Nature & Urban Studios. Exploring Identity.
Inspiration for Art Therapy and Identity.
Although my life has been focused in many ways on a different role outside of art therapy of late (as caregiver and support) I decided to reconnect with creativity, art therapy and self-care by attending a few of the virtual World Art Therapy Conference workshops in February. I was beyond excited to discover presentations for day 4 were based on ecological models.
This post shares words, quotes and my response signpost art that capture thoughts and reflections related to natural and urban studios (as I listened to these wonderful presenters: Pamela Whitaker, Carla van Laar, and Kit Kline with host Carmen Oprea). I have woven in quotes to capture the intentions of some of the wonderful developing projects. Information links are provided below to engage you further with their practice and resources.
As life and spare time remains challenging for so many, my intention here is to consider the outdoor world as a studio for nurturing creative moments each time you open the door and step outside, whether urban or rural.. there is the potential to replenish, reset and resource your resiliency.
Nature Studio. Identity. Place.
Connecting with our nature ‘roots’ as individuals part of a larger whole (and as art therapy practitioners) prompts development in identity and grounds us with a sense of place.
How do we connect with our nature identities?
What words come to mind as we engage with our natural surroundings?
What are our nature stories we discover along the way?
As unique individuals we all come with our own curiosities around nature, our place and identity. Explore this.
When we understand how connected we are to our natural surroundings we start to view ourselves as our own interconnected eco-system within an eco-system.
What supports our eco-system?
What do we need to grow and flourish?
What gets in the way?
How do we view ourselves ‘in’ and ‘as’ nature in terms of growth?
Can this inform our daily routine? Does this provide balance?
This holistic and circular view allows us to create an eco-map (nature as metaphor) of our growth and well-being where all parts of self and identity can be acknowledged and validated… our place within a micro and macro eco-system. Eco-systems shift and change - supporting curiosity and embodiment of change.
What a wonderful place from which to generate art!
“Family gardens are an outdoor studio where everyone’s nature has a place to be cultivated and tended. A family garden is a living art installation and a place to grow.”
Culture.
The above response image I created was inspired by the presentation by Carla van Laar. As artists, art therapy practitioners and individuals engaging with others in nature-based creativity, how can we be mindful of cultural awareness, cultural safety, and cultural heritage that guides us to place and identity related to our own communities and ‘healing countryside’ while remaining respectful of other ways of knowing and an embodiment of each person’s own healing country.
“The outdoor studio engages a child’s curiosity and their investigation of the world-at-large. The art of making in an outdoor studio nurtures the artistic life of the school and promotes pride of place opportunities for young learners within their communities.”
Urban Studio. Identity. Place.
The above response image I created was inspired by Pamela Whitaker’s presentation of the walking studio in Ireland that focused on creative and innovative ways to explore urban landscapes, public art - nature and city. Through these walking tours and rich discussions individuals could embrace and rediscover arts, rituals, customs, festivals within their own cities, and revisit the connection of human health and their environment. Intergenerational collaboration, public relations and cultivation of place and identity occurred through mindful exploration of one’s nearby urban landscapes.
“The walk offered participants an opportunity to explore art galleries and sites of urban art, aiming to imagine Belfast as a canvas for creative living. The event included critical observations and discussions about the inclusion, diversity and at-times appropriation of art in the built environment, and the impacts of art in the public realm on individual/collective wellbeing. Participants created portable artworks as part of their journey through activities curated in public spaces.”
Wellness. Holistic. Authentic Self.
The above image was inspired by Kit Kline’s presentation around a holistic approach within the framework of nature, where therapy focuses on the authentic self versus the problem. Stepping outside the clinical walls into nature can support an individual through connections to senses, embodied experiences, and with nature as a safe, welcoming and holding space (parts of the self that were not held or nurtured in other settings). Compassionate inquiry can occur. Metaphor of pulling out the weed - it will grow back. The root is the authentic self to explore. Health care outdoors with nature as healer and container, has the potential for discovery and to decolonize the health care system that works with symptoms.
