Anne Atkin OAM

Art has always been a big part of my life since high school. I went on to study art and taught it at different primary schools.

When I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s almost 20 years ago, I discovered how therapeutic art was for the nervous system in that it was relaxing and calming mentally.

I have taught art to people with dementia, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) and to my Painting with Parkinson’s group for 15 years. People with Parkinson's find that using lots of color makes painting a joyful experience.

I’ve found helping other people helped me. In fact, it gave me a reason for living. Meeting people gives you a new way of looking at your own Parkinson's as you compare your experiences and share ideas.

One struggle I had to overcome on my journey is that I found Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) affected the way I painted. It took many months to find my skills again and I even came close to stopping but I am so happy I didn’t.

Life has gotten a lot more complicated over the last three years of the pandemic, but I have learned so much about myself. I used to struggle talking to audiences but now you can’t stop me talking! Painting has made such a big difference to me and my life.

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