Edition 5
October 2009
Your Voice
TAC clients sharing their stories and information
Celebrating the Arts
The arts are universal tools for
telling stories, expressing ideas,
raising issues and bringing
people together. The arts can
transform, excite, motivate,
infuriate, fascinate, move,
amuse, reassure and calm us.
Art can feed the soul and mind
and fill your heart. Art can help
us understand how we fit into
this world and create opportunity
for others to understand us.
Whether it’s being part of regular
class, meeting with others to
enjoy an artistic pursuit,
exploring the world with a
camera or just picking up a paint
brush at home, the arts play an
important role in the health and
wellbeing of individuals and the
community by making life that
little bit richer.
In celebration of this, the TAC is
holding its first ever client art
showcase. And in this edition we
share the stories of three clients
who will be part of the exhibition.
Enjoy!
Picture This
An exhibition of inspiring work produced by
people who have experienced road trauma
GEELONG
Transport Accident Commission
Level 2, 60 Brougham St
Wednesday 11 November –
Tuesday 17 November
10am – 4pm daily
MELBOURNE
15W Gallery
15 William St
Friday 20 November –
Sunday 29 November
10am – 4pm daily
The Time of
Remembrance
Each year Road Trauma
Support Services Victoria holds
a ceremony to remember those
who have died or been injured
on our roads.
The purpose of the event is to
provide an opportunity for
people to honour and
remember their loved ones, as
well as acknowledge the
ongoing difficulties many
people experience as a result
of road trauma.
This year the Time of
Remembrance ceremony will
be held at 12 noon on Sunday,
15 November at Queen's Hall,
Parliament House, Spring
Street Melbourne. The Minister
for Roads and Ports Tim Pallas,
Deputy Commissioner, Traffic
and Transit, Ken Lay and TAC
CEO Janet Dore will attend.
Road Trauma Support Services
Victoria provides free, unlimited
counselling and support for
people affected by road
trauma. More information is
available at www.rtssv.org.au
If you would like to share your story in the Your Voice newsletter, or if you no longer wish to receive it, please
contact Erin on (03) 5225 6504 or email [email protected]
2 Your Voice
Art for life
By Rachel
I have spent my life being an
artist. Firstly I am a potter. I
make plates, bowls, cups, dip
trays and many other things. I
had my own business
'Smashing Pots' for two and a
half years, where I taught and
sold pottery at markets and
shops. I also make sculptures
and I design and draw pictures
to sell. I have had a few
exhibitions, both solo and with
other artists.
Art gave my life
meaning and helped
me in my healing
process
My current passion is silk
painting. Without going into too
much detail, this involves a
piece of silk, a picture frame,
some nails, paint, ink, cotton
balls, rock salt, a steamer and,
most importantly, an active
imagination! It’s great fun and
is my main artistic focus at the
moment.
I love art because it's extremely
creative. I love that when I
make something, my mind is
fully into what I’m creating so
anything else that’s happening
in my life is blocked out. Many
times, I have been silk painting,
making pottery or drawing and
I’ve had people speak to me
and I didn't hear them until I
stopped what I was doing! I
need to be in my very own little
space for me to create
something. While I’m creating,
my mind switches off from
everything in life. Art to me is
wonderfully peaceful.
I had my accident December
1998, right after I completed
my arts degree (my end of
degree exhibition was a week
before my accident). After the
accident, I was unconscious for
six and a half weeks. When I
awoke, I had to relearn
EVERYTHING....life, walking,
talking, driving, cooking,
shopping, what to say and
when to say it and how to
understand things. I had to
relearn how to be a potter
again...firing kilns, making up
glazes and stains for the pots,
etc.
I had acquired a brain injury
and my art (that had
disappeared) was the main
thing to help me become a
stronger person. So I worked
harder at everything to develop
my inner strength. Art gave my
life meaning and helped me in
my healing process. I would
make something and then think
“I can do way better than this”
and then challenge myself to
improve.
My brain injury made it a
struggle to connect my
thoughts. I spent years trying to
reconnect my thoughts, my art
and my life. I believe that I
have made it and my artwork
and life feel excellent.
Now I try and help others
discover the joy of art. I teach
art to people with intellectual
disabilities and it’s fantastic to
see my students embrace it
and to discover talents that
they did not know they had! I
thrive off the energy in the
room when everyone is creating
their own individual
masterpiece. After everything
I’ve been through with the
accident it feels great to share
my passion and help other
people.
I was a lost muffin for years but
my artwork has helped me
rediscover my life. I am looking
forward to displaying some of
my pieces at the TAC art
exhibition!
Did you know?
The CAE offers a range of short,
fee-for-service visual arts
courses. Short courses allow you
to discover or develop your
interest in the arts through a
broad range of creative pursuits
such as sculpture, painting,
jewellery-making and ceramics.
For more information call (03)
9652 0638.
