“Resistance and change often begin in art, and very often in our art; the art of words…the name of our beautiful reward is not profit, it is freedom.”

— Ursula Le Guin 

“This is not how a human face looks” “The proportion is not right”

At first, resistance towards making art sounds like the inner critic.

That “my drawing is not up to par so I am not an artist”. 

 

I’ve been noticing that these critiques are ideas that originated from colonialism of what art is and isn’t.

Colonization of art has changed the way we see art culturally, politically and socially. 

Under censorship and control (aka. capitalism), our creative practices has become commodified - where art should be made for profit and for some form of gain.

Art is an act of resistance

How can we start to make art for ourselves as resistance from colonialism and for joy?

How can we connect with our images and art making that isn’t based from a lens towards the fine arts?

…working with art and images as a means to resist socio-political oppression.

Anti-oppressive art therapists are working to reclaim our creative practice and decolonize art making with art therapy and contesting to structural oppression from the psychotherapy field.

Shaun McNiff wrote in his book, Trust the Process: An Artist's Guide to Letting Go, that “art therapists are like refugees from the art world”. I’d like to think of us as rebels of the art world instead.

So how have you been rebelling in your creative practice?

“All of that art-for-art’s-sake stuff is BS. What are these people talking about? Are you really telling me that Shakespeare and Aeschylus weren’t writing about kings? All good art is political! There is none that isn’t. 

I’m not interested in art that is not in the world. And it’s not just the narrative, it’s not just the story; it’s the language and the structure and what’s going on behind it.”

―Toni Morrison

Some forms of art as resistance I have been working with are: 

• Making zines: a form of self-publishing art that came from feminist, activist movements popularized from the 80s. When I first started working as an art therapist, I created a workshop called, Zine Therapy (I was obsessed with making them). Zines are easy to distribute, low budget, and the content is filtered through the creator’s POV. My current faves are by Bianca ✨

• Cartoons and memes: sometimes opinionated, other times sensitive, maybe brightly coloured or humorous, through a critical lens through doodles/animations or storytelling with images … like my friend's work by John! ✨

• Clay/pottery: when I play with this earthy medium, themes around politics of the body and ‘smashing’ the patriarchy come up (💁‍♀️to get those air bubbles out). I love the meditative and trance-like feeling when I’m on the wheel… the way this medium holds memory and can be both delicate and forgiving—like healing with trauma.

If you wanted to share your thoughts, feel free to email me at linda@deciphercounselling.com.

Save this practice and come back to it for another day. If you know someone who may like this, share this blog post with them!

Thanks so much for being here :-)

Here are 3 ways you can start to decolonize your creative practice.

1. Make some trauma-informed art.
   

   We need to unlearn rules around making art that has been tying us down. Have you been feeling like your work is not enough? Are you censoring or policing your creativity and the process? As Yumi Sakugawa says, we need to ‘transmute shame to freedom’. Giving ourselves the permission to make ‘imperfect’ or what I would call, trauma-informed art, is core to trauma-healing from a world that gatekeeps what art should be.
   
   

2. Allow for creative accidents.
   

   Creative accidents are things that happen when we are working with art materials that lead to exploration in areas that you may have never thought you would explore.
   Being untrained artistically can actually be an advantage when working with images and intentions because having less training can sometimes mean you have less control over the art medium you are working with. Having less control means that there is more of a chance for something “other” to come through on the page.
   
   

3. Respect what you create.

   
   Our art carries so much life. Our art holds meanings and inner wisdom as well as curiosity, and carry emotions that may not be ready to be seen yet or ever. I hope you get to learn to enjoy and seek beauty in the process

Current thoughts as an art therapist.

Something art therapists see too often is when folks we work with are reluctant and avidly rejecting art making.

There are many ways the art therapy and mental health field gatekeep therapeutic art making as a 'modality'. This makes it harder to debunk the myth that 'art making is a luxury' and a skill that only certain folks who gone through clinical training can practice day to day.

As a newly registered art therapist, I am brainstorming ways to decolonize the field of art therapy. I've been so excited to see some art therapists publicizing art as therapy knowledge in the public eye.

