Deirdrie Tehan Cullen
I am an Eco Art Psychotherapist
Image: Deidrie Tehan Cullen
For nearly the past 10 years, I was the President of Gold Coast Creative Events Inc. (GCCEI). This not-for-profit has always been close to my heart, a platform for creatives to network, share ideas, collaborate on projects, and access funding under a united banner. Even during the quieter years, I kept the torch lit, knowing its potential to nurture and support the arts on the Gold Coast.
The NFP organisation was originally formed in 2015 by a group of passionate creatives, myself included, with the ambitious idea of bringing music to our streets and even onto our trams. While that inaugural event didn’t come to fruition, it opened the door to other exciting music events and creative initiatives, many of which received council and grant funding to support the projects of our members.
Over time, the original committee evolved, as members moved on or shifted focus. Then, in late 2022, while I was still serving as President, I was in the middle of our last project - a series of HOPE: EPOH Photovoice workshops supported by an Investing in QLD Women’s Grant, when I received a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis. This moment changed everything. I was forced to step back, reassess, and refocus my energy on my health and healing.
In 2024, during a Creative Conversations event at Hand Bent Banana, while still in recovery mode, I was delighted to see new energy and commitment emerge around GCCEI. A fresh team of dedicated creatives stepped forward to carry the organisation into its next chapter. I gladly handed over the presidency, stepping back so the entity could shine in its own light, just as it was always meant to.
The original vision of GCCEI was to work in collaborative partnership with local organisations, businesses, artists, and musicians, enhancing music and art in every corner of the Gold Coast. Over the years, this vision morphed and matured - what began as an event management organisation transformed into a collective creative space that encouraged artistic exchange, collaboration, and community connection.
Alongside GCCEI, I have developed and managed many collaborative projects across the years: ranging from intimate workshops, films, exhibitions, fashion parades, and performance art to larger-scale international events. For over 30 years, I have been an active member of my community, holding leadership roles in grassroots organisations and representing families as a consumer voice on steering and reference committees for the founding of Gold Coast Birthing Centre. These roles allowed me to work alongside health professionals and politicians to advocate for positive outcomes for families and communities.
My creative journey first took shape as a professional photographer. Since the late 1980s, my work has won awards, been exhibited widely, and published both nationally and internationally. Later, as my three children were completing their schooling, I returned to study: spending five years training in counselling and arts psychotherapy, graduating with two degrees.
In 2021, I established my Eco & Arts Therapy business on the Gold Coast and throughout Queensland, working with both individuals and groups in private practice and within the mental health sector. After taking 2.5 years away to focus on my health journey, I returned to running 2-day workshops across QLD, particularly with long-term unemployed groups.
Art and creative practice have always been central to my life, offering both tools and opportunities to dive deep within myself and to connect meaningfully with my community. Living with stage 4 breast cancer has only strengthened this relationship: my art therapy practice has been one of the most powerful tools in navigating healing and living with a terminal illness.
Creative connections have always been, and will always remain, the way I find my place in the world—lighting the path forward as I continue my journey with courage, creativity, and community.
Where to find Deirdrie
