Colouring-in, why its now a thing...softies, and anxiety

 

For me as a child, colouring-in was a guilty pleasure, rather like reading books by Enid Blyton (not a broad enough vocab.), watching commercial TV (too tacky) or Walt Disney (do I need to explain? If so, check out the movie Saving Mr Banks, for Emma Thompson's brilliant portrayal of PL Travers, struggling with the Disneyfication of Mary Poppins...).

Sadly, the drawings in children's colouring-in books are less than inspiring - as an older child, I preferred Altair designs, which were also more acceptable to my artist parents, as they were abstract, less prescriptive, and encouraged creative interpretation. But sitting down with some coloured pencils or felt pens and having some time out colouring was just - really - cool.

However, I could never have imagined or predicted the current level of interest in colouring-in books - for adults. Yes, colouring-in is now definitely a (grown-up) thing. A Secret Garden by Johanna Basford is a best-seller, and there are numerous other beautiful colouring-in books currently being produced.

Including this one, Breathing to a New Beat, which I have contributed a drawing to. This is the third project by Curly Pops I have been involved in...and I have to say, after rashly agreeing to produce an image, and then wondering for a couple of weeks why I create more stress in my life, by signing up for these projects...ultimately, though, its so worthwhile, thanks to Camille's fantastic creativity, encouragement and organising skills...and for a good cause. I feel very privileged to be included.

And of course, as an art therapist, this is all very interesting.

And now for some recent softies:

Baby rabbit in Hungry Caterpillar pyjamas - the free pattern is from Shiny Happy World.

 

So is the pattern for this bear, which I made into a bean bag. I am going to try using him with clients, to help them with mindful breathing.

And then there is my anxiety monster, which I shared a drawing of in my last blog post.  This is the 3-D version, fully stuffed and sewn.  I recently read My Age of Anxiety by Scott Stossel, which absolutely puts everyday anxiety into perspective. Such a brave thing to write this book...it struck me how much its about embarassing bodies, really. And how they let us down...

Having just had a relaxing week off work, I am doing pretty well with my self-care. Since writing that previous post, I have made more of an effort to keep up my meditation practice. My sleeping pattern is improving, bit by bit...

My next challenge is to start saying 'no' to some requests for work (or even art projects...). In the last three months, I have had four jobs, and in one week, I did all four (there was a bit of an overlap). This seems a little ridiculous.

 Kit Bag for Anzac Day

I'll share one more picture of a recent TAFE art project, working with new migrants with very little English,  for Harmony Day.

more later
Namaste

its knot all black and white...happy harmony day!

'knot all black and white': collage and pastels

I made this collage after thinking about how to integrate art therapy and social work knowledge.

The colourful flowers or cogs, represent art therapy knowledge, and the black and white 'knotty' patches represent social work theory. Not that it is colourless or anything, I am actually enjoying reading the theories and frameworks, but it is a little different from art therapy texts - actually better written I would have to say. And its all about the words: no pictures, and only a few diagrams!!

Basically, I have always believed that most disciplines, although having their own knowledge base, also use a lot of shared, or generic, knowledge. (This is what I have learned from belonging to a discipline that is only just on the edge of being recognised as a valid discipline, at least by the 'powers that be', whoever they are...in Evidence Based Practice-land.) This view was challenged by being asked recently to write something that I see as generic, 'from a social work perspective', which to me was pretty meaningless.

Well I am sort of getting it, now. Luckily, as this is what I am paying for, to have a 'social work perspective'. It made me reflect on what knowledge is shared, and what is specialised, or 'owned'. Art therapists also feel ownership - of using art in clinical settings - but that view is not necessarily shared by others. Interesting stuff.

Lights and lanterns, La Boite, As you like it  

Words can be a delight, as they were in the recent (current) production of As you like it we went to see last week at La Boite, also at  'my' university, QUT. Shakespeare surely is all about the words. And I love it!! The photo, above, is part of the set, taken in the interval. Its a collection of lanterns and fairy lights, meant to evoke the Woodford Folk Festival. 

knots - silicon baking ties.

I can remember seeing a play by RD Laing called knots. It was hilarious. 

Its Harmony Day today. Apparently (according to the government website) its all about Sport - how Australian! Actually, its all about racial harmony. Sorry chaps.

Happy Harmony Day!

more later.

Born in the UK: Quarterly review

Its been two weeks since my last post - the longest gap so far - and it feels like I have sinned!* 

Today I want to share some of my artwork, from an exhibition at the Mater, of staff artwork, with the theme: 'Cultural me, cultural you', which opened on Harmony Day (21st March), and also to start reviewing the last three months, as it is the time of year for the first quarterly review, (and everyone at work is trying to get their clinical stats up to date).

