Answering how Expressive Arts Practice brings forth peace is a long journey connected to the idea of sharing what arises with all the personal and cultural distinctives' the art forms through. Expressive Arts work is all about the immediacy of the current moment as experienced through our senses and the improvisational rendering of this experience into artistic form. Expressive Art work is immediately risky, vulnerable, revealing, often hard and beautiful even though not always pretty. Samjhana Thapa, a student in the Introduction to Expressive Arts Practice offered through Expressive Arts Nepal last fall, has begun to risk creating Expressive Arts opportunities for others. Below she writes of the openings that came as she offered an opportunity for Expressive Arts Practice to others.
It is me Samjhana Thapa. I am a 3rd year Bachelor student in the study of social work and psychology. I work as a Social Worker in Amrita Foundation Nepal. It is a rehabilitation center that works from a family centered modal of therapy.
Today I have provided an art therapy practice opportunity for patients suffering with mental illness. We began by moving into our senses through playing a name game with everyone. We played by clapping, moving and sharing our names in a rhythm sequence with each other. After that I offered opportunity for everyone to choose the two colors which they don't like. Then I gave a blank paper. The participants began to draw something they liked or felt. Clients found it was easier to talk with each other and share their feelings while drawing and even when they were finished. Each one wrote their feeling at the back of the paper.
This process created a positive vibe amongst the group. The patients then shared with each other about their experience. Expressive Arts Practice helps to build a kind of trust between everyone, people even smiled while making art. I noticed too that, through making the art, they start to look at their problem in a positive way. One participant told everyone, " I used to hate these two color but I didn't know with these colors I hate, I can make a beautiful picture. " This sentence touched my heart. All patients said that they have really enjoyed this opportunity. The art making helped the clients to cope with their situation.
Providing this Expressive Arts opportunity was a plus for me also. I gained confidence that I can offer something helpful to my clients. Before this experience they seemed to have a kind of worthless feeling about themselves. But after Expressive Arts Practice they can understand more about their situation. It make me happy and satisfied to see the smile of patients as they respond to expressive art therapy. It helps us all to cope with our shared situation of finding a pathway of peace even with the struggle of mental illness.
This is the story of my first experience offering of Expressive Art Practice with participants suffering with mental illness.
Samjana and many of the other students from our first Expressive Arts and Community Art Practice trainings continue to share what they have learned. There are more stories to come!
As teachers of Expressive Arts therapy, Sadhana Thapa and I hope to continue to contribute to the development of the field of Expressive Arts Therapy and Community Art Practice grounded in the distinctive cultural perspective of Nepal. Not only will this prove most culturally relevant and effective for Nepali people, this distinctive grounding will also then contribute to the Global efforts to establish Peace, Health and Healing through out humanity and all life.
We need your support to continue to bring this dream forward. Please find full details of our project Expressive Arts Nepal: Expressive Arts for Inner Peace and Community Health at our Go Fund Me page:
https://funds.gofundme.com/dashboard/p5u74qd4
To Make a Tax Deductable donation:
Checks with "Nepal" in the memo may be sent to:
Sunset Covenant Church
18555 NW Rock Creek Blvd.
Portalnd, Oregon 97229
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