I put a few new drawings up on the artwork page.
Art Show
I recently organized an art show at Redwood Place (for staff and clients only), where the masks discussed in a previous post were featured. The art show took place at lunch time during a special barbq. The masks were hung all around the dinning room, and underneath each mask was a personal explanation or story, as well as the client’s first name to go along with their respective mask. In total, there were about 25 masks featured.
The clients seemed to enjoy walking into the dinning room, and trying to find their mask on the wall. I also observed that many clients needed encouragement to take the time to look at other people’s masks or read the blurbs to go along with the artwork. Some clients had difficulty remembering which mask were theirs, and needed a reminder to patiently look around the room to find their mask.
Several clients whose artwork was featured in the art show chose not to attend, but rather go to lunch at a local grocery store. Once they returned back to the facility, they seemed disappointed that they did not attend, stating that they had forgotten. This made me realize that although the art show was talked about and featured on the monthly calendar, extra reminders may be needed, such as by posting up special flyers around the facility advertising the art show further.
It was also interesting to see the reaction of the staff, who were curious about the masks and their stories. Many staff discussed feeling excited for the art show, where they would see the masks the clients’ artwork. During the exhibit staff members took the time to look carefully at each mask and ask clients questions. I felt that seeing the masks may have helped the staff see another side of the clients that they may have been unaware of previously…at least, that is my hope.
After the exhibit had taken place, I was surprised how many clients (even low functioning clients) asked when the next one would be and expressed interest in knowing what art project will be focused on next. Indeed…that is the question. Lately I’ve been thinking of slowly introducing paint and eventually mono-printing techniques to be done using paint, paper and cafeteria trays. But its summertime, and we have a beautiful garden in the back…maybe some drawing from life outdoors? We’ll see…
Movement and transformative experiences
The following was an emailed question, which I am posting with the permission of the author.
Hello Ms. Beck,
I found your website looking up a life coaching program, and found your site. I thought it was a great site and a neat coincidence because I’m also doing some web work, and recently did process art few weeks ago with Pamela Hoschstetter as part of my Masters Program for Conscious Evolution. It was my first experience with process art, and really, I had never painted before. Looking at your thesis helped me think about my own, which is looking at the Self-Aware Movement Practice and Transformation/Conscious Evolution. I’m still working out the actual questions to explore, as it seems to become bigger and broader by the moment. Would you have any thoughts on the matter – what part does physical movement practice, and specifically, movement where we bring our conscious attention to task, play in the transformation of consciousness. What are your experiences?
Thank you! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend,
Alex Iglecia
www.iglecia.com
www.ownyourlifeexperience.com
Hi Alex,
Thank you for taking an interest in my blog.
When I read your question I couldn’t help but think- what would a Dance/Movement therapist would have to say? I am no expert in movement, however, in my opinion bringing conscious attention to a task through movement can lead to the transformation of consciousness especially if the movements and conscious attention are practiced/ repeated over time. I feel that repetition and practice is often the key to transformative experiences that involve using the body and its connection to the mind. Many people find the movements involved with Tai Chi and Yoga to be relaxing and eventually transformative. I also found art making and drawing from life to be transformative too, albeit after I had achieved a certain skill level. In these cases, in order to achieve the transformational experience, one often needs to repeatedly pursue the activity on a daily or weekly basis, where one no longer has to concentrate or think what one is doing, but rather, the movements have become somewhat intuitive.
When people discuss creativity, often times the word flow is used to describe the relaxing, pleasurable feeling people get from creative tasks (which often involve movement of some kind), where somehow one doesn’t seem to experience time in the same way and can be, for example, dancing or painting for hours without noticing. It seems to me that when we are in the state of flow we are able to be in the world and in our bodies without judging or thinking…we are able to just do. Perhaps when we are able to act without having our inner speech cluttering our perception, that allows for a transformational experience to occur? Maybe the intensity of the experience or how quickly a transformation in consciousness is achieved would be changed depending on how often you practice? I’m not sure, and I would need to do more research before being able to answer this question as fully as I would like.
Also, I think its worth discussing the fact that a “transformation of consciousness” is a difficult thing to explain. I seem to use it in a way that is analogous to learning something new about the world that somehow I never noticed before. For me, this can be any number of things. For example, a new way for perceiving a situation, a new way of looking at objects and understanding spacial relationships, the realization that I can tense each muscle in my body separately if I concentrate, or being able to perceive colors and shadows with more acuity. Some of these experiences may be strictly developmental in nature (where as you grow up and your brain develops, you would expect that these new perceptions would develop too), where as others may be achievable with training over time.
I think its important to remember that no matter what you may be doing, you may experience a transformation in consciousness, and you would have never been able to guess in advance what you would have learned. I suppose thats one of the beautiful and mysterious parts of being a human being.
I hope this helps get you on your way to formulating new questions to ask and to be answered. It may be helpful to research topics in perceptual and cognitive psychology, where you may find less subjective ways of approaching this subject.
