As the Community Manager at Emmaus North East, Sue Shaw shares a personal journey where art became an instrumental part of her healing process. She’s now dedicated to extending this transformative experience to companions, actively working with them to cultivate similar wellbeing benefits through art.
“In 2020, my husband’s father passed away unexpectedly due to cancer, which shook our family deeply. Simultaneously, my father, battling dementia, resided in a care home. The covid restrictions confined us to seeing him only through a window, a heartbreaking experience for us and especially for him, unable to comprehend the situation. Tragically, he contracted covid and passed away within days. Amidst this turmoil, my daughter, Rachel experienced psychotic episodes during the lockdown, fearing covid and refusing contact even at her front door. She tragically took her life that September. Losing three of the most significant people in our lives within a year shattered our world.
Struggling with grief, I resigned from my job, adhering to the probation service’s three-month notice rule to facilitate finding a replacement. My husband and I felt our lives halt abruptly, the loss of a child being an immeasurable pain. That’s when we decided to bring home Lincoln, our puppy, who became a reason to face each morning. He was a lifeline.
After years feeling like a repetitive cycle, my husband returned to work, feeling the need to step out of the house. Meanwhile, I tried counselling, which turned out to be incredibly helpful. My counsellor suggested painting as a way to momentarily disconnect, so I started dabbling with colours on canvases. The process of watching colours blend became a mesmerizing escape, allowing me to cope, even if just for half an hour. Realising how therapeutic painting was for me, my husband and I initiated a retreat for those who lost family to suicide—Reach Out was born.
Continuing to connect with Ruth, I was invited to conduct a wellbeing session for chief executives from various Emmaus communities across the UK. Sharing my story with them, I emphasised that it wasn’t about teaching art but about finding a moment of respite. Witnessing these individuals, with stressful roles, find peace while painting was incredible. We concluded the session by creating a collaborative artwork titled ‘Part of the Bigger Picture,’ where everyone contributed dots and signed their names.
Subsequently, I started conducting sessions with the companions at Emmaus North East. Initially met with scepticism, thinking it would be childish, they eventually found joy and freedom in the act of painting. During those moments, the room would quieten, enveloped in a serene atmosphere.
Then came the day Ruth offered me the opportunity to apply for the community manager position at Emmaus North East. Recognising it as a chance to make a difference, I accepted the role, and now, I genuinely love my job. Building relationships with the companions is fulfilling; each person’s story is unique, and if I can bring a smile, happiness, or warmth to someone, I consider it a job well done.”