To find out more about the TAC support services, contact the TAC Customer Service Centre on 1300 654
329 and ask for a copy of the brochure About the TAC. You can also visit www.tac.vic.gov.au
3 Your Voice
New things on the horizon
By Wayne
It was May 1991 and I’d just
graduated with a Fine Arts degree
from the Victoria College of the
Arts. I loved my art and had
aspirations to start a career as a
lecturer at VCA. All that changed
a month later when I was run
down by a car running a red light
at a pedestrian crossing. My
injuries were severe and survival
was thought to be slim. Over time
my physical injuries did heal but I
was left with an acquired brain
injury.
After around eighteen months of
hospital and rehabilitation I began
outpatient treatment. My brain
was knocked about so badly from
my injuries that the years of art
knowledge all but vanished and
my strong self confidence had
disappeared with it. Thankfully
one outpatient activity helped me
get back into art. I was introduced
to pottery sculpture and my
creative juices slowly began to
flow again. My artistic endeavours
extended from there and I
dabbled in printmaking, painting
and multimedia and rekindled my
literary interest.
It has been a long and hard road
but eighteen years on and I’ve
recently held a successful solo
exhibition, Then and Now. Running
through my spirit is the empathy I
feel for others who have
experienced road trauma and the
feeling that art is clearly an
amazing cure.
As I desired not to lose yet forever
win so quietly unlike a heathen
prayed
THEN AND NOW
Many, yes each and every day an
expressive element appears on
the edge of my artist’s lips
Gather round, get around
Ages before now, yes long ago
was somewhat mentally unsound
Yet self-determination and care
from my loved ones hearts
The everyday battles revealed
themselves so was inundated with
stops and starts
Hope and longing to progress
from how I once began my
existence
Appeared thankfully more often
than not and unfolded before my
poor soul a vibrant persistence
As I arose and until I retired every
day before my conscience was an
artistic task to be done
Ignored the physical shortcomings
and embraced mental progress
seen within my expressions where
I have won
Not at all the defeatist attitude
stayed
Gaze all over, look around and
view the iceberg’s tip
Multi-media I have chosen to
outpour what visits my heart and
mind
What you see is what you get, so
look deeply at each piece and be
at ease with what you may find
Not long ago was blessed
somewhat by a certain being’s
plateful of common sense
Many folk I’ve been rather near
have viewed the increased self
confidence
So from within my long ago
muddled mind I am showing the
innermost right then and now so
true
Well here is a moment I can pour
out my genuine feelings via a
literary ode that straightforwardly
conveys a thank you.
Did you know?
To find out about arts programs
in your area, contact your local
council and get in touch with the
Access for All Abilities and/or the
Arts Officer. Often there are
festivals, community events and
exhibitions happening in your
area that they can tell you about.
You may also get a list of all
community and neighbourhood
houses in your area that offer
activities and programs that are
open to all abilities.
4 Your Voice
Healing through sound
By Dianne
Back in December 2007, I was
driving along a country road near
Coldstream. Suddenly I felt a
little woozy at the wheel and in a
life-changing moment my car
veered off the road and hit a
tree, which caused it to flip. An
ambulance arrived quickly on the
scene but before I knew it I was
in a helicopter and on my way to
the Alfred Hospital. I spent the
next month or so recovering from
the injuries I suffered in the car
accident as well as a heartrelated condition that emerged
at the same time.
Since the accident, I’ve reevaluated my life and what’s
important to me… several times
over. I’ve also learnt coping
strategies including more
understanding of what I can and
can’t do. I still hope to return to
work in the future for, it’s
certainly an adjustment having a
limited income. However, I
manage carefully. I cook at home
more now and while I certainly
don’t feel as physically fit I take
a lot more notice when it comes
to nutrition.
Your Voice is published three times a year by
the Transport Accident Commission.
©Copyright Transport Accident Commission, 2009
During my recovery, I
participated in art therapy
sessions. It was fantastic to have
a creative outlet where I could
express my feelings and
emotions. The piece of work I’ve
chosen to include in the client
art exhibition is something I
painted during those sessions
and was an important step in my
recovery.
I’ve re-evaluated
my life and what’s
important to me …
several times over.
In my artistic journey I have
explored a variety of mediums
including painting, drawing,
photography and filmmaking. I
have a keen interest in
environmental design and the
role art has in healing and that
has influenced my work since
the 1990s.
I’ve always been interested in
music but with a busy career, it
was something I never quite
found the time for. Now with
more time on my hands I’ve
delved further into the world of
healing through sound.
I’ve taken up a percussion
instrument called a Bodhran,
which is a traditional Celtic drum
and I absolutely love it. I also do
vocal exercises and sing.
Unfortunately I still suffer with
neck and back pain and recently
I’ve had some more
physiotherapy treatment to deal
with a flare up. Looking to the
future, I also see the long-term
benefits of alternative therapies.
For instance, completing a sound
healing course has certainly
been a new way I’ve nurtured
self esteem, self-care and
empowered myself.
Did you know?
Community Music Victoria has a
huge database of musical groups
and sessions in Victoria. It helps
people to find a creative outlet
and sense of community through
making music with others. For
more information visit
cmv.customer.netspace.net.au or
telephone (03) 9662 1162.
Telephone:
1300 654 329 or 1800 332 556
(toll-free outside the Melbourne metro area)
8:30am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday
Website:
Visit www.tac.vic.gov.au