Collage and Artx
Darren Daz Cox asks:
Hey Liz, what collage techniques do you use in your work?
When I think about collage, I usually think about a magazine photo collage where you cut out words or pictures from magazines and glue them onto a separate page. In art therapy, often times collage is used as a way to approach clients who may be resistant to art making or clients who may need some extra structure (due to their developmental level or perhaps due to an anxiety provoking subject matter that is the focus of the collage).
The art therapist may choose to add even more structure to the collage making experience by having pre-cut collage pics and words available to the client. Sometimes these pictures can be divided up into separate categories in their respective folders or containers. Some categories or themes may include people, food, words, animals, nature, fashion items, etc… The downside to this is that the art therapist may be intentionally or unintentionally censoring images or words, or may be overlooking certain images or symbols because of countertransference issues, personal value issues, personal comfort level, etc… In other instances, the art therapist may want to encourage autonomy and self-expression by allowing the clients to search through magazines themselves for pictures or words that may stand out to them. The downside to this is that many times the clients get involved in reading articles or looking at the magazine rather than focus on art making.
The art therapist may want to provide a directive for the client, which can help structure the session and guide the client with a theme or suggestion of what to base the collage on. Other times the art therapist may choose to refrain from giving a directive, allowing the client to make whatever he/she desires. This decision is based upon, for example, what the therapeutic goals may be, as well as the client’s resistance to art making.
Along with magazines and paper, other useful materials for collage include scissors, decoupage or matte medium, paint brushes and glue sticks.
Once the collage is completed I often like to ask the clients I work with to title their work before we begin processing the piece.
I hope this answers your question. Let me know if I could provide you with any more info.
DSM for People with Developmental Disabilities
I recently attended a conference in San Jose hosted by UCLA’s TARJAN Center for Developmental disabilities entitled, Innovative Approaches: Treatment for People with Developmental Disabilities & Psychiatric Disorders. There I discovered that a new DSM specifically tailored to individuals with developmental disabilities is now available. The title is: The Diagnostic Manual- Intellectual Disability (DM-ID): A Textbook of Diagnosis of Mental Disorders in Persons with Intellectual Disability.
I have yet to read it, so I’m not sure exactly what the differences are between this book and the DSM-IV-TR. I’m hoping that one of my administrators will be acquiring it soon for the clinicians at Redwood Place.
I suppose the reason for this text is to help clinicians and psychiatrists tease through the symptom presentation that is found within the dually diagnosed DD and mentally ill population, who often present differently than people without DD. This begs the question: so…when are they going to come out with a DSM specifically geared towards children? As many professionals have noticed, children often present differently than adults, which is not reflected in the current DSM. Perhaps a DSM for children is in the works, and I haven’t heard about it, after all, to me, the DD DSM was a surprise.
Mindfulness and Artx
After doing a substantial amount of podcast listening on mindfulness and its integration into therapeutic practice, I couldn’t help but wonder, doesn’t art making bring us into the present moment and help us pay attention to the details of the world that surroundings as well as out inner world?
In regards to paying attention to the world and its surroundings, I remember taking a course where I was taught how to draw from life — models and such. It was a painful process for me, training myself to see all the details of shadow and light on a body or a piece of fabric. After months of everyday practice, drawing for at least 15 min to 1 hour per day (similar to a daily formal meditation schedule) my perspective of the world changed. I noticed that I saw color, pattern, form, light, and movement differently. I saw these details and took notice, rather than merely looking at them as I had done before. Upon reflecting on what exactly was different, I believe it was that I was finally able to take notice of my surroundings in a way that was present and in the moment.
I have struggled to come up with ideas for art therapy group directives that would be relevant to the clients I work with. Directives that they can participate in and take something from, which can potentially be generalized in their everyday lives. Perhaps still life drawing is the directive I have been looking to experiment with.
Artx Podcast
If you haven’t checked out Melissa Solorzano’s podcast, Creative Therapy Sessions, you are missing out. So far there are 2 shows that are accessible through Itunes. The first one focuses on Dance Movement Therapy and the second on Art Therapy with children who are at risk for developing drug and alcohol problems.
I find these podcasts to be both inspirational and helpful in my everyday art therapy practice. The directives that are mentioned in these podcasts are useful and practical. In the first show, for example, Rena Kornblum, MCAT, ADTR, DTRL explains techniques for deep breathing and helping people feel connected to their bodies, which can be helpful before beginning additional therapeutic work. In the second available podcast, Mary Ellen McAlevey ATR-BC discusses art therapy techniques that she uses both with children and their families in order to help increase one’s personal understanding through the exploration of emotions, trust and aspects of the self.
I look forward to the next Creative Therapy Session!
Masks
I introduced mask making during the art therapy groups I run. This is an ongoing project that will probably take several weeks to complete, depending on the attention span of the client, how quickly they are able to work, and how often they are present for art therapy (since groups are voluntary).
