"I find art very therapeutic," she said.

"It's something that heals me and helps me, and it's also a way to bring what your thoughts are into a physical form."

Dash, now 45, was working in an office administration job until about five years ago when, encouraged by her husband, she decided to pursue a passion for art.

"Now I'm part-time studying, a full-time artist and I'm also a Mum of three kids," she said.

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Dash said her work encapsulates "everything really", including conceptual art, photography, painting and ceramics.

She's been also delving into sculpture, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

Dash is part of a burgeoning online community for artists and art enthusiasts.

About two years ago, she joined the Creatives on the Coast (South Coast NSW) Facebook group.

The group currently has more than 960 members.

Woonona's Susie Fagan started the group about five years ago, and said it had initially grown organically.

"I'm not an artist, but I really enjoy creativity and art," she said.

"The purpose for me was to connect artists and creatives along the coast.

"Some of them didn't know each other, but they didn't live that far away from each other. So I just thought it would be great if they could all just connect."

However, the group has had a notable upswing in members since the beginning of the pandemic.

This growth has included both individuals in lockdown embracing and sharing their creative side, as well as others expressing their interest in creative outlets and purchasing works to support the arts during a time of uncertainty for the field.

"When we did have the initial lockdown, a lot of people started messaging me and saying, 'I'm really bored, I want to do something creative', and asking me for tips," Dash said.

"I've always been creative, and art's always been something that I've turned to regardless. But I have noticed with a lot of friends that have never really tried anything artistic that they've really tried to explore that avenue now, which is great."

The group has also been used as a platform to share online events, such as art openings, as well as details on what financial aid career creatives are entitled to during this time.

"When all this COVID stuff happened, and obviously more people are online and really craving connections... I had too a bit more time on my own hands," Mrs Fagan said.

"So I put the word out because I'd always wanted to promote it more to people who weren't artists, but were interested in the art.

"I put a small word out in a few other groups about it... And then it just surged."

Mrs Fagan even purchased one of Dash's works, a painting influenced by the bushfires, after it was shared via the Facebook group.

Mrs Fagan hopes the group can grow further post-pandemic, and spawn greater attendance at art events.

She laughed and said there's now a waiting list of people to join the group.

However, she wanted to have some sort of filter so it "wasn't full of spam or people with FOMO".

Therefore, potential members are vetted with a question prior to being approved.

"I get great feedback from people, saying, 'we wouldn't have known about this event happening'," Mrs Fagan said. "So that's been really good."

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