My Heart Says ...

Seeing the Person

Every person has something to say.

Not everyone says it with words.

Following the isolation of the pandemic, adults attending Lead the Way were returning to face-to-face sessions carrying very different experiences. Some had never met one another before. Some communicated confidently through conversation, while others had very little spoken language or experienced significant anxiety about joining a new group.

Rather than beginning with what people couldn't do, Verd de Gris Arts began somewhere different.

We began by asking what made each person happy.

Our Approach

Across eight weekly sessions, creativity became a shared language.

Participants explored drawing, painting, singing, movement, photography, clay and poetry in an environment that was calm, welcoming and carefully shaped around their individual needs. There was no expectation that everyone would communicate in the same way. Each person was encouraged to discover their own means of expression, whether through a song, a mark on paper, a photograph or a few carefully chosen words.

The structure of the sessions remained familiar each week, helping participants feel safe while gradually building confidence, trust and friendships. As relationships developed, carers, support workers and family members became part of the creative journey too, celebrating achievements that often extended far beyond the artwork itself.

Creating Connections

What emerged was a room filled with laughter, music, curiosity and kindness.

Participants discovered new friendships, encouraged one another and celebrated each other's creativity. Individual words and reflections were gathered throughout the project, forming simple yet deeply moving poems about happiness, nature, family, memories and hope.

The resulting publication, exhibition and short film became more than a record of creative activity. They revealed the personalities, humour, imagination and insight of a group of people whose voices are too often overlooked.

As one participant simply said:

"My heart says... it's all right."

The Impact

The greatest achievement was not the artwork that filled the pages of the publication.

It was the confidence that grew within the room.

Participants who arrived feeling uncertain became active contributors, artists, photographers, poets and performers. Support workers described the joy of seeing people express themselves so freely, while families celebrated new confidence, friendships and moments of genuine connection.

Every participant was seen, heard and celebrated for who they were.

Lasting Legacy

My Heart Says... reminds us that creativity is not about producing perfect artwork.

It is about creating the conditions where every person can discover and share something of themselves.

The publication continues to celebrate the voices, artwork and poetry of everyone who took part, while the project's gentle, person-centred approach offers a powerful example of truly inclusive creative practice.

For Verd de Gris Arts, the project reaffirmed a belief that runs through all of our work: when we slow down, listen carefully and value every form of expression, we begin to discover the poetry that already exists within people. As Sharon reflected at the end of the project, "this is where the poetry is – where the beauty lies." We are grateful to Creative Minds for funding this beautiful project.