Spectrum Creative Healing

10/07/2025

Elma Koster

10/07/2025

Beautiful Mallory, doing what she is supposed to be doing in the studio, just relaxing, feeling safe, exploring inner emotions. Proud of you girl!!

Photo posted with her permission.

17/06/2025

Neuroplasticity:
This term refers to the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural pathways throughout life.

Formation of new pathways:
When you learn a new skill, neurons in your brain form new connections and strengthen existing ones, creating new pathways for information to travel.

My client thoroughly enjoyed learning to work with a sewing machine. Together we creared this lovely bag from an old denim jean. Then we added some hand sewing in the form of relatively easy embroidery stitches.

May you have many happy outings with your beautiful bag dearest L. X

14/06/2025

13/06/2025

Life is too short to hold on to past mistakes.

Making peace with your past involves coming to terms with previous experiences, both positive and negative, and accepting them as part of your story, allowing you to move forward without dwelling on regrets or pain. This process can involve forgiving yourself and others, learning from past mistakes, and embracing the present and future.

Here's some tips on how to make peace with your past:

1. Acknowledge and Accept:
Recognize the emotional impact - Acknowledge the emotional toll that dwelling on past events has on you.
Accept the past -
Understand that past events are part of your story and don't define you.

2. Forgive:
Forgive yourself -
Let go of self-criticism and guilt, recognizing that everyone makes mistakes.
Forgive others -
Let go of anger and resentment towards those who may have wronged you. Forgiveness can be a process, not an instant decision. This can be a very liberating experience.

3. Learn and Grow:
Learn from your mistakes -
Reflect on past experiences to identify lessons and growth opportunities.
Make amends -
When possible, make amends for past mistakes to repair relationships.

4. Focus on the Present and Future:
Embrace the present -
Live fully in the moment, appreciating your current circumstances and experiences.
Plan for the future -
Set goals and focus on who you want to become, rather than who you used to be.

5. Seek Support:
Therapy -
If you're struggling to move forward, consider seeking professional help from a therapist.

Life is too short to hold on to past mistakes.

Blessings

06/06/2025

As I settle back into the studio, I'm filled with gratitude for the incredible people who make this space come alive. My clients are the heartbeat of my work, and I'm honored to be a part of their journey towards mental wellness and happiness. Together, we create a supportive community that celebrates our strengths and lifts each other up. Whether you're a regular or just visiting, you're welcome to join us for a coffee and experience the warmth of our studio.

Blessings, Elma xx

28/04/2025

Soaking up the autumn sun has a specific nostalgia for me. There is that tinge of change in everything around me. This is the time of year we were preparing for our wedding on 14 May 1983. It was a very small, very intimate wedding with little to prepare. But there was that special 'something' in the air and it was not only love or destiny, it was also nature celebrating with us.
The smell of autumn is different now that we live in Australia, but still my memory can evoke the feelings and emotions I experienced back in 1983.
The ‘Proust Effect’ refers to the emotionality and vividness of re-experiencing autobiographical memories triggered by the senses, such as the recollection of a past experience. The smell of citrus, or apple pie baking in the oven, may bring back memories of childhood moments spent with grandparents. Freshly cut grass again reminds you of someone else with whom you shared a picnic.
I am so glad we have this trigger built into us to take us down memory lane.

Enjoy your own ‘Proust Effect’ down memory lane.

Blessings, Elma xx

15/04/2025

Three common obsessions in individuals with autism are repetitive behaviors, fixation on specific topics or objects, and the need for routine and predictability.

The occurrence of Hyperlexia is when children on the autistic spectrum are obsessed with letters and numbers, arranging them endlessly.

Without referring or diagnosing anyone in particular, I found the game of Triominos works like magic to incorporate in a session, especially towards the end to wind the session down, relax and laugh together.

10/02/2025

If you stop stirring, overthinking and dwell on your past errors and challenging circumstances, clarity and calmness will settle in to give you peace of mind.

Let go of that spoon!

(Pic - borrowed from Pinterest)

07/02/2025

A busy but happy week in the studio.
Have a lovely but productive weekend dear friends!! (Rest if you must! 😁)

(Contact me by private message if you are interested in viewing to buy any of these items)

06/02/2025

Elma Koster

Over the past few days I had experienced moments where I wished I could take back my words or some actions. Some of you may have been aware of the same thing if you fall in the ‘senior’ category.

Do we really lose our ‘filter’ as we get older?

Have you ever met someone who just blurted out whatever came to mind, no matter how rude or inappropriate it was? That’s someone who doesn’t have a ‘filter’.

A ‘filter’ is like a mental shield that helps us think before we speak. It stops us from saying things that might hurt others’ feelings or make them uncomfortable.

Our ‘filter’ is made up of two main things: our brain’s ability to control our thoughts and our ability to understand and predict what others are thinking.

As we get older, our brains start to shrink a little bit, which can affect our ‘filter’. Researchers have linked age-related shrinking in the frontal lobes with declines in ability to control our impulses and understand social situations. But it’s not like we completely lose it. Our brains are still smart enough to figure out what’s appropriate in different situations. They’ve also found that older people react differently to awkward social situations than younger people.

So, as we age, the normal changes in our brains might make it easier for things to slip through our “filters.”

But there are other things that could be going on. Besides changes in our brains that affect how we control our impulses and understand others, it’s possible that as we get older, we don’t care as much about what others think.

Compared to younger people, older people tend to be less self-conscious, reporting fewer feelings of shame, guilt, and embarrassment. They also have higher levels of happiness and overall well-being.

The golden thread is to hopefully be aware enough in your own situation to depend on wisdom to correct the mistakes we make.

With the blessing of growing old comes the need for people close to you who will hopefully always show grace and forgiveness.

Blessings from someone in the same situation.

Elma xx