Tag Archive for: Culture

This article was originally published by Vivian Chiona of Expat Nest.

Using creative processes like art-making can help us to cope with change and capture our unique expat story. Global nomad, art psychotherapist and transition specialist Shellee Burroughs shares some easy ways to get started…

Transition can be an emotional roller coaster no matter how many times we’ve gone through it. As a parent of third culture kids (TCKs) and as an adult TCK, I’ve experienced transition many times and in many forms: I’ve moved countries as a child, single adult, and wife; then as a parent of young children and later as a parent of teenagers. In my experience, each transition can bring up unresolved grief, loss, anger and issues of identity.

As an art psychotherapist, I’ve seen how taking a more artistic approach can support children, teenagers, parents and families to manage change. Using creative processes is important to help us release and contain our feelings and fears. We are used to communicating using words, but creating images can be extremely powerful and can help us explore feelings in a different way.

Creativity and COVID-19

The COVID pandemic means that a lot has changed in a short amount of time! We find ourselves in a global state of ‘not knowing’, dealing with disappointments, loss and fear. Working online with my clients during the pandemic, I’ve seen firsthand how exploring our feelings through creative artwork during this challenging time can reveal strengths and vulnerabilities that we perhaps were not aware of before the crisis.

I have used a variety of creative processes during lockdown, both with myself, my family, and my clients. One I’ve found particularly helpful (and enjoyable) is a daily post-it ‘diary’. These small squares are the perfect size in which to illustrate one event, thought or idea each day; a small piece of paper also feels ‘safer’ to manage. In years to come I will be able flip through my sketchbook of post-its and look back on this pandemic and how I experienced it. (See my post-it diary here.)

Tip #1: Simple materials

You don’t need a huge variety of materials to be creative, nor do you need expensive ‘artist quality’ materials. Look for art materials used at school, as they are often cheaper and don’t stain.

Some basics include:

  • Felt pens, drawing pencils, erasers, sharpener
  • Drawing paper (printer paper is too thin if you want to use paint)
  • Scissors, glue, coloured paper, magazine cuttings (for collage/journalling)
  • Oil pastels (if using chalk pastels, get some hairspray to ‘fix’ the image on paper)
  • Items found in nature (leaves, shells, )
  • Water-based paints – poster or tempura are best. Acrylics can stain (they are glue-based) and oils are messy and can take a long time to dry.
  • A selection of paintbrushes in different sizes – simple sponge ‘brushes’ are easy to use and store, and can be great fun for all ages.

Tip #2: Ways of working

Are you asking a specific question? Or is it more of an ‘open’ approach? Each has its place and I use a combination of both. For example, when moving back to the UK from Kuala Lumpur in 2017, every few days I would sit down with my children to draw a joint ‘countdown’ picture, which we kept as a whole piece of work (you can see it here). This longer-term work journalled our experience as a family, and it’s something I will always treasure.

During your process, don’t place high expectations on yourself – often very simple images have the most impact. And don’t be put off if an image brings up unexpected emotions. This is natural and is part of the transition process. We’re so used to expressing ourselves in words – sometimes images can impact us in a deeper way than expected.

Tip #3: Keep your creations

It’s easy to be dismissive about your creations, but you’ll find that they will take on greater significance over time. Looking back at your transition experience in this way is fascinating – and becomes a visual diary of your life story.

During relocations, it’s easy to misplace, damage or lose work that has meaning. Here are some tips to keep your creations safe:

  • Get a large folder to protect the work. Clear plastic ones are cheap online, and easy to keep in a suitcase.
  • Take photos of your creations on your phone and store them safely on another device or in the cloud.
  • Leave paintings out as long as possible to dry so that they don’t get stuck together when stored in a pile

Some ideas to get you started

  1. Journalling: Individual or group. Words and images can be used together – anything goes!
  2. Scribbling: Had a tough day? Get scribbling! This is fun for the whole family and turning scribbles into a picture can provide psychological ‘space’ for processing deeper feelings.
  3. Superheroes: “What superhero would you be and what skills will you take with you when we move?” This helps children in particular to see that their positive attributes will be sustained, even after their move, and can help them feel more in control.
  4. Look ahead: “What do you think this year will look like? Where are your favourite places now? What will be the same and what will be different?” All of these questions can be explored using images and can show feelings that might not be obvious.
  5. Freestyle: Just create. Anything! Scribbling, filling in shapes, finger painting and colouring can provide our brain with some much-needed ‘space’ for processing.

Creating is important and so is having fun. Enjoy exploring! But also acknowledge the darker, deeper aspects of transition and the effect it can have. Transition can be difficult, exhausting and painful. Previous losses often come to the surface and this can make transition more difficult than expected but giving these feelings a ‘voice’ can really help.. Finding creative approaches that work best for you can give you the space to feel what you really feel, while learning more about yourself in the process.

About the author: Shellee Burroughs is a registered Art Psychotherapist and Clinical Traumatologist. She is a member of the British Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), and has worked in a wide variety of settings in the UK, Canada and Malaysia, including as a school counsellor. Shellee has also facilitated workshops and trained counsellors, staff and parents in trauma, identity, loss and transition.

