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Open Studio Concept

This document discusses the evolution of the open studio concept in art therapy. It describes how the author initially struggled to write about their experiences with an open studio project due to feeling overly confident in their ideas. They realized they needed to distinguish their own views from the concepts being discussed. The document provides background on the origins of the open studio approach and questions its place within the scope of art therapy.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
305 views7 pages

Open Studio Concept

This document discusses the evolution of the open studio concept in art therapy. It describes how the author initially struggled to write about their experiences with an open studio project due to feeling overly confident in their ideas. They realized they needed to distinguish their own views from the concepts being discussed. The document provides background on the origins of the open studio approach and questions its place within the scope of art therapy.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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This article was downloaded by: [190.12.141.

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On: 19 April 2014, At: 12:42
Publisher: Routledge
Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House,
37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy


Association
Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information:
http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/uart20

Coyote Comes in from the Cold: The Evolution of the


Open Studio Concept
Pat B. Allen PhD, A.T.R., LPAT
Published online: 26 Dec 2013.

To cite this article: Pat B. Allen PhD, A.T.R., LPAT (1995) Coyote Comes in from the Cold: The Evolution of
the Open Studio Concept, Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 12:3, 161-166, DOI:
10.1080/07421656.1995.10759153

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07421656.1995.10759153

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Art Therapy: Journal of the Amerlcan Art Therapy Association. 12(3) pp. 161-166 8 AATA. Inc. 1995

Coyote Comes in from the Cold: The Evolution of the


Open Studio Concept

Pat 6. Allen, PhD, A.T.R., LPAT

Abstract and reread my beloved opening paragraphs, I realized how intox-


icated I had become with the studio idea. I felt comforted in
The Open Studio as a way of working eooloed in an g o r t to rereading Jolande Jacobi (1977)on inflation:
maximize the ~ectivenessof the artmaking process as a means to
... there is nothingsurprising about this sort of hubris; everyonesuc-
increase and hepen m-ss. This method differentiates cumbs to it in the course of a deliberatelydeepened individuation
art from psychotherapy and calls into question the validity of process. But the forces that have been activated in the individual by
w r y i n g these two experiences. IS the open studio within the these insights become really available to him only when he has
puroinu of art therapy? This remains an open question subject to learned in all humility to distinguish himself from them. (p. 126)
the experimentation of art therapists who apply the method in
Now doubly grateful to Coyote for my exploding pen that
work situations.
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prevented my p q l e prose from reaching print, Irealized I


needed to begin the work of distinguishing myself from the
Introduction ideas.
I began this paper with an inflated, almost giddy sense of
having the answer. Yes, the answer to the malaise of art therapy Background
is to be found in the studio approach. It was shortly after our suc-
My initial job in art therapy was a rudimentary variation on
cessful one-month pilot of the Open Studio Project in June of
the open studio, not by design but through simple ignorance. I
1993when I began writing. Yet, somehow, the paper did not get
didn’t know any better than to make art with the people who
written. The open Studio Project continued to develop and
came to the church basement we called an “after care center.” I
grow, we found a permanent space and officially opened for busi-
was an art student, and they all had various psychiatric diagnoses
ness. Still I struggled to write, felt blocked and constricted. I had
and had been swept back into the community when state hospi-
been sure that the call for papers for a special issue on studio
tals were declared too restrictive an environment in the early sev-
approaches would yield hundreds of papers and Viewpoints,
enties. What I remember about my job is that I felt a lot more at
flooding the journal. In fact, finding enough good material for an
home making art with the center’s “members,”as they were
entire issue was a daunting task (see Editorial).
called, than I did in art school with my classmates. As I gradual-
Finally, while trying to work on the paper on a plane trip to
ly got an education in art therapy through supervision and fur-
Boston, my pen exploded in my hand. This same pen had func-
ther training, I realized we were supposed to have a different sort
tioned quite nicely mere minutes before as I penned a postcard
of relationship-one in which I maintained professional bound-
to a friend. As I wiped the ink from my hand and off the airline
aries and kept more distance, one in which roles were clearer.
tray, I felt strongly that I needed some help. I decided to settle
But, looking back, I don’t think anyone was worse off for being
down and enter the image process right there on the plane. I
p q to my image making, nor do I think that any more system-
asked for help from Coyote, the totem animal of the Open
atic approach would have made a big difference in ameliorating
Studio. I asked for an image and this is what I got:
the wounds of the men and women who came to our center.
A bird is flying high over a landscape. From up above there are no What was going on in that church basement was simple.
divisions.The bids eye view is dispassionate. Your idea is just a tiny Former mental patients had a place to go during the day and an
little corner, one sparkplug, a small piece of the overall picture. No occasional evening, to socialize and add some structure to their
need to be grandiose. Remember, Coyote is mangy, a bit dirty and lives along with a hot lunch and an ever present coffee pot. Those
smelly, scratchingand such ... and real.
of us who worked there created ways to pass the time together
After thanking Coyote for puncturing my balloon of self- based on our interests or skills, whether art, yoga, drama, or cur-
importance,I put away the writing for a while. When I returned rent events. No big therapeutic outcomes were really expected
nor sought beyond trying to provide a supportive community to
help people stay out of the hospital. We kept track of who was
Editor‘s Note: The author wishes to acknowledgeDeborah Gadiel holding their own and looked for warning signs when members
and Dayna Block, cofounders and codirectors of the Open Studio were feeling stress. Often we could avert a crisis or rehospital-
Project, Inc., as collaborators in the process of developing the ideas
expressed in this paper and to thank them for their love and support and
ization by nothing more sophisticated than knowing people well
for meeting the challenge of both friendship and partnership. They wel- enough to notice changes in behavior and offering to talk about
come visits to the Open Studio Project, Inc. or inquiries about their work whatever the problem might be.
addressed to 1739 N. Damen Ave.. Chicago, IL 60647. We spent 15 to 20 hours a week together in groups, taking

