Butterflies and Dragonflies

One week ...in defiance of the cold grey winds blowing snow against our large front windows....  our group bloomed in colourful butterflies We were hungry for Spring, so we choose an activity to focus on change.

The women often use butterflies in their drawings, paintings, and collages and are familiar with how they can represent metamorphosis, new life and hope. They were provided with an array of stencils, foam and card shapes, stickers, tissue papers, branches etc etc and asked to make their individual portrayal of transformation.

They were also given a hand-out sheet with several quotes and sayings on the theme:

Butterflies can't see their wings so they don't see how beautiful they are. Sometimes people are like that...

Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over it became a butterfly...

Until you spread your wings you'll never know how far you can fly..

One woman filled her page with different butterflies, each a variation of her distinctive bold style. She explained that each one represented a time in her life when she came through a dark time to become a better person.

Another woman constructed an intricate sculpture topped by a butterfly with moving wings. She spoke of poor choices in her past that she had moved through and her hopes that the butterfly would inspire her to begin walking more.

Another participant expressed admiration for the the strength that enables them to make long migrations. "They are not as delicate as they seem" she said "and neither are we".

One woman experimented with several ways of portraying Transformation then ended up with a twirling strand of gossamer shapes. "What do you see?" she asked.. butterflies dancing? "No" she laughed, " Dragonflies... our perceptions are the key to transformations"

And that insight was so wise that it led to the next week's activity.

Stones To Share

The women in the group wanted to find more ways to share their creativity. Two examples of sharing small brightly painted rocks were gleaned online and a library book (The Art Abandonment Project by M. deMeng and A. Matus) provided further inspiration. The smooth rocks were simple to obtain as we live in an area near the Great Lakes/ Thames river valley.

Our project was to paint the stones with eye-catching colours, designs, patterns including inspiring messages and then to find ways to give them away in the community. We provided many stones so that each person could make one or several.

Art is one of the earliest forms of communication as images allow us to connect with others and with our own inner heart. Symbols pre-date written language and continue to wield power even in our densely literate age.  Creativity is meant to be shared to communicate and by giving these little treasures away anonymously the women were freed from any pressure to be perfect.

Some of our previous projects focused on small random acts of kindness and this project carried on our tradition. Our discussion at the end explored the way we often feel better emotionally when we are doing something that will be of benefit to others. Once we let our gifts leave our hands they have their own journeys. We hope they can give others a bit of the happiness we shared together while painting them.

Why Do Art?

This week’s activity was focused on discussing what purpose art-making plays in our lives and more specifically, what role art plays within the context of our group.

We started by sharing a wide variety of artist’s work   … images ripped from discarded Art in America magazines. We drew attention to how each artist had different and distinctive styles and how we had personal, subjective reactions to each example.

They were then given half-faces gleaned from fashion magazines and mounted on white card-stock. They were asked to complete the faces in their own style. Like most people, many of the women were not confident in their ability to draw a face “correctly”. By encouraging them to design the faces with a personal touch they could move past their inner critics. As always, we emphasized that there was no wrong way of doing the exercise and they could approach it in a playful manner.

While they were working at their drawings I took the opportunity to clarify a common misconception that all art therapists are trained to analyze drawings as having specific symbolic meanings. I explained that in my art therapy training at Western University we were warned not to project our own preconceived biases into another person’s art. Black doesn’t always suggest depression and red isn’t always anger. There are, however, recurring symbols in any individual’s art-making that can help explain some emotional responses… and an art therapist can help them to decode their personal metaphors.

Some of their responses to the question “what is the purpose of art?” were:  Relaxing. Not always pretty or attractive but satisfying to express. Letting out the Inner Child. Creativity gives pleasure. Relieves boredom. 

As an art therapist, I could have spoken of some theoretic basics; creating art focuses the thought process and can provide a way to control scattered or dysfunctional thinking patterns, group dynamics provide opportunities to practice relationship skills, or how problem- solving skills can be demonstrated and practiced in a safe environment…. But what would be the purpose of doing so since a lot of the group’s enduring success lies in the magic of participatory connections. There’s a synergy, a catalyst for change, that happens as they each add their contribution to the whole. They experience the power of having a greater voice working together.

My Name Is.....

