Critical Update No. 5
Placement
They say the best way to learn something is by actually doing it and so it is with art therapy. It seems that because each person is unique and the context in which art therapy is practiced can vary so much, we aren't actually taught how to do it, which as I mentioned before is both liberating and frustrating. 'Feeling your own way' seems very much the philosophy and in order to have a way to feel, we are each required to do 100 days placement over the two years. This can be in either one or two settings, whichever you prefer. For some reason I'm interested in working in palliative care (people with terminal illness), but would also like to try something else and so have asked for two different placements. In theory you are sposed to be on placement two days a week, although the majority of that time wouldn't be with clients, probably only about 2 or 3 hours a week, the rest will be admin, meetings, supervision etc. Anyway, most people have just started and while I've been in discussion with an organisation since December, I still don't know if they want to have me. College organise the places and they picked a mental health centre for me. (which is a bit scary). The odd thing is that there are two of us from the course applying for one placement, the organisation wanting to chose the most suitable, which feels a bit like a competition, despite my tutors words to the contrary. After filling in application forms and a few phone calls and emails, I finally have an interview date for 2nd March where I have to make a presentation, telling them about how I've used art to help a client and any theory that is relevant to my practice! I've told them that I don't have any clients, which is why i need the placement in the first place, but it doesn't seem to make much difference to them. It all feels a bit like a job interview where I'm sposed to sell myself, which is a bit worrying. Anyway, I just keep trusting that God will work it out if its what I'm sposed to do. All I know is that I'd be running a group (!) but apart from that I'm in the dark - which I s'pose brings me back to feeling my way agian....
They say the best way to learn something is by actually doing it and so it is with art therapy. It seems that because each person is unique and the context in which art therapy is practiced can vary so much, we aren't actually taught how to do it, which as I mentioned before is both liberating and frustrating. 'Feeling your own way' seems very much the philosophy and in order to have a way to feel, we are each required to do 100 days placement over the two years. This can be in either one or two settings, whichever you prefer. For some reason I'm interested in working in palliative care (people with terminal illness), but would also like to try something else and so have asked for two different placements. In theory you are sposed to be on placement two days a week, although the majority of that time wouldn't be with clients, probably only about 2 or 3 hours a week, the rest will be admin, meetings, supervision etc. Anyway, most people have just started and while I've been in discussion with an organisation since December, I still don't know if they want to have me. College organise the places and they picked a mental health centre for me. (which is a bit scary). The odd thing is that there are two of us from the course applying for one placement, the organisation wanting to chose the most suitable, which feels a bit like a competition, despite my tutors words to the contrary. After filling in application forms and a few phone calls and emails, I finally have an interview date for 2nd March where I have to make a presentation, telling them about how I've used art to help a client and any theory that is relevant to my practice! I've told them that I don't have any clients, which is why i need the placement in the first place, but it doesn't seem to make much difference to them. It all feels a bit like a job interview where I'm sposed to sell myself, which is a bit worrying. Anyway, I just keep trusting that God will work it out if its what I'm sposed to do. All I know is that I'd be running a group (!) but apart from that I'm in the dark - which I s'pose brings me back to feeling my way agian....
JOURNAL ENTRY 18.10.10
IMAGINATION, PLAY & SYMBOLIC SPACE
ART MAKING SESSION (make an image, 10 mins dominant hand, 10 mins non-dominant hand)
Again was really frustrated about the space issues and getting into groups (had to be in 3s). At first spent time moving about and trying to find people to work with, always with the time limit (20 mins) adding to the stress, not to mention the lecturers’ observing. Felt isolation, rejection, fear, then relief and acceptance as I was invited to work with P and P. Tried to make marks without thinking too much about it. Began with right hand. Colours of paints were too bright, consciously resisted using them and dulled them down to fit more with myself and other work. Noticed separation in the right and left halves of the page with right and left hands, ie. was leaving space on the left for the time when I had to use my left hand. After a while decided to ‘share’ and use the whole page with either hand. Seemed that a meaning started to reveal itself. Was trying not to make a narrative. Forgot about working together and when I was finished felt separate again, from the other two in the group because my image was visually different, theirs were both abstract.
The Process:
From the scribbles a face seemed to appear. Hatching lines looked like a childish train track and reminded me of Saturday morning when I saw a man fall off his bike (because his wheel had got stuck in the tram tracks) and was struck by the collective silence/ atmosphere of the people in the street. From that I drew a simple bike and then with my left hand an angel/bird hovering above the bike. The one handed figure (which was pointing toward the bike, gained another hand and became almost a signpost. The hatching increased and tangled the figure’s feet and body. Wondered if the man was trapped/ swamped, are his arms flapping, trying to escape. Is he looking whistfully at the space, or freedom symbolised by the bike or the bird who has the means to escape what holds him. Angel looks coy, lovingly back toward him, is the man releasing it, summoning it? He is abandoned? Fenced in? In trouble? Turmoil on the right and freedom on the left. Is it about growing up, abandoning toys, becoming mature. There are elements too of my ‘ill dream’ again- don’t think its insignificant.
IMAGINATION, PLAY & SYMBOLIC SPACE
ART MAKING SESSION (make an image, 10 mins dominant hand, 10 mins non-dominant hand)
Again was really frustrated about the space issues and getting into groups (had to be in 3s). At first spent time moving about and trying to find people to work with, always with the time limit (20 mins) adding to the stress, not to mention the lecturers’ observing. Felt isolation, rejection, fear, then relief and acceptance as I was invited to work with P and P. Tried to make marks without thinking too much about it. Began with right hand. Colours of paints were too bright, consciously resisted using them and dulled them down to fit more with myself and other work. Noticed separation in the right and left halves of the page with right and left hands, ie. was leaving space on the left for the time when I had to use my left hand. After a while decided to ‘share’ and use the whole page with either hand. Seemed that a meaning started to reveal itself. Was trying not to make a narrative. Forgot about working together and when I was finished felt separate again, from the other two in the group because my image was visually different, theirs were both abstract.
The Process:
From the scribbles a face seemed to appear. Hatching lines looked like a childish train track and reminded me of Saturday morning when I saw a man fall off his bike (because his wheel had got stuck in the tram tracks) and was struck by the collective silence/ atmosphere of the people in the street. From that I drew a simple bike and then with my left hand an angel/bird hovering above the bike. The one handed figure (which was pointing toward the bike, gained another hand and became almost a signpost. The hatching increased and tangled the figure’s feet and body. Wondered if the man was trapped/ swamped, are his arms flapping, trying to escape. Is he looking whistfully at the space, or freedom symbolised by the bike or the bird who has the means to escape what holds him. Angel looks coy, lovingly back toward him, is the man releasing it, summoning it? He is abandoned? Fenced in? In trouble? Turmoil on the right and freedom on the left. Is it about growing up, abandoning toys, becoming mature. There are elements too of my ‘ill dream’ again- don’t think its insignificant.
3 comments:
Why are you struggling to not make something into a narrative?? I'm not clear on why this is a bad thing. Isn't that beneficial in art theray?
it's not that I think having a narrative is bad - its more that I wonder if I'm using narrative as a way to sensor or control just how much I reveal, like a form of protection. you're right in that art therapy is about narrative, cos you begin to understand the story of the person making the art. But often the story that comes from the art work at the end is quite different from the one at the beginning - like the one the conscious is telling isn't always the same as the one the unconscious wants to tell. does that make sense?
really a beautiful image.
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