JOAN’S BLOG – MON/TUE., AUGUST 2/3, 2010 – GUEST BLOG -The Art of Connecting: How art can help you create meaningful moments by Raquel Farrell-Kirk, Certified Art Therapist

I am pleased to introduce our latest guest blogger, Raquel Farrell-Kirk. Raquel has worked as an art therapist for nearly ten years. She discovered, while working in dementia specific day care centers, that her passion is using art to create meaningful connections with those with dementia. Bringing art into their days and their lives lets them express themselves, share their strengths, and know the joy and satisfaction of creating.

After working with populations ranging from special education students, to adults and adolescents in substance abuse programs and psychiatric hospitals, Raquel has chosen to focus exclusively on those in the early to middle stages of dementia and their caregivers by launching her private practice, Drawing on Strengths. It is the only dementia-specific art therapy private practice in South Florida.

Raquel is a professional member of the American Art Therapy Association and is credentialed by the Art Therapy Credentialing Board as a registered and board certified art therapist. She is also the current Program Chair for the American Art Therapy Assocation’s annual national conference and current President of the Florida Art Therapy Association.

The Art of Connecting: How art can help you create meaningful moments by Raquel Farrell-Kirk, Certified Art Therapist

If you have ever watched a toddler scribble joyfully, or seen a young child beam as his masterpiece is added to refrigerator art gallery, you have witnessed the power of art as a vehicle for self-worth. Ever stood mesmerized by a painting or been amazed by those beautiful photo slideshows friends email you? Then you have experienced art as a magic carpet that momentarily whisks you away. You may even have seen documentaries about events such as the bombing of Hiroshima, and witnessed artwork spontaneously created by survivors. More recently, you may have seen the images many children created after the attacks of September 11th. That is art as self-expression, art as healing, art as a language when words fail us.
For all these reasons, art is a valuable tool for you as a caregiver, and for your spouse living with dementia. Art used for healing, art therapy, is a formalized field of study based on the idea that the creative process is life-enhancing (www.arttherapy.org).

When used with people with dementia, art can have many benefits, such as:
1)      Providing cognitive stimulation
2)      Creating the opportunity for the person with dementia to experience success
3)      Providing sensory stimulation
4)      Encouraging abstract thinking, planning, sequencing and practice of motor skills
5)      Creating opportunity for interaction (via collaborative art projects, discussions)
6)      Improving communication by using non-verbal communication through art and images
As a spouse of someone with Alzheimer’s, you have a unique perspective on your loved one’s illness, as it takes its toll on this most intimate relationship in particular ways.  You may feel like you are experiencing the loss of a lifetime of shared memories, many of which are fundamental to the feeling of intimacy and shared history that is the basis of your marriage. I would like to offer an art activity that can provide the benefits listed above, and tend to those shared memories.

In my experience, pictures often elicit strong responses from people with dementia, of all stages. Often, even magazine images (rather than actual personal photographs) can be viewed as triggers for related memories.

Try spending a few afternoons with your spouse to create a collage of the “Memories of our Marriage”.

Materials: Glue, scissors, magazine images or photos, scrapbook or construction paper/poster board
I suggest jumbo glue sticks (easier to hold), and the ones that go on purple and dry clear (easier to apply as the glue remains visible). You may also want to get a pair of safety scissors. Also, it helps if you prepare magazine pictures ahead of time so your spouse is not presented with an entire magazine to sort through. It’s okay to select the ones that you think are most likely to stir memories, but don’t over think it.

Tips: Be sure you have good lighting and all the materials are close at hand. Think of safety also, use non-toxic materials and keep an eye on your spouse.

Directions- Invite your spouse to work with you on a collage. “We have had such great times together that I would like to create a collage full of pictures that can remind us of those times. Let’s choose some pictures together, and glue them on this paper (or in this scrapbook). “

As your spouse selects images, ask open ended questions such as “What did you like about this picture?” rather than asking them to produce specific memories. If you offer praise for their selections or work, make it specific and genuine. For example, “Honey you have such a great eye for detail, look at how carefully you cut out each little flower”, is better than a generic, “That’s great!”

Adaptations- If your spouse is still able to think abstractly you can invite them to help you title the collage, or you can encourage them to use words cut out from the magazine as well to make the collage less concrete (here is a picture of Hawaii, we went there on vacation), and more expressive (this slogan says “You’re in good hands”, that’s how I feel about our relationship).

If your spouse seems overwhelmed by the project, break it down even further. Offer just three to five photos and ask them to choose one that is a favorite. You might say something like “I found some pictures I think you would enjoy looking at. Let’s go through them together and see if we can each choose a favorite one”.

If the first session of art making goes well, you might want to make it an ongoing project. Perhaps you can work on creating an entire timeline of your marriage, or an entire scrapbook. Each time you work, have a specific focus to prevent the project from becoming overwhelming. For example, one day you might work on memories about your courtship, wedding and first home. The next time you might focus on memories about raising your children; the next time on family vacations.

Keep the focus on sharing a meaningful connecting moment with your spouse and your art making will always be a success. “The more I think, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people”- Vincent Van Gogh.

MESSAGE BOARD: Guest Blog

Visit Raquel's website -Drawing on Strengths

For more about art therapy, visit www.arttherapy.org

©2010 Raquel Farrell-Kirk

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