Truro project collects art supplies for mental health

TRURO, N.S. — A colourful box inside the Truro Farmers’ Market could mean positive change in people’s lives.
Jolene Reid has seen and experienced the benefits of creating art, so she decided to set up a box to collect art supplies that will assist in mental health efforts.
“Sometimes the biggest barrier to accessing art is getting materials,” she said. “I know there are a lot of people with supplies they’re not using and thought they might be willing to donate them. This is a way for people to reduce waste and help people at the same time.”
Reid has used art to improve her own mental health.
“It really helped me because it was something with no rules and no timelines,” she said. “I could just play with it.”
She’d been volunteering with waste sorting at the Truro Farmers’ Market and thought it would be an ideal spot for a donation container. She approached Margaret Congdon, market manager, and was granted permission to place something in the information area. She found a box at a second-hand shop and painted it. It was set up in May and a banana box full of supplies has already been collected.
“This is for all kinds of art so it’s quite open ended,” said Reid. “We can use brushes, pencils, markers, rulers, paints, paper – all kinds of things. 
“We hope we can help people incorporate art into their personal wellness plans, and we’d like to have some community events. Collaboration and inspiring each other makes it magic.”
More information can be found on the Outsider Insight Project Facebook page or by emailing [email protected]