161
162 COYOTE COMES IN FROM THE COLD

field trips or just hanging around in the coffee room playing boundaries of the “patient-therapist” relationship was also shak-
Scrabble. The setting had limitations which precluded a “real” en. My identification with him help me to restore and reawaken
open studio. The church members who donated the space were a very important part of myself. He did far more for me than I
fastidious folks. No artwork could remain on the walls and our did for him.
presence had to be cleaned up before Sunday school each week. I didn’t write about this aspect of the process in 1983either.
The images of the kindly Jesus surrounded by children and holi- I also didn’t write about how making art together begins to blur
day theme posters were not to be disturbed. But even with such the boundaries between “staff’ and “patient.” In a studio session,
restrictions, members felt free to create, and so did I. a patient might just as likely have useful feedback for me as I
Gradually, as I learned more about therapy, I began to see would for him or her. I did realize that I couldn’t tolerate the
individuals, families, and groups in the outpatient mental health hierarchical roles that are the norm in an institution. It seemed
center of which the after care program was one small part. After easy for the nurses and doctors; for example, it is very clear who
some years of practicing art therapy in more conventional ways, prescribes medication, who hands it out, and who swallows it.
I returned to an open studio approach, this time by accident. I For me, blurring the boundaries felt vaguely dangerous, a viola-
was utterly spent trying to apply the principles of therapy I had tion of the cultural norms of the treatment setting. Iknew I
so painstakingly learned on a short-term psychiatric unit. I was couldn’t continue working in a hospital.
defeated by the limited length of stay and sterility of the setting, At this same institution, Ialso worked on an almholism
and I was bored by listening to shallow discussions of superficial treatment program (ATP) where it was necessary to create a very
imagery made by patients trying to do what was expected of structured approach to art therapy to complement the existing
them. I pretty much gave up and just began to make art during goal-oriented program (Allen, 1985). This was not my favorite
the art therapy time. I stopped cajoling patients out of bed or way of working. The main goal of the ATP was to break down
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away from n !To my surprise, interest in art therapy grew and patients’ resistance to recognizing their disease. This confronta-
some patients who had avoided the structured groups showed up tional approach was designed to shake the alcoholic patient out
and worked intently on self-initiated pieces. The atmosphere of his or her denial of life-threatening behavior. While I saw the
shifted and energy grew; for a while, something felt real and value of this approach, I was uncomfortable using art in this way.
right. I felt the time pressure of the brief 3 week length of stay, yet I
In reviewing a paper I wrote about this work (Allen, 1983), deeply feel the image has its own time that could not be accom-
where I first used the term “open studio,’’ I was surprised to real- modated in this approach. I fantasized about a studio space on
ize I did not mention the role my own artmaking played in the such a unit where, after the confrontational work of p u p and
brief resurgence of a studio atmosphere on the short-term psy- individual counseling, a patient could come and work at length,
chiatric unit. In fact, I remember vividly the piece I worked on painting his or her reactions and putting himself or herself back
when participation in my draw-and-talk groups dwindled to nil. together. There was no space for such a studio. The room where
It was a fairly large sculpture of a dragon made of newspaper and art therapy was held doubled as dining room, p u p room, staff
masking tape, eventually covered with plaster gauze. Iwould meeting room, and leisure space in the evening. Patient images
bring it upstairs to the office I shared with the occupational ther- remained up on the walls during all those activities, for better or
apy staff and work on it in odd, free moments between groups. worse.
After a while, as I entered the locked unit for my nonexistent To ground myself I created an art talk as part of the lecture
group, the evolving dragon, now recognizable, sparked interest series used to educate patients about the disease process. Nurses
among patients who began to come in and want to learn how to showed slides of cirrhotic livers in their lecture on physical
make sculptures of their own. That was one of my first glimmers effects; I showed slides of paintings by well-known artists who
that my own artmaking could have a motivating effect and per- grappled with issues of life and death, depression, faith, and rela-
