Interview: Gunjan Adya, a certified Expressive Art Therapist & Founder of Tula Journey

An interview with Gunjan Adya, a certified Expressive Art Therapist & Founder of Tula Journey, a wellness brand

In our enlightening interview with Gunjan Adya, a certified Expressive Art Therapist and founder of Tula Journey, we delve into the transformative power of art in healing.

With her extensive background in wellness, Ms. Adya shares her insights on how creative expression can foster emotional well-being and personal growth.

What inspired you to become an expressive art therapist, and how did that lead to the founding of Tula Journey?

Gunjan Adya: As an artist I wanted to better my skills and I enrolled in an Art Therapy Course thinking it had something to do with making beautiful art. Once I started I realised it was everything but making beautiful art … rather a completely opposite medium!

Expressive Art Therapy helped me understand myself better and made my expression so rich! I could express myself not only better verbally but also through journaling , art , movement and through music! It absolutely changed me as a person as I gradually started to become aware of my core.

During the pandemic, I wanted to help people manage their stress and living life slowly and mindfully was something most people had moved away from. ‘Tula Journey’ was born from that space where I felt I had to make people realise the importance of the ‘Pause’.

Can you explain what expressive art therapy is and how it benefits individuals of different ages?

Gunjan Adya: In a world where there is a multitude of ways to communicate and express ourselves, Art Therapy is yet another. Art has been around since the dawn of time, humans have been creating art forever and it’s in our evolutionary DNA.

Through very simple means of lines, scribbles, shapes and colours, we can apply personal meaning to various kinds of visual expressions that come to form.

Art therapy is not just ‘arts and crafts’ rather it is art created within the context of a therapeutic relationship which is intended to help people not only engage in self-exploration, it also involves purposeful ways to derive meaning through specific art making.

In your view, how does expressive art therapy complement traditional therapeutic practices in addressing mental health?

Gunjan Adya: Any kind of practice that helps us express ourselves better can be very therapeutic Art Therapy compliments any such practice that helps one do that.

It could be practising Pranayam daily, it could be practising yoga asanas, it could be practising meditation or it could be taking a walk in nature!

These are just a few examples that I feel, compliment each other as all of these help a person to not have a scattered mind and become mindful and become more in touch with their inner core making one have a better mental landscape.

What types of workshops and programs does Tula Journey offer, and who can benefit from them?

Gunjan Adya: The offerings at Tula Journey are called ‘Experiences’. Tula Journey offers two kinds of experiences mainly.

The first being an – ‘Expressive Arts Therapy’ experience. Here, a two hour session is curated using various modalities like movement, music journalling, and of course art to help people express themselves better.

The second experience is – ‘Tea meditation’ where I take a group of people on a beautiful visual meditative journey to help them learn how sacred a tea ritual can be.

I have done some lovely  tea experiences and a few of my favourite ones were in collaboration with Anamika of Anandini Teas, with Blossom Kochhar and a beautiful collaboration with Good Earth in Hyderabad.

What are your aspirations for Tula Journey in the coming years, and how do you see the field of expressive art therapy evolving?

Gunjan Adya: Through Tula Journey, I aspire to see people understand the beauty of ‘mindfulness’. I hope people learn to appreciate and honour the ‘pause’ and engage with their inner selves giving themselves more clarity of purpose.

What advice would you give to those interested in pursuing a career in expressive art therapy or a similar field?

Gunjan Adya: My advice to people wanting to pursue Expressive Arts Therapy as a career would be to take this upon themselves as a social responsibility.

The endeavour should be to help people learn to recognise all the inner voices for what they are and separate them from the voice of their authentic self.

The aim should be to enable people to understand themselves better and lead less chaotic lives, helping them restore their souls.

Gunjan Adya’s passion for expressive arts as a therapeutic tool illuminates the profound connection between creativity and healing.

Tula Journey stands as a testament to her commitment to nurturing mental wellness through innovative artistic practices.

Read more Success stories of Indian entrepreneurs, Women Entrepreneurs & startups stories at SugerMint. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn