​​​I was sensible for many years. I went to Uni, studied anatomy, pathology, epidemiology and other -ology stuff, which lead to me working as a medical researcher for 27 years, doing my bit to understand what makes us sick and then help figure out ways to hopefully get better faster. All very sensible and beneficial, but on the side, I was still doing art stuff and giving back rubs.

 

In 2013, I launched Back Rubs Massage Therapy and slowly moved away from medical research and began working more as a mobile massage therapist and therapy assistant in the disability and aged care sectors, collaborating with other allied health professions like Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Podiatry, Speech Pathology and the like, and I also kept doing art stuff.

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I sketched, dabbed, finger painted, scribbled, coloured, carved, sculpted and made messes. When I left kindy I continued my art studies through high school then went to Uni to study sensible science stuff. Nevertheless, I maintained my creative pursuits and eventually landed role in community theatre (which of course paid nothing).  For ten years I painted billboards and back drops, built stage sets, made props, mucked around with makeup and costumes, played dress up and pretend, did a bit of directing and stage management.  

 

In 2012 I began attending workshops and classes on meditation and philosophy in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition. One of these workshops was on the mindfulness practices of Buddhist art and related iconography - by practicing meditative art my creative skills became super charged - I actually finished my projects.  I continued to study and train in traditional Buddhist art techniques, calligraphy styles and meditations and in 2014 I began leading meditative art workshops. To complement this, I completed a Diploma of Creative Arts Therapy in 2023.

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BRAATS - Back Rubs And Art Therapy Stuff- is thus the cumulation of a childhood ambition, based on years of lived experience, hands on work, study, research, training, dreaming, passion, patience, living true to oneself and saying ppphhhhhtttt!!! 

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After 12 years of practicing as a mobile therapist I am grateful to at Gravity Fitness Academy for the opportunity to set up a treatment room with my own unique flair and access to a bathroom and kitchen! 

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It feels good to be BRAATS.