Memories, Marks and Meaning: connecting poetry, art and life By Bobby and Thomas Graham

In this gentle, exploratory 3-hour workshop, participants are guided through a sequence of writing and drawing activities that invite reflection, play, and self-expression.
Beginning with a brief writing exercise, you’ll transform words into line, shape, and texture by working with ink blots and simple drawing techniques. The session concludes with the creation of a folded artwork, a personal piece to take home.
No prior experience in writing or drawing is needed. Just curiosity, and a willingness to explore how words and marks can open up new ways of thinking about your life and experiences.

What you’ll experience
A welcoming, small-group creative workshop (maximum 15 participants)
Guided writing and drawing exercises designed to encourage reflection and expression
Working with ink blots, line, shape, and texture
Folding and finishing a personal artwork to take home
A calm, supportive environment led by two experienced facilitators
The activities are playful yet mindful, offering space for connection, insight, and shared experience — whether joyful, reflective, or quietly contemplative.

Who this workshop is for
This workshop is designed for adults who enjoy creative exploration and reflection.
It is especially suited to older participants and festival-goers who are curious about creativity as a way of making sense of life experiences.
You do not need experience in:
drawing
writing
art.

You’ll benefit from:
an open mind
curiosity
a willingness to have a go.

The workshop is led by Bobby and Thomas Graham, a Canberra-based husband-and-wife team.

Bobby Graham is an artist, illustrator, publisher, and Vice-President of the Artists Society of Canberra. She is widely known for her expressive drawing workshops, visual journaling practice, and her much-loved Finding Faces, Cats, Flowers and Leaves in Inkblots methodology.

Thomas Graham is a poet, author, certified nature therapist, and stroke survivor. He has delivered poetry workshops in nature/art retreats and community settings. He is the author of Let’s Go for a Walk — rebuilding body, mind and spirit after a stroke.

Together, they bring deep experience, warmth, and a shared belief in creativity as a way of living well.