haps be a valid part of the art therapy process. tionship. I tried to explain how artists use images to reconcile
Why didn’t I write about the role my art played as a catalyst inner and outer reality and how this process is accessible to any-
for patients? Instead, I tell about a goals group I co-led and how one. I also showed slides of my own work, which is fairly self-con-
that helped me to refocus my energies (p. 94). The goals group frontive. I tried to show that I used the process, that I wasn’t ask-
was a helpful interlude partly because it was collaborative, partly ing them to do something I wasn’t willing to do myself.
because it was very clear in structure and format. Also helpful, Why didn’t Iwrite more about these aspects of the art
but not as safe to write about, was my relationship with a patient process? I felt I was violating some art therapy taboos. If I am
around that same time. This young man was acutely psychotic making art during my art therapy job, am I stealing from my
when admitted. As his symptoms abated I learned he was also a employer?If by making art together with patients I am con-
trained and talented photographer. We spent many hours talking tributing to a breakdown of the tradition of professional distance,
about art and looking at his photographs, though he attended the am I harming the patient? Is showing slides of my art that are
studio group only once. Gradually I recognized that I had a pow- obviously intense, emotional, as well as artistically formed intim-
erful countertransference response to this man. He mirrored idating to the patients and inhibiting their ability to use the
back to me the wounded artist in myself. Once I gained that process?
insight, I experienced a surge of energy in my own artmaking, These are serious questions. Therapy principles rang in my
which I had neglected for quite a while feeling uninspired and head: the role of the therapist, the boundaries of the session,
having little free time. My relationship to the patient simmered appropriate self-disclosure. I certainly knew and had adhered to
down to collegial friendliness. When he was discharged, I felt the and respected these rules for some time. I taught these rules to
loss; he had taught me a great deal. My belief in the prescribed my graduate students. Iexperienced the validity of the con-
AWN 163

straintsof therapy myself as a client in psychotherapy; yet, as is decreased. The stringent rules of psychotherapy are necessary
time went on, these rules felt constricting, deadening, in fact to safeguard the client as well as the therapist from potent feel-
harmful to the art therapy process. I began to feel the paradox ings and wishes stirred by the intimacy and intensity of the
that much of what makes psychotherapy effective and safe makes process that can lead to exploitation and abuse of power in this
art therapy dead and lifeless. I began to seriously doubt this inherently unequal relationship. In 1988 I wrote:
hybrid, this marriage of art and therapy, to which I had been Art therapy has the potential to affect the balance of power in the
thoroughly dedicated. therapeutic relationshipin favor of the client if the focus is less on
the transference and more on the art. In other words, the client is
Struggling with Art Therapy empowered when his or her primaly relationshipis to the art rather
than to the therapist.... Transformed by the art process, through the
The next phase in the developmentof the studio idea was my discipline of adhering to the limitations and requirements of the
medium, the unconscious material can be experienced by the client
doctoral work. I set myself the tasks of looking at art therapy as it
while he or she maintains an adult’s sense of personal &gnity. (Allen,
had been practiced and documented in the literatum and of look- 1988, p. 118)
ing at artmaking as it is done by artists (Allen, 1986).I read artists’
accounts of artmaking and canied out a series of interviews using The next phase in the development of the studio concept
phenomenological methodology which sought to get at the occurred in collaboration with Deborah Gadiel, presently one of
essence of the art-making experience. My research question was, the codirectors of the Open Studio Project, but at that time a
What is the experience of making art? I wanted to find out the graduate art therapy student at The School of the Art Institute of
constituents,the necessary or universal aspects of this experience. Chicago, where I teach. Having found myself frustrated with the
By interviewing a range of artists, including some who are also art limitations of clinical positions, I was teaching and supervising art
therapists and doing a s m a l l amount of consulting and private
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therapists, Ilearned that the essence of artmaking-feelings


