March Creator of the Month: Natalie Wong
Natalie Wong’s journey with art has been a profound process of healing for both her physical and mental well-being. Growing up in Hong Kong, Natalie's first exposure to art came through Japanese manga books. Despite her natural inclination for doodling, art supplies were scarce in her home, which limited her creative expression at the time. Later on, Natalie experimented with art as a collector, finding joy in crafting collages using beautiful paper.
It was only about a year ago that Natalie began exploring painting as an artistic expression. Previously, she had been hesitant because of the fear of ruining the pristine blank pages. Over time, Natalie has shifted her focus towards embracing the process of artmaking. She now recognizes it as an important component of her healing journey. She emphasizes that she and the process of making art is the masterpiece rather than the result.
Natalie has faced challenges in her life, including battling mental illness. Yet, through various forms of art, she has discovered a means of navigating her subconscious thoughts and processing complex emotions. Drawing and painting serve as outlets for her to explore and understand her feelings, while writing helps her to organize and process these emotions. She has also found Parts therapy, also known as the internal family system, to be another tool in structuring her thoughts.
Natalie has also been hoping to experience somatic therapy. It is a way of relieving pent-up emotions by using mind-body techniques. Inspired by the book, “Body Keeps the Score” by Bessel van der Kolk, which talks about how bodies can hold on to trauma and need to be released, Natalie is eager to explore somatic therapy as another avenue for her healing journey.
Throughout her journey, Natalie has embraced a more open-minded approach to artistic expressions, experimenting with various mediums including but not limited to watercolour, acrylic, and crayons. Dialing in from the hospital during this interview, Natalie took advantage of available resources to create a piece titled "Creation" during her stay.
Creation
The Art From The Heart classes have been one creative outlet for Natalie to get inspired. Prompted by the word "Home," Natalie was reminded of the phrase "Home is where your heart is." It has been a dream of hers to travel across the country in a camper or a droplet trailer. The painting “Home” captures a window view from the trailer, parked by the ocean during sunset, with her feet under a blanket.
Home
A quote by Joseph Awuah-Darko resonated deeply with Natalie: “Remember that the opposite of depression is not joy – it’s expression. So create, create, create. For it is the soul’s medicine.” By releasing the fear of "ruining" a page, Natalie finds liberation and emotional catharsis through diverse forms of artistic expression.
“The process of creating will change us as human beings, not so much the products. And there is no substitute for it and no one else can do it for us. We have to step outside of the box and into our power to do what we can to grow.” – Natalie
