ID: Photo of two women making bracelets.

When Bianca joined My Ability Pathway as our new HR & Payroll Administrator, she stepped into more than a new workplace. She stepped into a new industry, a new role, and a team she says made her feel welcome from the very beginning.

“I’m brand new in the disability sector,” Bianca shared. “I have never worked in the disability sector…. I’m brand new to the role.”

But while there has been plenty to learn, Bianca says one thing stood out quickly: the support around her.

“Everyone is so supportive. It’s very inclusive,” she said. “From day one I’ve been part of the team, whether I’ve been part of the industry or not. I’ve felt very welcome.”

Art as a way to process, heal and be seen

Outside of work, Bianca finds meaning and release through watercolour painting. What began around two years ago during a deeply difficult time has become an important part of how she expresses herself and makes sense of her experiences.

“I started about two years ago just after the passing of my dad,” Bianca explained. “I didn’t have the opportunity to go back home or to see him, or visit him in hospital. So I struggled with the grief process and I feel like art has given me the opportunity to deal with that grief.”

For Bianca, painting is not about perfection. It is about having somewhere safe to put feelings that can be hard to say out loud. It is a healthy coping mechanism, a creative outlet, and a reminder that expression can take many forms.

“It’s been really freeing in a sense,” she said. “I feel like that’s what art means for a lot of people. They use it as a coping mechanism, as a healthy coping mechanism.”

This year, Bianca took another brave step by submitting one of her artworks to the SALA Festival’s BE SEEN exhibition, presented by Barossa Village. The exhibition celebrates “bold journeys, fearless creativity, and the vibrancy of those souls often overlooked,” with the full collection on display at Barossa Village Lodge in Nuriootpa from 3–31 August.

The importance of creative expression

Creative arts can offer people a way to communicate what words cannot always hold. Whether through painting, drawing, music, writing, movement or craft, creativity can help people explore emotion, identity, connection and healing in a way that feels personal and empowering.

For some, art is a quiet space to reflect. For others, it becomes a way to share a story, celebrate culture, process grief, or feel connected to community. Exhibitions like BE SEEN are important because they create space for those stories to be recognised, valued and celebrated.

Bianca’s artwork carries part of her own story, including why she began painting and why she believes art matters.

“I think it’s a really great tool for people to utilise when they need a way to express their feelings, to deal with their grief,” she said. “For me it was very hard, I didn’t have any family here to talk to and that was a way of expressing what I felt.”

We are proud to celebrate Bianca not only as part of the MAP team, but as someone willing to share her creativity and personal journey with the wider community. Her story is a beautiful reminder that creativity can help us process life’s hardest moments, connect with others, and be seen. You can visit the BE SEEN full collection at Barossa Village Lodge, 14 Scholz Avenue, Nuriootpa, from 3–31 August, Monday to Friday, 8:30am–4:30pm.

Bianca at the Barossa Village SALA Exhibition Opening on Monday 3 August 2026.