Growing up I was always facinated with nature and the big wide world , I had a great love for flowers and plants and spent alot of time outdoors
My father & step father at different stages were both landscape gardeners and my step father dealt with scrap and pretty much anything he could lay his hand to both were very skilled in wood work and other things
My mothers father was a rag & bone man scrap dealer and for generations his family were Rag scrap dealers and horse dealers and breeders wood carvers engravers and more this would come in handy at a later stage little did I know . I spent alot of time learning about plants and herbs and remedies from my mother and grandmother .
I also had a great love for music art singing and dancing and always putting on little shows and performances for my family and friends
as well as drawing sketching taking photos and writing poetry and songs
and anything that surrounded healing and have always had a huge faith thanks to my Granny .
I had a very mixed upbringing and was part of a split family as well as this part of a cultural identity and heritage very few people understood
I don't think I was even hugely aware of the differences until I was much older
As a child you don't understand things in quite the same way
That's another story for another time ... lol
I have always been proud of my heritage regardless.
My early years were difficult and I struggled with emotional issues because of childhood traumas
So Art and music for me were always a great escape and I often used it as a way to express how I felt and was feeling. By the time I was 21 I had struggled and battled with Panic attacks and physical health problems after a near death experience after Having sepsis my entire life completely changed and I made the choice to leave my home town in Kent and moved to Nottingham .
With a plan to create a sanctuary where artists and musicians healers and the community could come together and work together to better themselves to find support and or healing to be able to volunteer and find a sense of purpose
And grow community.
Tao East Midlands
We took on a very old Victorian three story building with the view to create arts studios a recording studio shops and performance space
My very own Tea therapy bar with lots of lovely herbal loose leaf teas and more besides
We had a very small budget and a short ammount of time to make this project work and so yes those scrap dealer wood carving and recycling methods in my blood come in handy as almost every thing that was built was made from recycled Materials.
Our project become very successful and we worked with the local council, community groups and organisations that supported mental health As well as 16 plus who support young people coming out of the care system and more besides
We worked with 50 schools to create a big art exhibit which as opened by the mayor of nottingham and had a wonderful volunteer programme the projects were endless and it was many hours of work and long nights
But when I look back now I can see how many benefits it had and offered opportunities to people and vulnerable people that ordinarily would not have been available to them .
This was one of our biggest motivators to offer people who had come from All walks of life backgrounds cultures, homelessness a pathway and to help nurture them wether it meant supporting them to set up there own projects to finding funding or groups and organisations that could support them to be able to live a happy and content life especially for those who were dealing with and or struggling with mental health issues.
Within the arts community especially it was always noticeable how Creative people seemed to suffer and struggle with emotional health issues to me rosey lees is a bit of an extension of Tao only that I am not housed in a building but that Healing is and can be accessed anywhere really and I can take it to my clients in a more gentle way
To build and support and boost every person I work with and to show them how they can harness there own inner healing pathways and help to bring a sense of purpose back
Which is something I felt very strongly about with Taos Purpose is one of the biggest keys to a persons life journey and to be able heal help themselves while being guided gently in a natural and holistic way will lead to finding purpose and to live a happier healthier life.
Tao Legacy lives on
Tao was a unique and one of a kind experience
I can honestly say it was the people that made it what it was and to this day those artists and individuals who i still remain in contact with have gone on to do incredible things in there lives and it makes me feel incredibly proud to have shared the journey with them . As an artist and as a therapist I aim to support individuals with my work at Rosey Lees in different ways and I will be offering consultancy services in 2024 for groups and organisations who would like to build positive communities in there areas .
Keep an eye on my website for Fees and further information.
Thank you to everyone for taking the time to read about My journey and what my motivation is
To help support and guide sustain the wellness of others .
Love hope and peace to all
Rosey Lees xx
Kelly lee
Legacy of Tao
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