Day 9 | 1/6/2010

At our morning Day Rehabilitation session in Islandia, Lauren put in motion her desire for a more organized and easy to structure group. Our first step in doing this was setting down the new rules of what is needed and expected of the group members. Top on the list is that we keep all of the artwork created in the session. The work will be returned (excepting those pieces withheld for exhibition purposes) during our portfolio reviews, which will occur every three months. The group members will not be creating cards or presents for others in or art therapy session. Lauren created sign up sheets for our Monday sessions as well as our Wednesday sessions. The clients were encouraged and welcomed to joining both groups, but it was made very clear that the sign up for the group meant that they were making a commitment to eh group which in tailed regular attendance, full sessions [ with close attention and full participation], and complying with the rules.

The clients seemed only unhappy about not being able to make presents for others

Following the introduction of the new rules, we had a very comfortable session. The group was not too large, and the space was clear of other clients. There was a low stress atmosphere and after giving giving the run down of the New Year's structure, the clients had the opportunity to draw.

For the majority of my time with the Islandia group, a female client has been drawing hearts. The client is quiet - she has a hard time finding the words - and a voice to tell us what she wants. She moves slowly, and works slowly and carefully. The client shows that she is self conscious of her work - she asks for help - often for me to draw a heart for her - or make a stencil.

[Following Lauren's lead, I have used this method of drawing something for two of the consumers to trace - each have asked for specific drawings. Regarding the Idea that art therapy is only productive through the spontaneous and original creation of artwork/images by the patient (a topic that was discussed indepthly during my supervision period with the director of the art therapy department Ed Regensburg) - I now have mixed feelings. While I see the logic - and agree with this notion set forth by Margeret Naumberg in the book Dynamically Oriented Art Therapy, and held by Ed, I wonder... if the consumer is telling/showing us a certain images tat they want to create, and are happy when they are able to trace our drawing of it (and quite unhappy when they are not) - Is it not really serving as a therapeutic release? - and how far from spontaneous is it really - when after-all it was the client, not the therapist, who decided on the imagery and subject - and for their own reasons]

This particular client is most likely capable of drawing a heart - but not he way she wants it to look. She complains even while tracing, that her hand shakes and asks that you trace it for her. I have once traced with her - she holding the pen, and me lightly guiding her hand.

The client has taken one template, (by template I mean a picture of hearts drawn by the art therapist Lauren, which the client uses to trace) and created several variants from it. At first she traced a few pages of the exact template. Today the client used the template - but only traced certain hearts in certain places - repeating or omitting at her own will and creating her own design. The client left all the drawings as mere outlines until prompted to color them in. She began using only two colors (pink and blue), but used up to four colors i her last drawing.

Reflecting and questioning:

- If the patient is using a stencil/non-original to create their own design - is it not spontaneous in some respects?

- How possible/plausible is it for anyone to develop a completely spontaneous image when we / they are bombarded with visual imagery on a daily basis?

- If the mind latches on to an image that is often repeated in the clients artwork, is it not significant (regardless of the level of 'spontaneity')?

- [Within the MRDD population specifically] Is the possibility of an image/object being on with sentimental value - or a bridge to a sentiment...
* Plausible?
* Of interest?
* Therapeutic?