![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by daisym on September 18, 2004, at 22:28:17
It was interesting but I've already reached the conclusion that I really AM a writer and words are my medium. I just don't think I'm as expressive with more traditional art forms.
But, that said, I was surprised at what kinds of feelings some of these things evoked. Dinah, you will be happy to know that the first activity we did was fill up a paper with colors and shapes and identify what emotions we felt with each color. As in Yellow = chaos, Sage = calm, etc. I thought of you immediately.
We also did a "scribble" exercise in a variety of ways. Dominate, nondominate hands and eyes open and closed. This was the last thing we did before lunch. I was thinking about running home and putting laundry on as I walked to my car for the lunch break but when I got in my car I realized I was doing my Lamaze "hee hee" breathing to try and get myself calm. I was amazed at how anxious I felt...all stirred up somehow. (Maybe closing my eyes in a group?)
We also did a self expression collage and learned how to lead someone through a discussion of why they chose what they did for their college. I'm glad she didn't pick me for her "client" for that one. I put the usual self symbols on mine -- kids, work stuff, red shoes...the basics. But I also designed one corner with a couch, with a lot of emotional words and a couple of little girl pictures. My therapist will love that. He asked me to bring in anything I created this weekend so he could look at it.
All in all, it was a fun day. We have another whole day tomorrow. We are going to paint and use clay. I told my therapist I planned to construct a "male organ" just to see the teacher's reaction. He laughed and said I should bring that along too, if that is what was "up" for me at the time. He also said, "you can give the teacher my number if she gets overly concerned about you. I'll vouch for you." Such a kind guy!
I'll let you know how it goes.
Posted by Dinah on September 18, 2004, at 23:11:17
In reply to I had my first Art Therapy Class, posted by daisym on September 18, 2004, at 22:28:17
> Dinah, you will be happy to know that the first activity we did was fill up a paper with colors and shapes and identify what emotions we felt with each color. As in Yellow = chaos, Sage = calm, etc. I thought of you immediately.
Independent invention!!! I love it! I'll have to tell my therapist about that. He thought my color wheel was very clever. In fact, I think he clung to the memory of it for years to prove to himself that I had potential. He'll be pleased to hear that.
I like the addition of shapes! Mine was a strict color wheel with colors and shades of colors forming a circle and intensities forming the width. But in one corner, I had a swirling mess of blobs of different colors, including colors not seen on the color wheel. That was my chaos, or meltdown or hysteria. I referred to it for years as "that swirly corner with spring green."
Posted by underthecs on September 18, 2004, at 23:26:15
In reply to I had my first Art Therapy Class, posted by daisym on September 18, 2004, at 22:28:17
that sounds very, very cool! i wish i could find something like that. i'm happy for you daisy! i follow your threads closely, though i mostly just lurk. you are awesome.
Posted by Aphrodite on September 19, 2004, at 7:54:24
In reply to I had my first Art Therapy Class, posted by daisym on September 18, 2004, at 22:28:17
It sounds like you had a wonderful time exploring another way to learn about yourself. My T once mentioned that he wanted the little girl part of me to do a collage, but I don't know what happened to that. I guess we got sidetracked.
One of the things that your post reminded me of was a recent article I just read on childhood trauma which said that many victims do not have the capacity to have "fun" or to experience light-hearted joy. That is definitely me, though I can fake those situations when I have to. But the author mentioned art therapy along with other nontraditional forms of psychotherapy as a way to develop that skill.
Glad you're having a good experience with it!
Posted by terrics on September 19, 2004, at 8:28:40
In reply to I had my first Art Therapy Class, posted by daisym on September 18, 2004, at 22:28:17
Daisy, Hope you are having fun! terrics
Posted by fallsfall on September 19, 2004, at 10:55:36
In reply to having fun » daisym, posted by Aphrodite on September 19, 2004, at 7:54:24
Although I had neglect, but not abuse, I have trouble being spontaneous, trouble doing anything that doesn't have a concrete purpose. When I first went into the hospital 9 years ago, they suggested that I try some art. They had a pretty good craft shop which helped get me started.
I did start with a bunch of scribbles (crayons smell wonderful). I proudly brought them all into my therapist who dutifully admired them (but I think she was pretty bored after the 3rd one... What do you say about the 14th scribble??)
Over time, I found that I could draw pictures that could express things that I couldn't espress in words. I draw like a 2nd grader, so you really have to look past the lack of technique to the message. I would bring them into therapy and we would talk about them, and they would help me to put words to my feelings.