September has rolled around again and the art therapy group resumes its weekly schedule. As we have some new faces around our big table we review our guidelines right after the introductions. We don’t have many rules of Do’s and Don’ts but we do need to hold our time together as a place of physical and emotional safety. Top of the list is Confidentiality and we discuss what that means in our community. Next are Kindness and Respect and all the ways that we practice these in action.

Then we spend a bit of extra time on Acceptance and artistic Non-judgement because not only is the artwork personal, beautiful and unique but each woman is as well. We all have our strengths and challenges and we want our group to be a time to feel accepted and valued just as we are. Because so many of our participants believe that they can’t do art correctly (?!) we encourage a personal interpretation of how each activity evolves…including deciding to opt out of any segment. Because sharing creativity in this way can make a person feel vulnerable the women are also allowed to pass when we take turns at the end to share what we’ve created. They rarely stay silent after hearing the other women speak. Doing art together in this way can be a playful way to make our lives brighter and build friendships.

The chosen activity was a variation of the classic “Design Your Own Nameplate” Each woman was given a plain white lunch bag and an assortment of artist tools: markers, coloured pencils, pastels, and strips of coloured papers. They were asked to make a design that represented themselves and include a nickname, either one they made up for this activity or one they already had… as long as it is one they personally, freely choose.

As intended, this activity opened up a lively discussion of the names we call ourselves compared to the names that we are given by other people… and how these names affect our lives.

Friendship

  Friendship is a subject that crops up often in the conversations around our big table. We decided to use this as the theme for our next project. The women were provided with a variety of household brushes, some previously used and misshapen with dried paint. All were inexpensive. We also pulled out the bin of acrylic paints. Most of the group look forward to the weeks we paint. Some do not... so we always have other options; decorative tapes, ribbons, buttons,  Plasticine, etc.. 
   The original idea came from an online image of brushes with quirky faces. This photo and two examples were used to explain what we would create together. As usual, they were reminded that there was no right or wrong way to make the face/ character because we encourage using the materials in experimental self-expressive ways. Over the years we have often received positive feedback for the non-judgmental environment in our group.
   The theme / question of the week was also given; "What qualities do you look for in a friendship?". One woman piped up with a question "How are these connected?" This prompted further clarification because this connection is key to a therapeutic exploration. My answer was to imagine the character you create as an Imaginary Friend. Even as I was expressing the words there were other women adding their interpretations.
   Asking for any further questions serves to clarify what we're doing. Requesting help from group members to give more specific directions promotes engagement and valuable peer support. Often it feels like we create the activity as a group in the process of doing it.
   How this process happens continued through to our discussion. As the women introduced their Imaginary Friends one by one they listed the obvious qualities; honesty, kindness, positive, direct, flexible, sense of humour, etc. The core value of the activity was in being given the opportunity to emphasize what was personally significant. One woman brought up the importance of being one's own best friend... a very good point indeed as it is a skill that helps to counter the relentless self-criticisms so destructive and yet so rarely acknowledged in day-to-day conversations.
   Then, as we were just about to thank everyone for their participation and start packing up, one woman added another comment about what she does not like in a friend. Several others then had more to say so we went around the circle again; needy, clingy, manipulative, uncompromising, critical, judgmental, dishonest, etc. Although in some ways the words were more negative the atmosphere in the group was quite positive. There was a sense of a strong group of women declaring together what they would no longer accept in a relationship. That second round needed to happen.

Good Luck?

How is our art therapy group different than a craft group? Many of the planned activities could be categorized as either art or craft and yet there are some differences.

   We can use our celebration of St Patrick’s Day as an example. The women were provided with an abundance of green and gold papers, stickers, wire and magnets. They were asked to create either a fridge magnet or a Good Luck charm. After introducing the theme “What does “good luck” mean to you?” I spoke briefly about the phrase “the luck o’the Irish”.

   This phrase has always been a puzzle for me because the Irish people have traditionally been anything but “lucky”; caught in cycles of foreign invasions, poverty and starvation. Some of the women spoke up about when their ancestors had emigrated to Canada for a better life. I shared what the internet had to say about the phrase…. Apparently, it comes from the gold rush days when many of the best gold mine claims were made by Irish immigrants, perhaps due to the hard work and endurance rooted in their heritage.

   We often use background stories such as this to invite the women to think a little deeper about our theme. The preparation of this material often takes as much time and effort as gathering supplies. We do this even knowing that for some participants the activity will remain simply an item that says “good luck”. There are many factors that go into any individual’s reaction: personal history, level of comprehension, state of health, etc. For some women getting to the group on the right day, at the right time is the victory

   This is also the reason we usually keep the planned activity simple with an infinite number of creative solutions. Detailed specific instructions to follow are more apt to create a mood of frustration than the playful experimentation we prefer. A wonderful example of this was the week we tried to make origami swans. Although the instructions seemed simple they were beyond comprehension for many of us. What saved it from being a disaster was the laughter and shared problem-solving as we worked on them together.

   We want everyone to experience some level of success with what she creates. If an activity requires advanced art skills many of the women are predisposed to reject any possibility that they might be able to do it well. We offer simple patterns, stencils, tracing paper, etc as tools of the trade and try to avoid judgments of right or wrong.

   When we discuss the theme together there is a balance of encouraging the quiet women to speak up and limiting the time given to the talkative ones so that we have time to hear what everyone needs to say. People are allowed to “pass” As expected, the sharing portion of our time revealed a wide range in what constitutes “good luck”; from deep superstition to personal faith in divine interventions. Several women spoke about how we can make our own luck with our actions and attitude.

We ran out of time but the personal stories were still unfolding as we packed up to leave. Two women who had chosen not to do the activity lingered to apologize. They were assured that their contributions to the discussions were more than enough to qualify for the therapeutic component to our session.

   What does “good luck” mean to you? Is there a phrase or greeting that you prefer?

One Positive Word

How much impact does one word have ? A single word repeated over and over can give a powerful message. 
    The second week of our Positive words project we decided to focus on each woman's carefully chosen word and create a piece of art to frame it. In our Big Box of supplies we had gathered an assortment of small frames that would make easy and effective display cases. For backing boards we used matte-board leftovers chosen to be slightly larger than the frames. Other options could be foam-core or a dollar store canvas. A choice of decorative papers was trimmed to fit under the frame and a length of ribbon glued diagonally across the paper. There were also buttons and an assortment of 3-D embellishments to add. Each individual chose one word to add that would inspire her in some way. The frame was then attached over the paper with a glue gun.
   As always, everyone followed the directions in their own unique fashion. We encourage problem-solving detours as trusting the process is one of the main life skills we try to promote. The words chosen as well as the presentation were inspiring: joy, love, yes, resilient, juicy, laughter etc.. Not all the words were in English and one woman created her own special word for her frame, The women were enthusiastic about what they made together and some indicated they would be making similar frames for gifts. 
    Focusing on one word helps to clarify what speaks most clearly to our own heart. If you had only one word to be your guiding star what would you choose?

Who We Are

The brave, creative women in our group find their way to our table in many different ways. Getting together on a weekly basis to build a sense of community, making connections and sharing experiences are our central goals. The art activities we do together provide Voice and Choice  with engagement, structure and access to visual tools. No art experience is necessary. Most of the group members are quick to say they are not artists even while making awesome and unique artwork.
Some of the comments the women have shared about why they keep coming back are: everyone gets heard, we're accepted as we are, people here understand where I'm coming from, it's non-judgmental ...
As we work together around our big table the women share warm words of wisdom, sometimes a few tears, and often much laughter. We value kindness, honesty, respect, confidentiality, and a really delicious slice of cake. 
Because poverty is all around us we believe in recycling whenever possible and many of our art supplies are donated or purchased at the lowest possible price. We take delight in making something new from odds and ends. The artwork says a lot with very little more than simple supplies, ongoing give and take, and big hearts.
The lives of our participants are often challenging on many different levels. We turn the conversations towards their strengths while also providing some general mental health life skills.
The group is funded by Canadian Mental Health Association Middlesex and is co-facilitated by two women who both have many years experience working in community mental health. The art therapist graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a diploma in art therapy in 1996 and in 1997 became a registered member of the Ontario Art Therapy Association.

