Sudbury group paints rocks to spread inspiration
Northern Initiative for Social Action (NISA) is a non-profit organization run by and for people who have experienced mental health challenges and illness.
On Tuesday, it held a painting activity with the goal of spreading inspiration and hope in the community.
Brix Piper led the wellness rocks session, where people used paintbrushes to express feelings of inspiration.
"Partially it's a form of self expression so they are able to express themselves on the rocks and show their own type of artistic abilities," said Piper, a community arts worker at NISA.
"However it's also great for connection. Lots of the members are painting together at the tables."
NISA hosted the event, which offered a number of peer-based mental health programs and supports.
"We have so many different programs," said Shanleigh Brosseau, communications and strategy co-ordination at NISA.
"We have arts and crafts. We have … groups that are focused on looking at how to manage and cope with depression and anxiety."
Participants will scatter the painted rocks with inspirational sayings throughout the city for people to find.
"We all need someone to care for us and love us and I think it's really important to have hope and stuff like that in all our recoveries," said Hugh Jeanveau, a peer support worker at NISA.
Christine Valent said she hoped her rock conveyed a special message.
"Compassion I am hoping. Compassion, feeling for others, feeling compassion even for yourself. Compassion for others and showing a display of love," said Valent.
Participants said people who find the rocks are welcome to pick them up and keep them for inspiration or leave them where they are for others to enjoy.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.