I like sculpture the best, though. For some reason 3 dimensions suit me, plus I usually make them move in some way, or there is some process that converts them from one form to another (i.e. I had words - Anger, Rage - made out of letter beads inside a wooden box. You had to open the box to get to the Anger and Rage). The process of designing and constructing these things also helped me to understand better what they meant.
The visual allows me to express nuances that my words can't express (and I have a reasonable vocabulary and facility with words).
I also stumbled across this book: "Metaphor Therapy : Using client-generated metaphors in psychotherapy". It talks about using metaphors to talk about things that have a hard time being expressed directly.
I did interview an art therapist when I was looking for my current therapist. I was quite disappointed - her office looked more like an office than an art studio, and she *really, really, really* wanted me to go back and work things out with my first therapist. I would love to find a place with lots of different kinds of supplies where I could go once a month to see what came out. Maybe I'll unpack my box of artsy supplies...
Daisy, can you tell us what some of the activities were in your class, so we can try them at home??
Posted by Poet on September 19, 2004, at 11:46:03
In reply to I had my first Art Therapy Class, posted by daisym on September 18, 2004, at 22:28:17
Hi Daisy,
I'm so happy that your art therapy was such a positive experience. I hope paint and clay day was fun, enlightening and that your instructor loved your male organ. What color(s) did you paint it?
Poet
Posted by gardenergirl on September 19, 2004, at 13:39:25
In reply to Re: I had my first Art Therapy Class, posted by Poet on September 19, 2004, at 11:46:03
Daisy,
That sounds like a great time. I remember when I was taking some classes in arts and crafts for my associates degree, I loved the hands on ones. It felt like therapy time.Have fun!
gg
Posted by Klokka on September 19, 2004, at 19:41:03
In reply to I had my first Art Therapy Class, posted by daisym on September 18, 2004, at 22:28:17
What was it like to use a different form of expression? I, too, am more of a writer and somewhat uncomfortable with trying to express myself using art. I can enjoy the occasional collage, and painting at a ceramic café (if I can think of an idea and have a good friend to chat with) but other than that, I haven't been very artsy for a while. It's odd, because when I was 13 or so I was into drawing, saved up for a $120 set of pencils and everything. The psychologist replacing my pdoc meant to ask me to draw a picture of myself but forgot until the end of our last session. I was grateful. I think I would have drawn a stick figure and after some thought, placed a coffee pot in said figure's hands.
Sounds like it was a lot of fun. :) Hope today went well also.
Posted by daisym on September 19, 2004, at 20:53:37
In reply to Re: I had my first Art Therapy Class » daisym, posted by Klokka on September 19, 2004, at 19:41:03
Today we started with personal mandalas, in 3D form. You had to choose something to put in the middle of your circle to represent yourself and then put a border on it to "contain" your life. Then you added all kinds of things to represent parts of your life. The finished product represents wholeness. The teacher had all kinds of materials -- jewelry, feathers, wire, sticks, leaves, and tons of other stuff...lots of "junk." I chose a mirror to represent myself because right now I'm a reflection of who ever is looking at me...Some people painted theirs.
After that we did a problem solving project. You had to write down a problem as clearly as you can, with as much detail as you could. Then your had to rip paper -- all kinds of paper and use it to make a sculpture of your problem. Then you had to fold a piece of paper and on it paste magazine pictures about what would happen if you solved your problem. One side was best case and other side was worst case. This one was hard for me because I don't conceptualize my problems that way. But I know some people like to make projects that can give them a frame work for their problems.
This afternoon we worked with clay. First we just did free form stuff and then we "made" something with our eyes closed. (No, I didn't have the guts to make that male organ.) But I made a swaddled baby inside a hug. It was neat to watch it turn out. And then we were supposed to do something that represented the weekend to us. I molded the little girl in the inter-tube. I wrote a story about her yesterday.
So, not a bad way to spend a weekend. I would still rather write. But you should try some of this if you haven't before.
Here is an interesting thing though. Yesterday when we did a scribble exercise, I left anxious and sort of vaguely upset at lunchtime. Last night I had a dream I was talking to my therapist about the scribble drawings and the anxiety. My youngerself walks into the room and says, "Well, she (the teacher) had us scribble really hard, like we were mad, with our eyes closed. So I could feel anger all around me." And then she said, "Trace the corners, keeping your eyes closed." So I did that but it was hard to see it in my mind. I had to really think about the lines, the rectangle, like when I trace the ceiling." And then she walked out.
And in the dream, my therapist looked at me and said, "Well, we should have asked her first, huh?" So I guess I know now where the anxiety came from.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Psychology | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.