Holistic approach considers what else is happening in the other areas of well being (above image) and the authentic self. What is the imbalance in the environment? Can explore through nature an individual’s personal eco-system and what supports that system. What gets in the way? Through an invitation for art making one can create and hold space for this eco-system, bring value to the process, further awareness (barriers and challenges), and develop the narrative and a means of integration. Where is one landing - at a seed level?.. branch level? etc.
“Wellness is more concerned with a lifestyle that produces well-being. A wellness lifestyle is doable whether you have perfect health or you’re struggling with a chronic illness. Wellness is about all aspects of your life, as well — your body, your work, your relationships, your emotional life, and so much more.”
Follow/Connect with Creative Art Therapy Events.
Website • www.artstherapies.org/events
“Our vision is to foster a world where creative arts therapies are recognized and used as powerful tools for healing, growth, and self-expression.”
Exploring Ecological Models: Nature- and Community-Based Models in Creative Arts Therapies.
World Art Therapy Conference • 2024 - Day 4: Visit conference day presentation page to learn more about these speakers : https://www.artstherapies.org/course/world-art-therapy-conference-2024
“Ecological models in creative arts therapy offer a comprehensive and holistic approach to understanding and addressing individuals’ psychological challenges within the broader context of their environment. Rooted in the belief that human beings are intricately interconnected with their surroundings, ecological models consider the influence of various systems, including nature, community, culture, and society, on an individual’s well-being. ”
Presenters.
Pamela Whitaker • PhD, MA • Habitats of Composition: The Walking Studio and Biodiversity Gardening
Pamela is an art therapist living in Ireland, who practices under the name of Groundswell (www.groundswell.ie), a social enterprise working in the areas of art therapy, art and participation, environmental arts, and arts and health.
website link: www.groundswell.ie
“Pamela Whitaker is an art therapy educator who has developed both the walking studio and biodiversity gardening as contributions to environmental art therapy. A walking studio supports wayfaring through either urban or natural landscapes to encourage arts based responses using photography, found object assemblages or spoken word poetry. The route of travel is curated to include places of interest that also prompt conversations about urban design, street art, place names, local history, the built environment and social concerns..”
Carla van Laar • MCAT, ThA.D • Organic Structure - A Radically Creative Approach to Practice
• Dr Carla van Laar is an Australian born woman of European/Nordic heritage, artist and creative arts therapist, who lives and works in Boon Wurrung Country in the small coastal town Inverloch, Australia. With over 30 years’ experience working in the arts for health and well-being in community organizations, justice, health and education contexts
website: www.carlavanlaar
“An interconnected, organic structure is inherent to my practice-led, art-based approach. In the context of global domination by the patriarchal/colonial/capitalist/medical model and its associated discourses, institutions, ‘evidence’ and procedures, using an organic structure to inform professional practice might be considered radically creative. However, for myself and many other creatives, this way of working feels completely natural, enjoyable, and frequently enables surprising and unimagined things to be brought into being.”
Kit Kline • MSW • Nature Connection as a Way of Expressing Ourselves Creatively
• Kit Kline is a social worker and the founder of Nature Based Therapy. She was born in Canada, a descendant of the Wampanoag people on her paternal side and migrated to Australia in 1982. Kit has 20 years’ experience working in the mental health sector both in mainstream and Aboriginal community healthcare. Her work consists of implementing nature-based interventions and takes a holistic approach to working with people supporting them to find and work with their authentic self.
website link: www.naturebasedtherapy.com.au
“This presentation will be an opportunity for interactive discussion around the various ways we can use nature connection as a way of expressing ourselves creatively and finding solutions to our own problems. We will discuss the importance of accessing the right side of the brain and how we can tune in to our intuition and creativity using the process of nature-based mindfulness. This does two things. It allows us to develop a deeper connection to nature and at the same time becomes a therapy as it allows us to express ourselves and tell our story.”