For myself, my role is gravitated towards having conversations and collaborating with folks to make art around art-related trauma or experiences of invalidation around art, art therapy or therapy.

In my work, ‘making art’ doesn't have to be drawing or painting. I find many folks are more familiar and comfortable creating metaphors around their experiences.

I hope you get to heal and practice decolonizing within your creative practice too!

It’s 2020: the start of a brand new decade! 3 intentions I am setting for this year is to pick up and learn how to make digital art, experience what yoga has to offer, and write or create even during artist blocks.

Reconnecting with the creative light inside of me has been my saving grace.

Back when I was a senior in high school and throughout my undergraduate program, I endured more than half a decade without making art. I focused all my energy on schoolwork: typing out endless lecture slides, reviewing and taking in coursework, and feeling really out of touch with my inner artist. Maybe you are going through a creative block and not feeling any motivation at this moment. If you are interested in integrating coping strategies for overcoming a creative block, keep on reading.

I work with individuals and help them cope with overwhelming emotions in creative ways. Art therapy can be a powerful experience for anyone who is going through a creative block. Art therapy is also a great approach for anyone who is looking to reduce stress, build intention, struggling with fear of failure or perfectionism, and want to gain personal insight.

From many experiences of going in and out of creative blocks, I am here to share with you…

A therapist’s guide for liberating creative blocks

• Go on an artist date: Block a time in your busy week where you go on a date by yourself for yourself. Resting and having fun is healthier and more efficient than self-sabotaging! Time for some gallery hopping and people watching.

• Start doing daily drawings and form it into a Daily Drawing Journal (DDJ): I am creating daily art prompts in the beginning of every month for 2020. Download January’s art prompt list here!

• Morning pages: Adapted from Julia Cameron’s Artist Way—3 pages of longhand stream of consciousness writing done first thing in the morning. Learn to not alter your neurotic thoughts or emotions. It is difficult at first, but you may find yourself forming ideas for your next creative project!

• Find your milieu: A space where you can gain focus and energy towards your creative imagination. I tend to get inspiration from specific cafes and studios I work at. If you are working from your office or room, try setting up your space to be a reflection of what you find healing. Even if you are working in a cubicle or on a laptop, find an image/s that inspires you to bring back creativity and stay grounded (set it as your desktop background or frame it).

• Curate your account: If you spend a lot of time behind a screen follow people who you admire creative-wise and their accounts. I have been curating a collection of therapists on my instagram account and have been listen to some of their podcasts and visiting the wonderful resources they put out on their websites. Find some apps or widgets to remind you to check in with yourself, do a quick body scan or with how you are feeling in the moment. Sometimes when we neglect our Self, it can lead to burnout and increase the potential for creative blocks. Pinterest a vision or mood board to create manifestations.

• Gain personal insight and take in knowledge in this healing journey: Get closer to your struggles. Be your own supporter and cheerleader! Find a good reads to enhance or redefine what creativity means to you: I highly recommend the books Big Magic, The Artisan Soul, and The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. Many Art Therapy books are great for creatives who struggle with perfectionism or self-esteem when it comes to expressing your inner artist. Find therapist or talk to a good friend about your experiences and gain more clarity on how to support yourself.

• Learn something new: Pick up hobbies such as reading good books, listen to podcasts, learn a new language, go to a fun event in your community—the options are endless! This is something I am working on all the time to keep me going :)

• Reflect by doing an Art Review: Take out your old artworks—it’s time for a revisit. Rearrange the art based on themes or in chronological order. Note down any patterns you see, recurring images or symbols, shifts of focus and any changes in the feel of the images. Are there any breakthrough artworks that you created? Invite a friend over for a second look and see what they notice!

No matter where you are in this creative block, you are exactly where you need to be! Turn toward your suffering whenever you can. Acknowledge the struggle, name the problem to externalize it. You’ve got this!

Disclaimer: Everything posted here is for educational purposes only and is not a replacement for individualized medical or mental health treatment. If you are in need a therapist, book a free consultation with me via this link.

Download 8 Free Intuitive Art Prompts for Body Image and Food Concerns below

Disclaimer: Everything posted here is for educational purposes only and is not a replacement for individualized medical or mental health treatment. If you are in need a therapist, book a free consultation with me via this link.