'POM: Born in the UK: 100% Australian'.

The phrase ‘Born in the UK: 100% Australian’ has personal resonance for me. It was a slogan on a poster at Australia House, first seen when I was applying for my Australian residency in 1989,  when Springsteen's ironic rock anthem 'Born in the USA' was a more recent memory. I discovered the POM bottles in the supermarket, drank the pomegranate juice (for the antioxidants), filled them with North Stradbroke Island sand, and added the slogans. 

[NB. My older son and cultural critic extraordinaire, has drawn my attention to the populist appropriation of an element of the Australian flag, namely the Southern Cross, as a nationalistic emblem, often accompanied by anti-migrant or anti-refugee statements, commonly seen on the backsides of utes. So I was horrified to see the slogan '100% Australian' adorning one of these Southern Cross stickers, on the back of a ute, whilst stuck in traffic yesterday. My immediate thought: 'What if someone misinterprets this piece (above) and thinks I am a nationalistic, ute-driving, racist, Anglophile?' Well, we are living in a post-modern world, and I'm not. But I do admit to occasionally drive a ute - very handy for moving big stuff.]

'Open Book: Life story in 16 steps'

This piece can be read (literally like a book, from left to right, and from top to bottom row) as a timeline, which documents various significant places in my life, from my birth to the present.

Each of the sixteen sections represents a particular place, either where I lived, or which was significant for another reason (i.e. Zurich is not only the home of Jung, who was an early influence on art therapy, and a major influence on my art therapist dad, but also of an au-pair, Heidi, who looked after me and my brothers, when we were going through a turbulent time in our childhood).

The open book charts my childhood in Devon, travelling to New Zealand in my gap year, and then to university for three years in Colchester. This was followed by ten years in London, and my arrival in Australia in 1989. I noticed that the ten-year period in London was the most intense and most full of change, with various different locations, art therapy training, a variety of jobs and other more personal experiences, such as meeting my partner, buying a home in Brixton, and giving birth to our first child at home.

I have also included the Mater Hospital (Brisbane) as a significant place, for numerous reasons, such as: employing me in my first 'real' art therapy position (with art therapy in the title) at the Child and Youth Mental Health Service (CYMHS) Inpatient Unit, supporting the development of art therapy training on the University of Queensland's Masters of Mental Health, and supporting my development as an artist.

To make this piece, I sewed the collaged and painted cardboard sections together with linen thread, as if I was binding a book, and attached them to a wooden dowel. They remind me of a suit of armour, for some reason.

'Flying Kangaroos: an exploration of T-shirt kitsch'.

This piece was inspired by the British working class (think Coronation Street) tradition of decorating the lounge wall with three ceramic flying ducks. I combined this idea with the equally kitsch Australian icon of the flying kangaroo, popularised by QANTAS. The kangaroo is clearly understood worldwide as a symbol of Australia.

The background for the collaged fabric kangaroos is a T-shirt with a slightly punky Union Jack (UK flag) print: another iconic image. As a British person, the Union Jack is not something I would normally have a positive relationship with, in fact I would not choose to display this image (or wear the T-shirt in public) without the ironic addition of the kangaroos, as for me it has unpleasant associations with far right politics, patriotism and colonialism. However, since the Union Jack was appropriated by the punk rock movement, (God save the Queen, Never mind the Bollocks – here’s the Sex Pistols) which was alive and kicking when I was a teenager, it has had a more ambiguous and potentially subversive meaning.

The juxtaposition of these two slightly kitsch iconic images of the kangaroos and the Union Jack is intended to make an irreverent statement about national pride, style and identity. Or it could just be seen as a fun image that makes me smile.

Materials: T-shirt, fabric collage.

So much for the quarterly review. I have one thing though: Environmental Audit.

We finally had our Climate Smart audit last week, after two cancellations (by them). This involves a visit from an electrician, who makes an assessment of your home and its ecological efficiency, and suggests changes. They also bring free supplies of energy efficient light 'bulbs', even if you already use them (we do), and a gauge which tells how much power is being consumed at any moment.

The only thing he suggested (and implemented) was to fit a water-friendly rose in the new shower-head downstairs, (I'm glad the visit served a purpose). Added bonus: now the shower no longer squeals when operating late at night. Everything else was already as energy efficient as it could possibly be. When he understood that we usually have negative power bills, due to our solar panels, which generate more power than we consume, he muttered darkly that 'the electricity company would not like us'...with all this negative talk about a carbon tax at the moment, he could have expressed a more enlightened view, given his job!!

The best thing was, that I found the $50 voucher in a pile of old bills, which meant that the Climate Smart visit was free. Even though the woman I booked it with told me they were no longer valid.

*I feel better now. 

more later.