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

As the 24th of September marked another Heritage Day in South Africa – a day to remember our history and celebrate our cultures – we decided to use one of our Wacky Wednesday check-ins to bring items and stories to our head office, so that our team members could learn about each other’s heritage.

Our Head Office team has come to expect the unexpected during our Wacky Wednesday Check-ins and last week was no different. Keeping Heritage Day in mind, Joy, from our HR Department set the scene for a celebration and sharing of the diverse culture in our team.

We were all encouraged to participate in a “show and tell” story explaining the significance of the particular item we brought to the table or what we decided to wear. Have a look at our “show and tell” photos and see if you can guess which cultures are being represented on our team.

 

 

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Written by Quintin Coetzee

Over time, at Relocation Africa, we’ve realized the value of engaging in teambuilding activities. We’ve seen how it brings out team members together, and fosters a sense of community throughout our head office. We’ve even seen the innovation that comes with allowing each person in the office the chance to lead these sessions. In this article, we’ve outlined some of our teambuilding efforts.

Team Memo

At the start of each week, Quintin Coetzee, our Marketing Assistant, sends out a team memo which contains helpful information including staff leave days and out of office days, the latest news, weather, links to our social media for our team to engage on, and a feelgood cartoon. This memo kicks the week off on a lighter note, and helps keep the head office crew informed.

Wacky Wednesdays

Each Wednesday morning, for 15 minutes, we have Wacky Wednesday. Joy Jackson, our HR Manager, started this initiative to allow everyone the chance to get to know one another better, or just have some fun before the workday starts in the middle of the week. Wednesday was chosen as this is the day our staff meetings are held and everyone is at the office (we now have a hybrid work system that allows for 2 days of work from home, as well as flexi time).

What started off as Joy presenting questions has now turned into team members taking turns to come up with something to ask everyone on a Tuesday afternoon, giving them enough time to prep their answers. These questions have included:

  • What is your current obsession? (by Lucy Smith)
  • What is your spirit animal? (by Eloise Williams)
  • What is your fondest childhood memory? (by Quintin Coetzee)
  • What is your pick-me-up jam? Please bring your song to the office to play. (by Chantelle Butcher)
  • Describe a defining moment in your life when you realized your gift, how it played out and what you did with it. (by Andrew Stegmann)
  • What’s on your bucket list? (by Rene Stegmann)
  • What was your favorite childhood game, and why? (by Joy Jackson)
  • What fictional family would you like to be part of, and why? (by Lynn Mackenzie)

These sessions have evolved in all kinds of ways, including the team bringing in items that represent their heritage to celebrate South Africa’s Heritage Day, as can be seen in the photos below.

Heritage Day items.

From left: Eloise Williams, Quintin Coetzee, Lucy Smith, Pumza M, Joy Jackson, Lynn Mackenzie, Marlyse Wood

Team Building

Each month at our head office in Cape Town, a new staff member has the fun task of hosting a morning team building session for the rest of our team. Names are drawn in rotation, so that everyone has a chance to come up with a team building idea, and organize their session.

We do this because we understand the value that these kinds of ongoing experiences can have for team members. Team building activities have included:

  • Mini parachute and paper plane building (by Quintin Coetzee)
  • Playing board games (by Andrew Stegmann)
  • Going for a walk around the neighborhood (by Eloise Williams)

Clockwise from left: Quintin Coetzee, Andrew Stegmann, Lynn Mackenzie, Rene Stegmann, Lucy Smith, Tanja Glatz, Marlyse Wood, Inaaz Arend, Nausheena Hoosain, Joy Jackson, Eloise Williams

CSR Projects

Each month, the team comes together to hold an CSR project. These are either half an hour to an hour long sessions on the day, or take place during the month, such as with a collection, and are then completed on the day of the CSR project. In this way, our company has a chance to give back to the community, and team members have a chance to lead a project, and learn about how valuable corporate social initiatives are. Projects have included:

  • Sandwich making for the poor (by Rene Stegmann)
  • Book drive for charity shops (by Quintin Coetzee)
  • Neighborhood litter collection (team idea)

Each year on Mandela Day, the team also gets together to give back to our community in some way, as part of the Mandela Day campaign’s call for 67 minutes of giving back, to recognize the 67 years Nelson Mandela fought for social justice.

From left: Quintin Coetzee, Marlyse Wood, Vulcan Guests

From left: Chantelle Butcher, Joy Jackson, Quintin Coetzee, Marlyse Wood, Help the Rural Child Guests, Andrew Stegmann, Lynn Mackenzie, Eloise Williams

Wellness Workshops

Joy Jackson, our HR Manager, hosts a monthly wellness workshop that is attended by all head office staff. In this workshop, team members are asked what their states of mind are, and to assess their experiences at the company using a number of different metrics. Group discussions are held about how to improve the company culture, and through this collaborative effort, make the workplace better for all.

In Conclusion

Team building should be an integral part of any business’ operations, and value should be placed on ensuring that each team member has a chance not only to take part, but to take the lead sometimes.

For some fun team building ideas, visit this site.

From left: Joy Jackson, Quintin Coetzee, Lynn Mackenzie, Chantelle Butcher, Lucy Smith, Nausheena Hoosain, Eloise Williams, Inaaz Arend, Marlyse Wood

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].