{"id":1260,"date":"2026-08-04T17:55:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T17:55:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gwaeu.com\/?p=1260"},"modified":"2026-08-06T10:35:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T10:35:31","slug":"the-power-of-international-opportunities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gwaeu.com\/?p=1260","title":{"rendered":"The Power of International Opportunities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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When we think about Erasmus+ projects, it’s easy to focus on the activities, workshops and events. But the true impact lies in the people whose lives continue to change long after the project ends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Deiana from the Netherlands, Healthy Arts became far more than a creative project. It became the beginning of a journey of self-discovery, confidence and connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having recently received her ADHD and autism diagnosis, Deiana was still learning to understand what it meant for her. Like many women, her diagnosis brought both questions and clarity. Rather than allowing it to define her, she chose to embrace it as an opportunity to better understand herself and discover the support and strategies that would help her thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Healthy Arts offered something she hadn’t experienced before: the chance to use creativity as a tool for wellbeing. Through artistic expression, she found a new way to explore her thoughts, emotions and identity. She describes the project as one of the first stepping stones in truly getting to know herself through art. It showed her that creativity isn’t simply about producing something beautiful, it’s about understanding who you are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What began in the Netherlands soon grew into an incredible international journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deiana travelled to Lisbon to showcase the artwork she had created, representing her interpretation of wellbeing alongside participants from across Europe. Seeing her work displayed on an international stage reinforced that her experiences, creativity and voice mattered.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Her journey didn’t end there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She later joined us in M\u00e1laga for the final evaluation of the Healthy Arts project, helping partners reflect on the impact the project had created and contributing valuable insight into how creative wellbeing initiatives can support people from diverse backgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout these experiences, Deiana became more than a participant. She became an advocate for the importance of creativity, wellbeing and inclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most inspiring aspects of her journey has been her openness. She speaks honestly about living with ADHD and autism, helping to challenge misconceptions around neurodiversity. Rather than viewing her diagnosis as a limitation, she shares how understanding herself has given her greater confidence, self-awareness and the ability to develop strategies that work for her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her willingness to speak openly has encouraged important conversations about mental health, neurodiversity and the importance of seeking support when it’s needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project also introduced Deiana to a community of women who encouraged and supported one another. Throughout her journey, she has spoken about the value of sisterhood and surrounding yourself with people who celebrate who you are rather than expecting you to change. Those connections became just as meaningful as the creative work itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More recently, Deiana shared her experiences on our Me, Myself & I<\/em> podcast (showcasing soon), where she spoke openly about her journey, identity and the lessons she has learned along the way. Her honesty, warmth and willingness to share her story have already inspired many others to reflect on their own experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking back, it’s remarkable to see how far she has come. From joining a creative wellbeing workshop in the Netherlands to representing her country at international events, showcasing her artwork, contributing to project evaluations and becoming a powerful voice for neurodiversity and wellbeing, her journey demonstrates the lasting impact that international opportunities can have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

International projects like Healthy Arts don’t simply bring people together for a few days. They create opportunities for people to discover new strengths, build confidence, form lifelong friendships and realise that their experiences have value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Deiana, Healthy Arts was not the end of a project, it was the beginning of a journey that continues today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her story reminds us that when we invest in people, create safe spaces for creativity and provide opportunities to connect across cultures, we don’t just create projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We create confidence. We create belonging. We create voices that inspire others. And that is the true power of international opportunities provided to our communities in the Netherlands. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When we think about Erasmus+ projects, it’s easy to focus on the activities, workshops and events. But the true impact lies in the people whose lives continue to change long after the project ends. For Deiana from the Netherlands, Healthy Arts became far more than a creative project. It became the beginning of a journey […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gwaeu.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1260","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gwaeu.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gwaeu.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwaeu.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwaeu.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1260"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/gwaeu.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1260\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1267,"href":"https:\/\/gwaeu.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1260\/revisions\/1267"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gwaeu.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwaeu.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gwaeu.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}