Mapping A Moment

A couple of years ago a colleague of mine proposed we host a series of workshops for mums with postnatal depression and asked if I would consider being the facilitator. This was such a tremendous opportunity, and it meant so much that my colleague recognised something in me that could contribute to this.
So, naturally – I said ‘NO’.

We all have that one story that gets in the way of us achieving our fullest selves, in our relationships, our careers, you name it. And if you don’t, well teach me your ways because I have lost many an opportunity to that one story.

It’s the relentless story about what I am, or am not capable of, that disrupts every cell in my body and impacts the choices I make in how I will proceed or more commonly say ‘No’ to an opportunity that arises.
Intensely aware of this habit to eject myself from situations where I perceive myself as ‘not good enough’, I wanted to know:

What happens between the moment an opportunity is proposed to me, and the moment this relentless story steals it from me?

So I mapped the moment to get an idea of what my process is, to see where I stumble, what the byproduct of this behaviour is and what I could do differently next time. This was initially a 2000+ word assignment with a more complex map! But here’s a simplified breakdown.

Here’s a closer look:

Do you have a story that gets in your way?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Art Therapy?

An invitation to yourself.
An acknowledgment and embracing of complexity.
A creative, physical, sensorial engagement into experience.
A curious, challenging and strengthening exploration into your narratives.
A making of space to feel.
An opportunity for unlearning.

What are the benefits of Art Therapy?

Increases our awareness to current perspectives of who we are.
Provides opportunities to generate new perspectives of who we can become.
Allows for emotional release, relaxation, strengthening, soothing and regulation.
Helps make sense of our feelings and physical responses to an experience.
Offers opportunities to engage with our experiences through language, imagery, texture and bodily senses.
Acknowledges the nuances of our being, beyond the contours of what is visible, into the interiors of what is felt and noticed.

Fore more on the benefits of Art Therapy, click here.
 

What does an Art Therapist do?

Create space where we both feel safe to explore, share and question.
Bring you back to this moment we’re in.
Facilitate your curiosity into your experience.
Be your companion as you make, explore, get stuck, slow down, stop and move on.
Witness your choices, and your physical and emotional responses – known and unknown to you.
Offer observations and responses to what emerges.
Collaborate with you in realizing alternative ways of being.
 

What happens in an Art Therapy session?

Co-creating meaningful, strengthening, healing space.
Questioning stories we tell ourselves.
Experimenting with creative expression.
At times I will suggest material for you. At times you will decide.
Tuning into our physical senses.
Noticing how emotions inhabit our bodies.

Why would I use Art Therapy?

To slow down and inhabit this very moment you’re in.
To notice things about how you move through the world beyond your rehearsed story of it.
To make space for whatever needs to surface and be acknowledged.
To deepen and develop a multi-dimensional understanding of an experience or behavior that might not be formulated adequately through the spoken word.
To strengthen what is already well and health within you.
To become curious in how you physically, mentally and emotionally experience things through the tools of your body.
To experiment and explore different ways of being you might not yet be able to embody.
To ask better questions of yourself­, your experience and of others.
To generate new ways of being in an experience, with others and with yourself.
 

Do I need to be good at art?

No.
In my practice, all art expression is valuable. The point is to become mindful and observant of your internal processes during the making, not to produce finished pieces.
There is meaning in the making.

What happens to the artworks?

The options are discussed with you. The artworks can be:
Stored with me.
Kept with you - if you feel it safe to do so.
Discarded if you desire - although my preference is to keep them for reflection!
Worked on the next time we meet.
Archived and shared with other practitioners or clients - with your permission.

Who is Art Therapy for?

Anyone wanting to:
Utilise past experiences to generate new forms of self-expression.
Unpack difficult experiences through safe and controlled art forms.
Restore and strengthen their emotional resilience.
Create new pathways and patterns to integrate into their day to day living.
Change and improve how they relate to self and others.
Resolve conflicts, solve problems and formulate new perceptions.
Welcoming people of all races, genders, sexualities, faiths, abilities and classes.

The Task of the Writer

‘The task of the writer is not to solve the problem but to state the problem correctly.’
- Anton Chekhov

As a practitioner, daughter, sister, friend and colleague, this is something I strive for.

So many times we are convinced we know the shape of the issue we’re facing, armed and ready to start chipping away at it.

We need that person who is willing to sit with us and question the layers of our older voices and convictions that have mutated this experience into something else - Something it isn’t.

Until we can learn to question ourselves.