Creative Arts for Wellbeing & Connection

Amy Turner

Lived Experience Creative Arts Practitioner

Art is my way of processing the world, a meditative practice that bridges emotion, memory, and material. As a neurodivergent artist, I experiment with a wide range of creative methods, from drawing and painting to sensory, nature-based, and found-object work. I create spaces where others can connect, reflect, and express themselves, whether through one-on-one mentoring or inclusive community programs. My practice is grounded in lived experience, curiosity, and a belief in creativity as a tool for growth and well-being.

Art is how I process the world, an ever-evolving dialogue between emotion, memory, and material. My practice is fluid, shifting across mediums such as pencil, paint, posca pens, stitching, pressed flowers and paper arts, depending on what personal themes I am exploring. Each piece becomes a tangible record of my thoughts and reactions, an extension of both my inner landscape and the environments that shape me.

Nature plays a vital role in my work. I incorporate organic elements such as pressed flowers, embracing their fragility and impermanence as metaphors for change, resilience, and growth. My process is often meditative, whether layering paint, shaping clay, or arranging delicate botanicals, these repetitive actions offer a sense of grounding and connection.

As a neurodivergent artist, I embrace nonlinear thinking, experimentation, and the unexpected ways ideas unfold. Creativity is both a coping mechanism and a form of communication, a way to explore complexity and invite others into moments of reflection, stillness, and sensory engagement. Through my work, I hope to create space for slowness, curiosity, and meaning in the details.
This version highlights your neurodiversity, artistic approach, and connection to nature.
Education & Training

Formal Study
  • Diploma of Creative Arts and Health | University of Tasmania (Currently Completing)
  • Bachelor of Social Science (Behavioural Studies) | Swinburne University of Technology (2023)
  • Diploma of Visual Art | TAFE Queensland (2014)

Creative & Professional Development
  • 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training | Yoga Renew (Currently Completing)
  • Therapeutic Skills ‘Boost’ Camp – Creative Check-ins & Insight Activities for Therapists and Counsellors (June 2024)
  • DBT Skills Essentials | DBT Training Australia (May 2024)
  • Supporting the Mental Health of a Neurodivergent Person with Co-occurring Autism and ADHD | MHPN (June 2024)

Relevant Training & Certifications
  • Mental Health First Aid
  • First Aid & CPR
  • Intentional Peer Support Training (August 2024)
  • Motivational Interviewing (August 2024)
  • When Conversation Turns to Suicide Training | Brook Red (Feb 2024)
  • Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) | Mercy Care (Feb 2023)

The Stories We Sleep In

  •  10/03/2025 08:01 PM

Through a series of haunting images, this photo essay explores the fragile connection between safety and survival. From makeshift beds to abandoned spaces, these photographs tell a quiet yet powerful story of displacement, resilience, and the search for home.

Exploring Dreamscapes: Mushrooms, Crystals, and Bubbles in My Latest Abstract Artwork

  •  26/02/2025 01:23 PM

In this post, I take you through the creative process behind my latest abstract artwork, blending watercolours, acrylic ink, and fine details like mushrooms, crystals, and bubbles. From experimenting with new motifs to refining my signature style, I share the challenges and discoveries that brought this piece to life. Join me as I explore different techniques, reflect on my artistic journey, and decide whether to add a bit of sparkle to the final piece!

Pressed, Not Lost: Finding Myself in Flowers

  •  21/02/2025 10:21 AM

In this post, I explore my connection to flowers as symbols of beauty, resilience, and growth. Through experimenting with flower pressing in my art, I reflect on aging and change, discovering that, like the flowers, I too am evolving into something more.

Layer by Layer: Bringing My Painting to Life

  •  7/02/2025 09:43 AM

Layer by layer, my painting is coming to life! Experimenting with textures, stippling, and watercolour, but still undecided, should the pink ink spot be a sun, a flower, or something else?

Painting Clouds & Dream Gardens: Continuing the Experiment

  •  5/02/2025 12:50 PM

Turning a discarded watercolor into an experiment, I added Posca pen flowers and played with cloud textures—discovering that using my finger created a softer effect. Inspired by a Secret Garden meditation, I’m exploring how to bring my personal meditation garden to life.

Playing with Pigments: Experimenting with Water, Ink & Paper

  •  4/02/2025 01:08 PM

Exploring new materials and experimenting with water, pigments, and paper! Some unexpected results, a few frustrations, and a couple of ideas for salvaging the “flops.” Sometimes, the best discoveries come from just playing.

Playing with new supplies 
  • Brisbane QLD, Australia