In Conversation with Susan Wirth

Welcome to this month's spotlight in our 'In Conversation' series. Today, we offer you a special treat: Tania Virgona interviews Susan Wirth. This discussion promises to unravel the layers of Susan's expertise, journey and the wisdom she brings to the Creative C community. It's a beautiful chat, highlighting the depth and diversity of our talented practitioners. Let's journey together into this positive exchange and discover more about Susan and the personal insights she brings to the table.

Susan Wirth

Tania: Hi Susan! It's great to have you here with us on the Creative Continuum's "In Conversation" series. Before we delve into your upcoming workshop, "New Encounters", could you share a bit about your background with our Creative C community?

Susan: Sure, I’m an artist/art therapist living and working in the northern suburbs of Naarm/Melbourne. I grew up in Gadigal country / Sydney in the bushy, suburban outskirts of the city. My formal art education began in Darwin, continued in Melbourne where I completed a BFA from Victorian College of the Arts and a bit later a Grad Dip in Art therapy at Latrobe University.

I work with people to discover and explore their creativity through art making techniques, materials and methods in a range of community settings. Currently I work with older adults in aged care homes and support individuals through their NDIS plans.

My own art practice can be found on my websites:
www.susanwirth.com
www.paradoxacollective.net

Tania: Thank you, it’s always interesting to hear where people found their start. So, what led you to create your New Encounters workshop?

Susan: When I was a child I loved to make things. I crocheted, knitted, embroidered, tapestried, macraméd, and sewed. These activities gave me precious time and space. It was a private world away from the ups and downs of family life. A world filled with a sense of discovery, risk taking and possibility. I experienced the deep calm that came when I focussed my hands on making; also the exasperation, frustration, problem solving, satisfaction or dissatisfaction with a result, the learning of techniques and development of skills. I was discovering my own creativity and the possibilities of art making. Meanwhile most subjects at school fell by the wayside, except for school projects which I would spend inordinate amounts of time and energy! And sport but that’s another story………

This workshop- New Encounters is about trying a range of drawing techniques that aim to remove certain barriers to allow a relaxation of the mind. By adding more mediums into this process we can expand our thinking about our own creativity and learn to listen to our inner guide/ intuitive voice. The aim is to restore a connection to this creative self and challenge the judgemental mind as this process is not about outcome, it is about an experience. Its not so much about skill development, although you will learn new things- its about connection.

Tania: I love the sound of that and how well named your workshop is. You just touched on this, but how has creativity affected your life?

Susan: Creativity has literally given me life, a bigger life than I could ever imagine. My thinking is limited. But my imagination is limitless. Creativity is all around us in many manifestations. To be human is to be creative. Its an innate human response. And it can be cultivated. It continually replenishes and nurtures the deepest aspects of self.

Tania: Beautify said, art is truly a wonderful practice to engage in. I’d like to know more about your perspective around what role art can play in our day to day lives?

Susan: Art can be and do so many things! I love that art can challenge, educate, inspire, confound, horrify, bore, and beautify- it shows the world in all its myriad aspects, it touches and moves us in ways that can’t be explained and it can do these things simultaneously.

Tania: So true. With that in mind, what can participants expect to learn in terms of techniques during your workshop?

Susan: The drawing techniques that begin the workshop can facilitate a ‘letting go’, a gentle abandoning of preconceived notions of ‘ability’ and ‘skill’, a ‘doing’ not ‘thinking’ process. The drawings themselves take on an immediate quality that always surprises people.

Tania: Yes, art really can surprise! What other benefits can participants expect from this workshop?

Susan: The benefits may include an awareness of the present moment, a clarity of perception, a discovery of ones own natural rhythms, an experience of focussed concentration described by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi as a ‘flow’ state. This involves achieving a state where you are deeply absorbed, where there are certain parameters built into the activity that allow you to relax into a deep state of concentration, losing sense of time and of yourself, your troubles etc. Realising this state of being is intrinsically rewarding.

Tania: We’ve mentioned ‘flow’ state in our blogs before, it is really a wonder to experience. Have you had any success stories from your past workshops you’d like to share?

Susan: This is the first time I have done this particular workshop so we’ll see. But I do these exercises as a daily practice and I think of it as a grounding, or tuning in to my inner guide to start my day or align myself.

Tania: Okay great. So here’s an ‘easy’ question; How do you envision the future of creativity? 

Susan: Creativity can manifest in so many ways. Its more about a philosophy of being really. Being alive to this intrinsic human quality. It’s one of life’s gifts.

We responded intuitively to art materials as children. Over time we lose the capacity to respond as external forces come into play. Negativity and self judgement can stifle, thwart and ultimately block our creative process. I think the future of creativity is about finding our inner voices, digging down into the earth of our consciousness to allow our natural responses to reveal themselves. And to do this with kindness and compassion. Because the reality is ‘there will be opposition’! Our ego demands gratification and external acceptance. Resistance is totally part of the creative process.

Tania: We know everyone is inherently creative, but what advice can you give to someone struggling with their own creativity?

Susan: That it is totally ok to doubt or struggle. In this workshop we will gently acknowledge those doubts and the inner critic and develop a technique to set them aside. We do this by allowing them a space to exist. If we can accept this part of ourselves by cultivating a loving attention, an acceptance, then this can help enable us to return to our creative work.

Tania: Could you give us a snapshot of what a typical workshop with you looks like?

Susan: A brief walk through of this workshop would be like this;
- A short introduction exercise and choosing studio space
- Attending to the inner critic
- A series of very quick response drawings/ drawing with the breath
- Contour drawing exercise
- Blind contour drawing exercise
- Adding a medium to process
- Adding an untried medium to process
- Co- reflection time

Tania: When you run a workshop, how do you ensure that everyone finds their unique creative voice during your sessions?

Susan: People’s responses to mediums and materials are innately unique. This individual capacity can be nurtured and encouraged. As a facilitator I hold that belief while holding a space for uncertainty and doubt. My role is to support and enable others to find their own way, navigating their creativity with these co existing feelings.

Tania: We know diversity is important in creative endeavours, how do you foster an inclusive environment for all?

Susan: We need diversity. By embracing each other’s diversity we can support each other through kindness and respect. This workshop is based around a shared experience which fosters connection and celebrates difference.

Tania: And post-workshop, how do you encourage continued creative exploration?

Susan: Each person will receive a a list of resources- books and links to inspiring writers and other artists who speak about creativity and themes touched on in workshop.

Tania: Lastly, any words for those hesitant to embark on a creative journey?

Susan: I think it helps to start simply and take judgement off the table. I think that’s why I enjoy these techniques because they are immediate and don’t require too much thinking. Our instincts are way ahead of the thinking brain!

Tania: Wonderful insights, Susan! Thanks for sharing with us today, it has been a pleasure to get to know you a little deeper. We're eagerly looking forward to your workshop on the 23rd of September and wish you and your participants all the best.

Thanks for reading dear community and best wishes on your journey,
~ Tania and The Creative C team