Suffering with bipolar, Mark Gibson-Williamson was looking for a way to be more involved in the community.
“One day I was going through a real bad stage of my life and I found a pamphlet on the side of the road, I sat down, opened up the pamphlet and it was for the neighbourhood house,” he said.
“I found this place and came here on my own choice. They asked me what kind of course I’d like to do and I said ‘maybe an art course.
“I met my teacher Janice … and she said ‘can you draw this dolphin?’ And I drew it. She said ‘you can draw’.”
He hasn’t looked back since.
“From that day on I’d go to the library, I’d stay up until two o’clock in the morning and practice with books and different styles until I got my own style,” he said.
“Now I can draw, paint, I can do sketch art.
“I’ve sold a few paintings here and there to different people. I’ve got paintings in Queensland, Melbourne, in people’s houses in the Valley.
“I’ve sold a lot of different paintings to people who ask me to do a painting.”
Mr Gibson-Williamson said his passion for art had helped him through some tough times and described the art class as “the best thing I have ever done in my life”.
“It has helped me go forward, and it has helped me get into the community again,” he said.
“It has helped me improve my lifestyle. I have met a lot of nice people along the way and I’ve made heaps of friends from different walks of life.
“I find art is a good meditation and physical therapy for me … it has helped improve my way and how I’ve been and I enjoy it.”
Traralgon Neighbourhood House art class tutor Janice Timmins said it was amazing to see what a difference art could make in people’s lives.
“You never know where it leads to when you start your adventure,” she said.
“I asked [Mark] to draw me a dolphin and from there it was amazing, he took off and I don’t think he has slept since.”
For more information about the Traralgon Neighbourhood House and the classes on offer, visit the Facebook page, Traralgon Neighbourhood Learning House or phone 5174 6199.