about, even motivations for making art-was indistinguishable practice. I was uncomfortable in my position as critic of the clini-
from what my goals were in art therapy. Self-expression, commu- cal approach to art therapy without a place to try to develop an
nication, feelings of wholeness, suspension of time, entry into a alternative;even private practice seemed too restrictive. Deborah
different realm or state of &race: these are some of the constituent wanted to do her thesis on working as an “artist-in-residence”as
parts of involved d g ,whether the artmaker is a client seek- an aspect of her second year placement. I suggested she by an
ing help for a problem, a professional artist making work to agency where I supervised the art therapist, Dayna Block, the
appear in a gallery, or an art therapist fully engaged in his or her third founder and director of the Open Studio Project. Ifelt
own art process. The nature of the final product may distinguish Dayna would be receptive and supportive of this idea. I have
these various artmakers (thought not in all cases),but the process never known another art therapist as grounded and clear in her
had the same essential elements. McNa (1977) in a study of identity as an artist as Deborah or as knowledgeable and fluent
artists across disciplines concludes that “all artistic expression with materials of all kinds. Her idea of artist-in-residencewas an
emanates from the same human needs” (p. 134).The basic goal of operational definition, an alternative role for an art therapist to
all artmakers seemed to be to know the self, which is also a fun- take that widened the scope of practice to include and validate
damental goal of art therapy. artmaking within the workplace. At that time she said:
The outcome of my doctoral work was the conclusion that
We as artists can demonstrateproblem-solving,risk-taking,and self-
d g is a process that when practiced in an involved way, in fulfillment. We create an atmosphere of involvement. We model a
itself promotes health and wholeness. However, such practice dialogue between ourselves and a piece of art. (quoted in Allen,
can exist side by side with destructive behaviors as well. Human 1992)
beings are complex. I came to believe that the rules and regula-
tions I had painstakingly learned in order to practice art therapy Consulting to this agency and supervising Deborah have
paradoxically prevented artmaking itself from being fully effec- helped me to see that the open studio idea can be put into prac-
tive. Consciousness is the crucial element that art therapy added tice in a mental health setting. She continues to perform some of
to the equation that is not always present in the practice of art- the more traditional tasks of a therapist in her job, though the
making by artists. By adding intention, the clear desire to know bulk of her client contact is within the studio.
something through art, and attention, the honest consideration Presently, the approach Deborah, Dayna, and Ihave
of meaning in the image, we experience amnaking as creating or evolved in the Open Studio Project goes even further. We are
deepening consciousness (Allen, 1995). Then, the island of dropping the therapy paradigm altogether and looking at what
health or wholeness from which the creative impulse springs can the studio process generates as its own pa”ligm or guiding pM-
be enlarged and strengthened. Psychotherapy can also be a con- ciples.
sciousness-creating activity, but its methods function largely on a
verbal level. Artmaking, when practiced in an involved way, espe- What Is the Studio Approach?
cially according to some methods developed in art therapy that
emphasize allowing the image to create itself (McNiff, 1992), Our approach is s t i l l evolving, and I have concerns about
touches a different, preverbal, nonverbal, and even spiritual writing about it at such an early point. Although I can describe
level. As Florence Cane describes, life situationshave parallels in what we do and how it seems to work, I can’t make many firm
artmaking situations, and understanding the art process can have conclusions. Ican point out concepts in art therapy that this
a Canyover into life (1951). approach challenges and aspects of practice that are called into
By using the same rules as psychotherapy, art’s effectiveness question, We are defining a little area where the disciplines of
164 COYOTE COMES IN FROM THE COLD

art, art therapy, spiritual practice, and service to others intersect.