The Power of Positive Words

For two consecutive weeks the group's focus has been on the words we use when talking to ourselves about ourselves. When we feel surrounded by Gloom and Doom our inner voice can become our best defense and most encouraging friend. 
We started by discussing affirmations which can be defined as "positive words repeated to one's self to help believe in one's own value and worth". Some of the women already have some favorite phrases while others were unfamiliar with the concept.
Each woman was provided with some coloured index cards, clip rings and an assortment of markers, pens and pencils. To help stimulate some general positive phrases a box of Affirmation cards was passed around the circle. Each woman was asked to choose one to say out loud for the group. We used "Goddess-on-the-Go" cards but there are many easily available different options. The women were then asked to write or print the phrases that they found most appealing ... the ones that spoke to their heart.... on their own cards. These were then hole-punched and gathered on the individual's ring... creating what one woman called "Flip- Books".
We encouraged them to use their "Flip-Books" all week as reminders of the positive phrases we shared in the group. Working together on this project created quite a buzz in our room and the women were still sharing cards and phrases as time came to leave

Good News

The women in the art therapy group enjoy playful times and the beginning of a fresh new year calls for some positive intentions. We want to experience success. Paying attention to the good Stuff leaves us less time to notice the toxic negative Stuff. At the same time, we want to avoid Resolutions. They always seem to end badly after trashing our self-esteem.

A year ago, we made mini Vision boards in the group. With only an hour to find what pictures and words in magazines attracted us personally and to make quick collages we were forced to make fast decisions. I encouraged them to choose from their heart without trying to figure out what they should be choosing. 

As always, the best part was in the discussion of each woman's piece. One woman found a picture of someone swimming and talked about going to aqua fit. Another woman found pictures of clay pots she would love to make. Both of those choices became reality in the months that followed and as a group we celebrated their successes.

Now what to do this year? Deep in my thick folder of Possible Activities I found a picture of a Good News jar. We can enjoy personalizing the jars with tissue paper/ diluted white glue/ words, stickers etc. Then we can add some little notes of good things as they happen throughout the year, collecting them in the jar to be re-read at the end of December. The trick of finding the Good News is noticing the good stuff while it happens and being grateful. This strategy is something we emphasize over and over in group.

Do you by any chance have empty glass jars heading for the blue bin? We could use them in our group… OR maybe you would like to make your own Good News Jar?

What's good about anger?

One week in art therapy group the talk came around to Anger and although several women had concerns about the emotional pain it brought to their lives only a few individuals had positive ways to deal with it. I promised to come up with a creative activity on the theme ...

Although I had spoken rather confidently inside I was concerned. There are many ways that individuals react to working on emotionally painful material and the conversation can quickly turn harsh making some people so uncomfortable they close in fear. There are mountains of material available online for that specific topic but I knew our situation called for something that could be easily completed in 45 minutes, leaving extra time for listening while each woman had an opportunity to share. The essential element was the conversations that happened while the individuals worked together.

At the same time, we needed to be able to provide some basic information on the benefits of anger: It alerts us that something is wrong. It motivates us to make changes and when expressed in healthy ways it can help build honest relationships.

In our Big Box of supplies there were several pairs of trouser socks, rolls and rolls of ribbons and bright decorative tapes. There were also magazines that had been thoroughly gleaned of any usable pictures. We wouldn't have the time or the skills to sew our own Dammit Dolls but the concept could be adapted to something similar but more suited to our needs. Plus, the idea of slamming a replica of a small person to release anger would not be well accepted under our group guidelines of respect and kindness. 

The magazines were rolled, taped and inserted into the socks which were then tied tightly. The women personalized them with the materials supplied. They were also given pre-printed tags to attach with this "poem"

Whenever things don't go so well 

 And you just want to scream and yell

Here's a little Dang-It toy

That you can use instead

Just grab it firmly by the top

And find a place to bang it

And as you bop the stuffing out

Say Dang-it Dang-it Dang-it !

As I demonstrated my example, the sharp crack startled me and others nearby. I used it as a teaching opportunity by apologizing and then banging it more lightly reminding them that the idea is to release the anger in a healthy not threatening way. I also stressed that the idea was not to ever use it as a weapon, please. Laughter at my mistakes often defuses tensions and gives permission for everyone to not be perfect.

By the time the group was finished we had compiled a list of suggestions that could be used to take positive action and move the anger out safely. We talked about how our work together might bring up residual rage and how to access mental health community resources. 

The activity activated a lively discussion of both positive and  inefficient ways of dealing with strong negative emotional reactions and reminded me of the value of non-judgmental conversation on a sensitive subject. From the comments made as group wrapped up the women were  appreciative of the opportunity to discuss a difficult issue in a supportive non-judgmental atmosphere.