Cork & Chroma’s ‘Baby Friendly Painting Sessions’ Giving New Mums A Space To Connect With Their Creativity

Cork & Chroma announces a new weekly offer on their Brisbane Calendar; a baby-friendly painting session aptly named ‘The Mummart Sessions’. The idea was sparked for founder Hillary Wall after giving birth to her first baby and attending weekly ‘Babes in Arms’ movie screenings at a few local movie theatres.

“There is a lot of uncharted territory as a new mum. Not only are you navigating your personal life in a new way, but engaging with the public and community felt new, too. Going to the movies with Sunny, it was refreshing to be in public space with my baby and doing a normal, ‘pre-baby’ activity without feeling anxious,” Hillary explained. “I found that there were several activities in my life that now seemed inaccessible with a baby. It made me miss the things I used to be able to do, and I felt grateful that going to the movies made me feel connected with the woman in me that was there before I had a baby. I also felt an unspoken support and understanding of my fellow mums and their bubs around me in the theatre.”

“Just as a baby needs to adjust to life outside the womb, a new mother needs time and space to adjust to being re-born into a new role in the world, as a mother. There is so much power in expressing our creativity, and I want to give space to women who are raising our future generations. We need to feel connected, to each other and to ourselves.”

Taking the cue from her movie theatre experience, Hillary realised that painting sessions at her Cork & Chroma Brisbane studios were also a viable space that new mums could easily integrate their bubs. The environment is calm, the babies can be next to or worn by mum while she paints a self-guided artwork and connects with herself and her creativity. It’s a beautiful way to create more community around the studio and get mamas in our city doing something for themselves, with their little ones in tow.

Cork & Chroma’s aim is to create an inclusive space for new mothers to nurture themselves in addition to nurturing their new baby. While the session is a public class and anyone can attend, it is a baby-friendly environment and mums are encouraged to answer their baby’s needs without worrying about disrupting the session. On their Facebook Event, it says, “Baby cries? No problem. It happens. Need to breastfeed? Go for it. Pop out of the room for a quick nappy change? Come back in whenever you’re ready.”

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