We are at the outskirts where, like Coyote says, things are ragged,
mangy, and a little bit rough. That’s how we like it. It’s not every-
thing nor the only thing. But, it can give some ideas to art thera-
pists, enliven them, maybe be a sparkplug.
The primary attribute to an open studio is energy. Energy is
drawn into a place by a variety of factors. The main source of
energy is generated by the artists working in the space. It is not
enough to put out materials and just let people flounder around
with them. It is not enough to solicitouslybe a monitor and hand
out the right brush. It is necessary to be real and active. Over the
years there have been more and less successful attempts at hav-
ing an open studio at the AATA conference. It has seemed to me
that not only the space, not only the materials, but the energy of
those working in the space is the crucial, yet ineffable ingredient.
Discovering how to tap into creative energy is my primary learn-
ing goal at the Open Studio. What makes people able to access
this in themselves and what prevents it? The arrival of Coyote
illustrates something about this.
Our pilot program took place at a downtown gallery run by
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several young artists who were interested in creating an alterna-


tive to the usual gallery scene. Fans of Joseph Beuys, they liked
our idea that everyone can create art. They were intrigued with
the concept of people from all walks of life coming together in
the space. We invited them to come and work alongside partici-
pants during workshop and drop-in times. Further discussion
revealed a slight discrepancy in our ideas. One artist offered to
come in and demonstrate how a “real artist” makes collage. On
the only day they actually came to the space to work, about six
Figure 1.
people were busily working on various pieces. I was painting
when one of the artists began a conversation with me about how
‘I... you can’t just paint ...” and elaborated for me how artists are
different and need certain conditions, the right time, the right
place, that he was really conceptually beyond this sort of direct
image-making. As I listened, I continued painting and Coyote
emerged, smoking a cigarette (Figure 1). This trickster figure
spoke volumes to me about the trap of taking oneself too sen-
ously, the trap of role, the trap of specialization. The irony of the
artist talking away while “ordinary” people ‘‘just made art” was a
great lesson and remains at the heart of the Open Studio.
All during the pilot month, Coyote showed up in various
guises in different people’s work, always having a great time
(Figures2,3, and 4). In Native American tradition, Coyote is seen
as a trickster and shape shifter. Another aspect I like about him is
that he is a canion eater, a transformer of dead m a t e d (Walker,
1988).He continually and playfdly challenges the ego, helping us
to be less pompous and self-involved. To work in this way, one
must check one’s professional persona, be it artist or therapist, at
the door. Coyote’s energy seems to me less and less welcome in
art therapy as the field becomes more regulated, more profes-
sional, more self-consciously serious. Nobody wants to get paint
on her dress-for-success suit before going into a meeting.

The Open Studio Project


At present, the Open Studio Project, Inc. resides in a store-
front space with high ceilings and big windows that looks out
onto a busy city street. It is located in a part of the city known for
both its ethnic diversity and its indigenous artist community. Figure 2.
ANN 165

synchronistically, this neighborhood has an art event every year ings covered with graffiti, a shelter for the many homeless
when studios and galleries are all open for four straight days, women in the area, as well as the homes of many poor and mid-
called “Around the Coyote.” It is also an area in the throes of dle-class families. Inside the space the walls are paint spattered,
gentri6cation. Who knows how long Coyote will hand around? and there are shelves piled with supplies and found materials.
Old factories are being turned into loft condominiums, and cof- The “office”is a tiny galley behind the studio space where a corn-
fee houses and trendy restaurants are springing UP. TWOblocks puter sits next to piles of artwork and extra supplies.
away are industrial buildings as well as restored mansions, build- The Open Studio Project (OSP) came into existence as the
answer to a question posed by us in early 1993:“How can we, as
artists, be of seMce to others?” Art therapy, as it has come to be
defined and practiced, did not seem to be the answer. At the
heart of this question is the wish for Eros, the wish to stay close
to the fire, in contact with the life force. We did not ask, “How
can we find time to make our own art while working as art ther-
apists?” While that may be a perfectly valid question, it was not
ours. Implicit in the phrasing of the question is the belief that our
first responsibility is to be aware of and tend to our own needs,
our personal fire. We believe that neglecting our own needs
diminishes our capacity to be of service. Each of us recognizes a
primary drive to know ourselves, others, and the world through
our image-making. Each of us works in our art in a way that
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invites Coyote, constantly challenging concepts of who we are,