Materials
– Lunch trays
– Plastic molds that look like faces (1 for every potential group attendee)
– Tissue paper of a variety of colors
– Vaseline/Petroleum jelly
– White glue
– Water
– Small plastic containers to hold the glue
– Large paint brushes.
Introduction
Depending on the cognitive level of functioning of the group members you are working with, you may decide to have a conversation about masks and their potential meaning. You may choose to discuss topics like Jung’s concept of the persona, and how the way we present on the outside may be very different than how we feel on the inside.
In the case of the clients I work with, many of whom are lower functioning, I decided to take a more art as therapy approach, where I focus on aiding the clients work through any difficulties they may have with the art making process in order to facilitate a successful art-making experience.
I am currently toying with the idea of asking each client to describe what their masks remind them of, after their masks are finished, and then encourage them to make a short story (in some cases that could be one sentence) about their mask. Many clients are unable to read or write, so I would ask other staff members to attend this group to help record the stories of each client who asks for help with writing.
Procedure
Before beginning the group, mix a small amount of water with white glue, making decoupage. Place the decoupage into small containers. If you would like to promote peer interaction and sharing, you may choose to have clients share these containers. However, in my experience with this directive, many clients have never made a mask before, and seem to find it overwhelming to have to interact with their peers and learn something new at the same time. Therefore, in order to promote socialization, I like to end group by each client showing the piece they worked on during the session.
Because many of the clients I work with have difficulty establishing boundaries with other people, or recognizing when they are becoming intrusive onto other people’s boundaries, I have introduced the use of lunch-trays as a work space for each client during art therapy group. Before the group begins place a mask is upon a lunch tray, and position the tray in front of each client.
Cover the mask with the Vaseline/petroleum jelly. This will help the paper to easily be removed from the plastic form without any ripping.
Explain to the group that this directive will take several weeks to complete, and that they will be gluing many layers of tissue paper onto the mask. The reason for this is that paper is very delicate, and the more layers you put, the stronger the mask will be.
Demonstrate how to glue the tissue paper onto the mask by dipping your paint brush into the decoupage, and putting some glue directly onto the mask itself. Next, place a piece of tissue paper over the glue and add more decoupage ontop, smoothing the tissue down. Instruct the group to continue layering the tissue paper until the whole mask has been covered. Remind the group that they will need to cover the mask with several layers, which will take a few group sessions, and they will not be able to finnish in one day.
Results
All the clients who have attended the art therapy groups over the past few weeks (presently approximately 15 clients) have been able to successfully begin and/or complete making a mask. My observation is that the clients seem to calm as they tear and glue the tissue paper. There is often very little talking while creating is going on.
I have found that some clients may need a 1:1 explanation of the gluing process in addition to the group introduction. It may also be helpful to have other staff present, who can help clients with reduced dexterity in their hands to maneuver the paint brushes, tissue paper and the mask.
A common counter-transference reaction to this population is to feel like one must help the client complete a task perfectly, or to our standard. Sometimes this means we can take control from the client, and essential do the task for them. Therefore, it may be necessary to remind staff before/after group that the artwork being produced is indeed that of the client, and that we do not want to complete the project for them. As staff, we are trying to help the client complete the mask to their satisfaction, rather than our satisfaction. Furthermore, the goal is to help each client create a successful piece of artwork. If one sees there are spots that need more layers, or places that need more glue, one must be sure to point this out to the client, letting the client find his/her own solutions to the potential problem or ask for help in implementing their solutions.
Overall, since many of these clients have never made a mask before, they seem proud that they were able to follow instructions and make something more complex and unique than a pre-made arts and crafts project. However, I have found that some clients need encouragement to attend art therapy and complete their masks. For some it seems that the idea of trying something new, something they may fail at, is so overwhelming that they choose to avoid finishing their masks. Many people with developmental disabilities have the experience of not being able to complete a directive to the standard that was set for them. This may lead to feelings of shame and/or guilt. It seems that a schema has developed that describes the self as incapable. With these clients, this is a chance to learn and challenge their self-concept. I have found it helpful to reassure these clients that they are capable of completing this project, and that however the mask turns out, thats okay because art therapy is about self-expression not how pretty a picture we can make.
Elephants Can Now Be Referred for Artx
This is an amazing video of an elephant painting an elephant holding a flower.
Many people believe the film is a fake because there are many cuts editing out portions of the presentation. I don’t know if the painting part is fake, but I have to wonder if the elephant was trained or being prompted. For example, This video reminds me of other cases of animals who seemed to able to engage in complex human behaviors, such as addition and subtraction. The story of Clever Hans is widely sited in psyc 101 textbooks. Clever Hans’s abilities were uncovered as a hoax because the animal was being prompted unknowingly by the crowed of observers.
In any case, training or not, the fine motor movement is impressive.
Celebrity Artx
Well…I guess art therapy has reached new heights in terms of media exposure…its just one of several forms of therapy offered to B-list celebrities when they enter rehab.
Even though it’s only a minute and a half, and barely demonstrates the process of group art therapy, I have included this clip from VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab”….because, as they say, any publicity is good publicity….