Hello, I’m Dr. Sue Meek PhD, an artist, teacher & creative explorer
About me, the short version
I currently live on the east coast of Canada, but I grew up in Australia and Barbados. Like you, I am not just “one thing”: I am a university instructor, artist, writer, and SoulCollage® Facilitator. I am also a yoga-practitioner, world traveler, life-long learner and creative explorer. I have been taking various kinds of art and creative classes for many years, and I hope I can inspire you to become a creative explorer, to discover what kind of creative practice brings you joy and makes your soul sing.
These days my main personal creative practices include morning journal writing, mandalas, and SoulCollage®. I also like to paint in my art journal, make tiny books I then fill, create oracle cards and try new creative practices I come across online or in classes I take.
I offer workshops in SoulCollage®, art, and creative journaling. Having a creative practice helps ground and center me, lets me express my inner thoughts and emotions, and brings my joy. It’s about the process, not the “outcome”. Everyone is creative – humans have been creating art and jewelry for at least forty thousand years!
More about me and my creative practices
I have always loved nature, which is why I ended up studying ecology and animal behaviour. When I was a child I collected seashells, raised caterpillars, and spent a lot of time outdoors watching treefrogs, lizards, birds, and monkeys. Today a lot of my artwork and SoulCollage® cards are nature-based or contain elements of nature and the natural world. My love of and connection to nature and my studies of ecology inform my art and SoulCollage® practices. Years of taking art, yoga and writing classes have led to who I am today as an artist, writer, and SoulCollage® facilitator.
I love taking classes and learning new things: this allows me to explore different creative avenues, and discover what I like to do and create. My creative and artistic interests have changed a bit over time. These days my regular creative practice includes journal-writing, SoulCollage®, and creating mandalas. I also try to make time for mixed-media painting, and creating “oracle” or affirmation cards.
My SoulCollage® journey
I made my first SoulCollage® card in 2011 when I discovered the book “SoulCollage® Evolving” by Seena Frost, the founder of SoulCollage®, at my public library. I have now made my 140th card as I write this in February 2023. For years I made cards and learned about SoulCollage® on my own using my copy of Seena’s book, as well as resources on the SoulCollage® and Kaleidosoul websites - there were no SoulCollage® Facilitators or workshops anywhere nearby. During the pandemic the SoulCollage® organization started offering workshops and Facilitator training online and I completed the SoulCollage® Facilitator Training in March 2021, fulfilling a long-held dream to become a Facilitator and share the SoulCollage® process with others.
SoulCollage® is a fun creative collage practice that I love and have been using for over 10 years. Anyone can create a SoulCollage® card – you just need glue, scissors, some images, and something to stick them on. SoulCollage® cards are created intuitively by choosing and collaging images that resonate with you, and the cards we create reflect various aspects of ourselves: our roles in life, our personality, people (real or fictional) who have influenced us, and our fears, hopes, and dreams. My personal SoulCollage® practice continues to help me uncover and realize my true feelings, dreams, and motivations. It has helped me trust my intuition, and get in touch with my inner wisdom. My SoulCollage® practice has helped me navigate the many changes and phases in my life story. As the SoulCollage® motto says: “Find your wisdom, change your world”.
Qualifications, Training & Experience
Trained as a SoulCollage® Facilitator with Mariabruna Sirabella, March 2021
Creative Journaling class with Andrea Arazewski, 1998
Numerous art journal and art classes since 2015 with many artists, including Marieke Blokland, Effy Wild, Tamara Laporte, Micki Wilde, Tammy Garcia, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, Iris Fritschi-Cussens, Roxanne Coble
BSc (Honours) and MSc degrees in Biology from Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada, a PhD in Biology (Ecology) from Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, and an NSERC Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada.
Author of 21 academic research papers published in Scientific Journals
Instructor of undergraduate biology courses at Saint Mary’s University for the past 20 years
Fourteen years of public speaking and leadership training with Toastmasters International. Achieved Advanced Toastmaster Gold and Competent Leader designations, and served numerous terms on the club executive, including as Club President. Four-time winner, Outstanding Toastmaster of the Year award at Spirit-Ed Toastmasters club. Area 1 Governor 2006-07. District 45 Public Relations Officer, 2007-2009.
