Art Therapy

As I have always been interested in Art Therapy and have subconsciously used my art practice as a therapeutic tool towards my emotions and feelings, I wanted to use my knowledge and help some of the individuals who shared their personal experiences with me using the creative process.

 

I asked my audience whether any individuals would like to come forward and help develop my work by participating in an ‘art therapy’ session.

I explained within the activity we would talk about their story and how they felt when it first happened, to how they feel now and how they would like to feel in the future; using artistic materials, colours and symbols to represent these feelings.

 

Four individuals came forward and wanted to participate in this practice, two of whom I knew already and two other women I did not know so well.
The art therapy sessions took place within the Royal William Yard studio, each taking around 2 hours at a time.

 

 

For the activity the individual was able to document their emotions creatively relating to how they felt in the past about their experience, using text to identify some key emotions, as well as ‘child like’ drawings to portray this too.  The same tools were used to create a piece based on their feelings towards their experience now in the present, as well as how they would like to reflect back in the future and how they would like to be/feel as a person when they are older.

 

 

 

When I read this survey, I instantly thought of when we had our family pet put down, Molly or moon dance as we used to call her. It's amazing how attached you can become to a dog, I grew up with her from the age of 3 and she was as valued as any other member of the family. She wasn't that old when we found out she had a tumour, after months of the vet telling us it wasn't anything serious, we went for a second opinion and were told she would have to be put down within the next few days. I remember saying goodbye to her and it was heart-wrenchingly horrible. The worst thing I have ever had to do. I have experienced loosing family members before, including my Grandparents but it was different when my dog was put down because unlike before, I knew when I said goodbye it was for the last time. I think the most emotional and hardest part of loosing Molly was the feeling of not having a dog around the house. It seemed lonely without her there, as I am sure anyone who has lost a well-loved pet would tell you. I remember seeing my brother cry, and my dad cry, and I have only seen my dad cry on one other occasion, when my Grandma died. I suppose, selfishly we overcame the lonely feeling around the house by getting a puppy, but we never forgot our lovely Molly. Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind and putting her to sleep stopped her from pain and suffering which she certainly didn’t deserve.

 

 

Feelings Towards this individuals experience of losing her family pet and the grief she had:

 

 Past

 

 

Present

 

Future

 

 

This Individual gained a lot from the experience and said it made her remember things she wouldn't normally think about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have felt sad for a while because people pick on me and always make nasty comments about me I at first found it hard to deal with well I still some of the time do but I am learning to ignore these people as in time they will get bored and then leave me alone.

 

This Individuals expression towards her emotion based on being bullied:

 

Past

 

 

 

Present

 

 

 

Future

 

 

This Individual also gained a lot from the art therapy experience, which she hadn't heard of before and would like to carry it on at home herself.
As she has learning difficulties and is autistic, she found it very calm and relaxing to be painting and visualising all of her thoughts and feeling.

 

 

 

 

 

Lately I have been feeling very anxious and down about a certain event that is happening in my life. Having to undergo tests and Waiting 3 months to find out results is very stressful as I find when I am by myself all I can do it think about it and cry about how frustrating it is not able to fully plan a future I have always dreamed of! This has been happening for a while now and at first I pushed away anyone who tried to talk to me I just wanted to be by myself for some reason I felt if hiding away from the problem it would make everything better however it didn't it's just made it worst I have started to open up about it now and talk to my close friends & boyfriend about it and this has helped I still have bad days but they seem to not be as regular now! By talking to people about my feelings has helped but I still feel very anxious of the test results.

 

This persons reflection of how she feels towards recently finding out she most probably would not be able to carry a child and is undergoing  tests to find out for certain:

 

Past

 

 

Present

 

 

 

Future

 

 

 

Even though this Individual found it calm and relaxing to express herself in this way, she explain she still finds its easier to express her emotions verbally.

 

 

 

The emotion I want to share is love. I gave birth to my son when I was 18. When he was 6 weeks old me and his dad broke up. Not long after I had severe post natal depression in which I had to give him away to my mum. I would go over there and I couldn't look at him, touch him, be near him. Nothing. I felt nothing. But one day he was crying and no one could settle him. So I picked him up, and instantly he stopped crying and cuddled me. I've never felt such an overwhelming love in my life, and I've continued to feel that every day. It's impossible to explain the love between a mother and child, the most powerful emotion there is.

This persons interpretation of their emotions is based on having post natal depression after giving birth to her son and having no connection with him.

 

Past

 

 

Present

 

 

Future

 

As I did not know this individual very well, I felt rather privileged that she opened up and shared her thoughts and feelings with me. She really enjoyed the 'art therapy' session and explained how it made her think about things more positively especially the future.

 The response I had from the sessions was extremely overwhelming, to know I had helped each of them in some way to look at their situation from a different point of view and feel more positive about it.