Textile Art Promoting Well‐being in Long‐term Illness: Some General and Specific Influences (original) (raw)
Related papers
Creativity Research Journal, 2003
This qualitative study explored the origins of interest in textile arts among a group of women living with long-term health problems. The part that illness played in motivating engagement in creative arts was of particular concern. Twenty four women were interviewed, aged between 29-72 years. Most were hobbyists and but the sample included some publicly acclaimed textile artists. A minority had engaged in art continuously since their earlier years. Most of the women had discovered (or rediscovered) textile arts, in middle and later life. Several factors facilitated this. The narratives indicated that the women's pre-existing resilient personality as well as extensive support structures may have encouraged a reflective attitude and a problemsolving approach to living with illness. The experience of biographical disruption, stemming from the crisis of illness, dissatisfaction with unproductive time and a growing need for self-fulfilment, appeared to create a search for a meaningful occupation. The discovery of textile art as a meaningful occupation (as opposed to other ways of living with illness) appeared to be encouraged by early role models, enjoyment of art at school, the discovery that adult personal and professional interests could be expressed through artwork, and chance events. Textile art at school appeared to provide a form of 'cultural capital' for these women, who returned to this art medium and the skills learned earlier, when crisis occurred. The findings indicate that a negative event such as illness may have life-enhancing effects. Rehabilitation specialists might focus more on the arts as a resource for adults living with illness.
Creativity Research Journal, 2004
This qualitative study explored the origins of interest in textile arts among a group of women living with long-term health problems. The part that illness played in motivating engagement in creative arts was of particular concern. Twenty four women were interviewed, aged between 29-72 years. Most were hobbyists and but the sample included some publicly acclaimed textile artists. A minority had engaged in art continuously since their earlier years. Most of the women had discovered (or rediscovered) textile arts, in middle and later life. Several factors facilitated this. The narratives indicated that the women's pre-existing resilient personality as well as extensive support structures may have encouraged a reflective attitude and a problemsolving approach to living with illness. The experience of biographical disruption, stemming from the crisis of illness, dissatisfaction with unproductive time and a growing need for self-fulfilment, appeared to create a search for a meaningful occupation. The discovery of textile art as a meaningful occupation (as opposed to other ways of living with illness) appeared to be encouraged by early role models, enjoyment of art at school, the discovery that adult personal and professional interests could be expressed through artwork, and chance events. Textile art at school appeared to provide a form of 'cultural capital' for these women, who returned to this art medium and the skills learned earlier, when crisis occurred. The findings indicate that a negative event such as illness may have life-enhancing effects. Rehabilitation specialists might focus more on the arts as a resource for adults living with illness.
Arts & Health, 2016
Background: Caring for a family member with dementia is stressful. This study explores carers' experiences of leisure-based art-making, and its contribution to psychological well-being. Method: This study interviewed six women (>60 years old) with lengthy experience of caring for a relative with dementia. All engaged regularly in art-making. Findings were inferred through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results: Participation in art-making promoted positive identity, and resilience for care-giving. It offered temporary respite from care-giving demands, helping participants maintain contact with the richness of the external world, and freedom from confinement. Art-making facilitated meaningful connections with others, including the person with dementia, and enabled positive feedback. Participants whose loved ones had recently died or moved to residential care, processed, in oblique, possibly symbolic ways, the end of their intense involvement in care-giving. Conclusions: The findings suggest that meaningful creative leisure occupations may help to protect the psychological well-being of care-givers, promoting resilience.
Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2005
Objective-The aim of this study was to discover and characterize components of engagement in creative activity as occupational therapy for elderly people dealing with life-threatening illness, from the perspective of both clients and therapists. Despite a long tradition of use in clinical interventions, key questions remain little addressed concerning how and why people seek these activities and the kinds of benefits that may result. Method-Qualitative interviews were conducted with 8 clients and 7 therapists participating in creative workshops using crafts at a nursing home in Sweden. Analysis of the interviews was conducted using a constant comparative method. Findings-Engaging in creative activity served as a medium that enabled creation of connections to wider culture and daily life that counters consequences of terminal illness, such as isolation. Creating connections to life was depicted as the core category, carried out in reference to three subcategories: (1) a generous receptive environment identified as the foundation for engaging in creative activity; (2) unfolding creations-an evolving process; (3) reaching beyond for possible meaning horizons. Conclusion-The findings suggest that the domain of creative activity can enable the creation of connections to daily life and enlarge the experience of self as an active person, in the face of uncertain life-threatening illness. Ultimately, the features that participants specify can be used to refine and substantiate the use of creative activities in intervention and general healthcare.
Woven Narratives: Creative Participatory Art in Residential Aged Care
My interest in this project originated from my curiosity as a professional artist working with woven tapestries and as a registered nurse and midwife. Growing up in Eastern Europe, I have a strong connection to the Bauhaus derived autonomous tapestry movement, which taught me to design and weave my own tapestries. To weave these tapestries, every piece of work needs composing, constructing and to be created to address a chosen topic. In Australia, my tapestry weaving was influenced by modern art practices and I used this ancient medium to step out from the traditional wall hanging function. As a tapestry artist, my studiobased research included contemporary representations of tapestry combined with other media to depict social and environmental issues. My work has received the Queensland Regional Art Award textile prize (from the Flying Arts Alliance) and, beyond exhibition purposes, was used to educate school children in galleries around Queensland, Australia. At beginning of my time in Australia, I became a health professional, a registered nurse/midwife and my first workplace after graduation was an aged care facility. Influenced by negative stereotypes, originally I was not very happy with the fact that I had to work in aged care. However, once I spent some time there this attitude changed completely and I really enjoyed the work. Since then, I have become curious about how I can combine my art practices with work experiences in health related areas (such as aged care), so I did my Masters research in the area of creativity and dementia. This PhD was sparked by attending the International Arts and Health Conference in 2014 at the National Gallery of Victoria and presenting my Master study. At that conference I saw that there is a movement that continuously lobbies for the recognition of art practices in health care and that this is an exciting time to do more work, especially in research based programs. Today, the benefits of creativity on health in ageing have been clearly established by research (Cohen, 2006) however, there are still a lot of gaps to fill. With this study I aimed to advocate for creative art practices in a health care setting in general and in aged care and to reduce the boundaries between the two disciplines. I also hope that this thesis will increase the understanding and value of participatory art practices in health. Chapter 7: Discussion & Conclusion. This chapter connects all of the findings. These findings are presented together with the discussion of the theoretical and practical application of art participation with elderly people in RACF in the mirror of the literature.
The role of art-making in identity maintenance: case studies of people living with cancer
European Journal of Cancer Care, 2006
The aim of this qualitative research was to understand why some people with cancer take up art as a leisure activity, and how visual art-making in daily life might support identity maintenance/ reconstruction. The study forms part of a larger project with people who view art-making as a resource for living with chronic illness. In order to provide a detailed, holistic analysis, the paper focuses on the accounts and artwork of three participants, two women (aged 47 and 59) each with breast cancer, and a man (aged 51) with stomach and lung cancer. The participants turned to art after a process of reflection but did not necessarily reject their pre-illness lifestyles or selves. Rather, art-making afforded many opportunities to retain familiar personal and social identities, and to resist being dominated by labels related to their illness. A practical implication is that people coping with cancer may need not only cognitive and emotional support, but opportunities to find meaningful activities. Such activities can be understood to have a powerful role in maintaining a familiar, positive identity in cancer, and providing a resource for coping.