what we are. Through image-making, we are being created,
destroyed, and re-created continually.
After severalyears of conceptual development and a month-
long pilot project in June of 1993,we opened for business at our
present location in Chicago in February 1995. Practically speak-
ing, OSP is a not-for-profit501(c)3corporation, meaning it is tax-
exempt and able to receive donations and contributions which,
Figure 3. along with fees for service, support the work, if not yet the work-
ers. All programs are offered on a sliding scale basis. We offer
workshops and classes to the public, to p u p s from social seMce
agencies and schools, and to businesses. We have a core series of
workshops which we are evolving that consist of very direct
methods of drawing, painting, and sculpture using simple mate-
rials. There is a strong focus on developing awareness of one’s
response to process. Participants are encouraged to allow
imagery to develop in its own way and to trust the image to be a
guide. The major amount of time in every workshop is spend
making art, with a brief time at the ‘end for closure and sharing
how the process felt. Content interpretations are not made. In
core workshops, comments are restricted to one’s own work and
process, and quiet witnessing by others is encouraged. Resident
artists participate fully in all workshops.
We also have occasional theme-based or materials-based
workshops which have a more structured format and more spe-
cific goals. For example, a workshop called “Marking Passages”
was designed to focus on transitions and changes in life stages
with an emphasis on the decisions, events, and struggles that
accompany change. “Printmaking”focuses on simple and direct
methods of producing multiple images using printing plates con-
structed of cardboard and found objects as a way to enlarge one’s
repertoire. We emphasize the physicality of making art by using
breathing, relaxation, guided imagery, and music, such as drum-
ming and other percussive sound, to produce entrainment and
deepen process. Journaling for self-reflection is suggested for
longer term participants. Drop-in time is available for those who
wish to take their work further or for anyone wanting to experi-
Figure 4. ment independently.
166 COYOTE COMES IN FROM THE COLD

A Few Things We Have Observed So Far: of physical relaxation. There is a comfort that authentic imagery
extends that says it's okay to be yourselfin this place. The images
Making art together breaks down barriers and boundaries themselves, as M c N S says, are medicine. The permission of
between people, creating compassion and empathy. This expression that they grant is enlivening.
happens most effectively when people are deeply During our pilot project in 1993, we were working in a
engaged in authentic images. It seems to be true that gallery space downtown which we transformed into a studio for
viewing the struggles of one another h u g h art causes a month. The space was located on the first floor of a building
shifts of perception on a deep level. This occurs not so that housed several graphic design firms as well as a talent
much in insights gained through discussion as in simple agency. One morning there was a casting call and parades of par-
witnessing. ents with cute children in tow stood outside our space waiting for
Our practice of making art alongside participants creates the elevator. Some peeked in, including one family who had
an energy that enables-all of us 6 take-risks L d push fur- Grandma along who was afraid of elevators and unable to climb
ther in our explorations as opposed to being an inhibiting the three flights of stairs. They came in and asked if Grandma
factor. This applies to both content and technique. could sit with us to pass the time while the mother took her little
Adopting the same simple materials used in art therapy, or girl upstairs for the audition. We agreed, and the older woman
in elementary school for that matter, such as tempera and settled down with her newspaper while we worked alongside a
acrylic paints, cray-pas, tape and foil, and found object group of adolescent boys from a group home. One was working
sculpture renders the image-making process accessible to on a large piece of kraft paper with charcoal, another was creat-
anyone. ing a pastoral landscape. As our visitor was clearly listening to my
Bypassing complex techniques, individuals move more conversation with one boy about standing back to really see his
easily into the realm of their own images. Remarkable 4' x 5' piece, I impulsively asked if she'd like to try, too. With
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elaboration and embellishments occur as individuals delight, she put down the unread newspaper and an hour later
"make special" (Dissanayake, 1995) objects that begin as her perplexed daughter found her gray-haired mother happily
castoffs and end up speaking for the soul. drawing away alongside a group of inner city boys whom she
Hanging our images in the space seems to cause people to might have crossed the street to avoid if she'd encountered them
relax and feel permission to express rather than fear their elsewhere. This is what we are after, creating a space where the
own content. paradox of the uniqueness of the individual and the universality
Given the space, materials, time, and example, anyone can of our humanness can be lightly held, shared, understood, and
use the artmaking process to contact and tap into his or celebrated, where Coyote can come in from the cold.
her own inner source of creativity and wisdom.
Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened
The process works especially well if the group is diverse.
Don't open the door to the study and begin reading
The energy of too homogeneous a group tends to be less Take down a musical instrument.
lively, regardless of whether it is a group of all mental
patients, all art therapists, all women, all adults, and so Let the beauty we love be what we do.
forth. There are a hundred ways to kneel
and kiss the ground.

Conclusion Rumi

We are at the beginning of a great learning process of expe- References


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