Wellbeing is a widely used term associated with the health sector, but because it is used to describe a vast number of health states, it becomes difficult to work out just what it is or how we can achieve it.
During challenging circumstances, such as the recent tragedy in Victoria, it becomes clearer what constitutes a sense of personal wellbeing. However, it is important to understand that wellbeing is often relative to our local circumstances as we compare what we have with others.
Current research identifies different aspects that contribute to wellbeing but these are always explained as an absence of something such as lack of poverty, isolation, poor health and powerlessness. One area that is often overlooked is a person’s cultural and spiritual wellbeing, that is, a deep connection to self, others and place.
Karin Mackay is convinced that the answer lies in our connectedness. “What I mean by connectedness is not just having a healthy social network but might also include a sense of spiritual connection to place, a sense of belonging and creative agency. I call this eco-cultural wellbeing.”
“Many people try out wellness or spiritual practices often spending enormous amounts of money in the process to no avail. What I think might be missing is an integration of the creative spiritual self with a sense of place within the world. This is not possible through buying items or hankering after someone else’s spiritual knowledge. I think a sense of wellbeing comes when we are empowered to use our own creative processes to solve problems.”
“Over the past five years I have developed a series of creative activities strongly linked with nature’s creativity and seemingly being able to tap into deeper primal senses where participants report greater self awareness, confidence and connectedness to life’s processes. I focus on the senses, individual’s passions and then we go to town with a mix of creating, making, listening, talking and writing.”
 “I’ve used these methods with birthing women, midwives, HSC students and at courses and groups at The Women’s Room. I have watched this all unfold with amazement and now want to take this understanding to the next level. I am currently researching how these creative cultural practices influence wellbeing through a Doctorate at The Centre for Cultural Research University of Western Sydney.”
If you would like to participate in any of The Women’s Room Creative Groups or become involved in the research please call Karin Mackay on 0247545591 or visit www.thewomensroom.com.au.
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