**Update: Learn more about Lee using art therapy to aid trauma recovery with women from Australia.
Here’s a truly inspiring story out of Australia that reflects how corporations, businesses, and individuals can help other people profit beyond the means of money.
Imaginif, a family run business in Australia dedicated to supporting child protection, began by searching for a survivor of child abuse. Their search ended when they chose Lee George, a 40 year old indigenous Australian woman.
Lee established a woman’s art therapy program for aboriginal women of the stolen generation from Far North Queensland. Eight Australian Aboriginal women, ranging from 40 – 73 years old, meet on a regular basis to explore and heal their past. Because of Lee, these women have been given a voice and the ability to share their experiences through art therapy.
Because of financial hardship, Lee was faced with the difficult decision of finishing her social work degree or continuing to support the 8 women in her art therapy group. Being the selfless woman she is, Lee chose the group.
Lee was adopted when she was 2 weeks old, removed from her original family and home, only to be raped when she was 15. About a year later, still confused and frightened after being estranged from her foster family, she adopted her own baby. Since then she has returned to her home country with a passion towards the healing and recognition of pain due to separation from one’s culture and family.
Lee is seeking support for her Bring Them Home program. Monetary support is always best, otherwise, here are some other giving ideas (your gifts will be recognized by Imaginif and All for Women):
Art Supplies
- Canvasses
- Acrylic paints
- Brushes
- Painting pallets
- Art diaries and sketchbooks
- Pencils and erasers
- Beads and other types of things related to jewelery making
- Tapestries tapestry wool
- Sculpting clay
Items That Raise Self-Esteem
- Haircuts
- New clothing Plain Tee Shirts
- Meals for the women
- Overnight stays
- Food hampers
- Facials
Inkind Support
- Advertising
- Photocopying
- Exhibition hire, etc.
For more information or to make a donation, please visit Imaginif.
Thank you so much. I will email your link to Lee so she can cry, in thanks, again.
I am sure that Lee will make contact with you and I’ll chat with her about getting art work to you for exhibition.
It is so good to help people heal through art and I am very glad you have this blog going.
Thank you Megan! And thanks for all the great work! I look forward to hearing from your or Lee about the images. Thanks again!
Hello there, my name is Lee George and I writing to thank you for sharing my story with the rest of the global art community.
My many heartfelt thanks (and huggies) to my wonderful tidda Megan Bayliss from Imaginif, for allowing my dream to continue. In assisting in the healing journey of the six to eight wonderful, vibrant and dynamic women that I have been able met since the group developed, I have started my own “healing journey”.
I picked up a paintbrush three years ago because I couldn’t talk about my grief, however now I paint with women who have shared similar experiences as mine except our stories are unique.
For me, I have only ever painted using red, black and white because I haven’t had a lot of colour in my life, now I am using yellow….some brightness is shining through…..
Thank you thank you thank you!
Hi Lee! Thanks for stopping by and adding your personal touch to the story. Your story is very inspiring!
I’d love to create a gallery of you and/or your group’s work and share it with my readers. If you’re interested, let me know 🙂
thanks!
I’d love to be involved in that, however I don’t have a contact email address for you. Is it possible for you to email it to.
Looking for to yarning to you.
Lee George
Hi Lee, I responded to your email, but will send another one so we can arrange to show your pictures on this site.
Thanks!
I am inspired by the work you are doing and would love to support it in some way. Additionally I’m studying a counselling degree at the moment and would like to undertake my student placement next year working with Indigenous people using art therapy (not that I like the word ‘therapy’ as it implies there is something wrong with us but maybe that’s true for all of us – I sure do find art a healing medium)!
Thank you for sharing Lee’s inspiring story. It gave me hope to keep going for my dream to become an Art therapist. I truly believe in Art and its magic for physic healing. It will be a great help if anyone can suggest a way to earn a scholership to study Art therapy. I’m from Egypt and I fighted to earn a master degree after my fine art graduation. I have family struggles and I’m doing my best to stand firm and practicing art for self healing. I so much believe in profession and I dream to give a hand for emotion sufrerr, depression patients and epidemic of chronic diseases.