Painting Castles in Prague

I am not talking about building castles in the air, on the contrary I am saying that I was painting one, well not a castle but nevertheless I was painting in Prague. Before you are left scratching your head trying to understand what I am saying, allow me to be clear.

I went to Prague for an Art Therapy Conference.

It was an experience of a lifetime. Although before I left, I’ll be honest I was really apprehensive about this trip. I landed in Prague on a gloomy afternoon. Gray clouds and lots of rain. Sitting in a taxi looking out of the window at the passing gothic citadel roofs I felt no less than Wednesday Addams on the way to Nevermore. I had conicting feelings of being excited and unsure for the next day.

The next morning I arrived at the Academy of Performing Arts ( the venue for the event), debating whether I made the right decision coming here. Once I saw the building I was gobsmacked. It was beautiful inside and out. The famous Prague Castle was a stone throw away and the centre was bustling with people from all over the world. It was as colourful inside as it was gloomy outside. With banners of The Art Festival put all over, men and women in colourful cardigans zipping around with their espressos (welcome to Europe), posters of the workshops being hung on boards and colourful paintings adorning the walls the place was buzzing with energy.

What is this Art Therapy you ask? It is an art making procedure that uses therapeutic and creative processes to promote healing and mental health.

We had various workshops related to this. I had the amazing opportunity to attend workshops on art therapy for adults, on possibilities of art therapy for children with down syndrome , compassion based resilience and self care for art therapists and many more.

Therapy is still considered a taboo in our society. The more I learn about it the more I have come to realize that therapy can be useful to everyone from anxiety to stress to depression. One doesn’t need to only experience some sort of severe trauma to seek therapy. Arts therapy is a more softer take which can immensely help the mental health of children and adults alike.

I met some wonderful art and music therapists. I met an art therapist from Greece who helps refugees overcome anxiety through art therapy. I met another music therapist from Bogota who helps deaf children, some who are still learning the nuances of this field and others who are pioneers in theirs.

There were clinical psychologists who had flown down all the way from Japan, music therapists from Mexico and art therapy students from the USA for this event.

Being the only Indian in this event was an honour and a responsibility. We discussed how new and niche this therapy is in our cities and how it’s slowly picking up as more and more people realize the value of prioritising themselves and mental health.

It was an event where I learnt, met and interacted with some truly lovely people. I made some great friends from Poland, Romania and Belfast, experienced the beauty of Czech musical evenings and truly enjoyed walking around the Old Town eating cinnamon coated Trdelnik (you have to try it when you go there).

By the time I departed Prague the sun was shining, the sky was a beautiful azure and I was oh so happy! I had no reason to be apprehensive, I realised.

Prague you have my heart! It’s a magical city with beautiful gothic architecture that instantly takes you back centuries. The people are so warm, the wind is crisp and clean, the statues are mindbogglingly detailed and their cuisine is an acquired taste.

I found my calling. Meeting these wonderful therapists was an enriching experience, something I’ll cherish forever. It’s never too late to
nd yours. It might not be popular, or understood by many but don’t let that deter you.