prize for the winner.
When we ran this program recently during a team building exercise for a major Victorian service provider, all the participants unanimously asked in their evaluation forms to "bring back the artist" in future sessions.
Some organisations have even found it suitable as a fun program for end of year Christmas celebrations.
