Stress & Wellness: Art as Therapy
By Emily Harrison As we round out the end of this year’s column exploring all things wellness and creativity, it seems fitting to look at an area which encompasses both of these – art as therapy (or perhaps more accurately – exploring personal growth and empowerment through creativity).
“All children are born artists, the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up.” ~ Pablo Picasso
For me, the ability to paint and draw peaked early…at around aged five…and that’s about where it stayed. Creativity instead has come to me through words and other forms…but I do wonder what would happen if I picked up a paint brush. This seed thought led me to investigate further the area of Art Therapy, and I was intrigued to discover it goes far beyond the paint brush. I interviewed Melbourne-based Creative Arts Therapist and Artist, Jennifer Berlingieri, to find out more about this modality and how she balances her own artistic pursuits while working in a creative field…
Hi Jennifer, tell us a little about Creative Arts Therapy? In Creative Arts Therapy sessions, we use creative therapy and counselling to support and encourage self-exploration and personal development. It is appropriate for anyone who is interested in deeper self-awareness and personal growth, and no previous arts experience is necessary.
What’s the difference between Art Therapy and Creative Arts Therapy? The main difference is that Art Therapy only uses visual art, like drawing, painting and clay, for creative expression and personal growth. In Creative Arts Therapy we use Art Therapy, as well as other creative modalities, like Dance-Movement Therapy, writing, symbols, mindfulness, sand tray, music and more as therapeutic tools to assist and empower people in their personal exploration.
How did you become interested in this as a modality? My interest in Art Therapy evolved from a combination of factors. Years ago, I left my first career in New York in Fashion to go off travelling. I ended up travelling for a number of years, settled in Australia and was in transition between careers. I was living out bush in NSW and dedicated a lot of my time to finally exploring art making. I gave myself permission to buy art materials for the first time and had a go at drawing, painting, collage, 3D sculpture, whatever I could, and not only did I absolutely love it, but I realised that the art making was helping me process whatever emotional experiences I was going through at the time. In combination with my old favourites of journalling and dancing, art making was a new kind of personal language that really helped me express myself to myself, feel validated and figure some things out. It was a very powerful experience.
Eventually I questioned, “Are other people doing this?” So after some research I discovered Creative Arts Therapy was a formal therapeutic modality, not just some odd thing that I was doing!
Can and do artists or people in creative fields need/use art therapy? Absolutely, artists can and do benefit from Creative Arts Therapy! I often find that people who are artistically inclined might have to move away a bit from their expectation that their creative work has to be of a certain aesthetic, or that it needs to be “good”. That’s a lot of pressure! Using creativity as a therapeutic modality is a completely different context to using it as fine art or for commercial means. The emphasis is not on the finished product, but on the meaning one finds in their work and what one can learn about one self from the process. So what matters is that the work is authentic, honest, and heartfelt. What it looks like doesn’t matter at all!
The feedback I get from people in creative fields is that Creative Arts Therapy helps them move away from their expectations, loosen up, experiment and return to the sense of play that’s often lost when creativity is taken “too seriously”. This can be a very powerful way of moving through creative blocks. On a deeper level however, it helps them to therapeutically explore the personal issues and questions that are important in their lives, and this can lead to long-term life changes and benefits.
The clients and groups you work with must be incredibly diverse – is it necessary for people to come with a reason, purpose or outcome in mind? The people I work with are extremely diverse. It’s not at all necessary for people to come with a reason or purpose in mind. Participants only need to be open to the process and whatever evolves out of that. Like any therapy, what arises is unpredictable. Very often I’ll have someone attend a private session or workshop with one specific issue in mind, and ultimately they’ll get to a whole deeper level, which often surprises them. For example, someone might originally attend in order to explore a career change or a relationship issue, but eventually they might go deeper to find they are looking into their core values or their overall behaviour patterns in relationships.
The benefits I see in people are also diverse, and often surprising. It’s a privilege to work with people who are willing to be open and experimental, and who value their own personal development and self-knowing. To see people change or have a little epiphany before my eyes is amazing, and to see them feel empowered because they got to an important realisation in their own way is the most rewarding thing I think.
How do you make sure you create time and space for your own artistic/creative pursuits? This is an ongoing challenge for me, as it is for many people who want to have a creative life as well as a professional one. One thing that works for me is having a group of like-minded peers that I get together with every month or so, to do debriefing and artwork. It helps enormously to have the structure and support of the group to make sure that I don’t neglect my own creative expression altogether.
Another thing I do to stay connected to my creativity is to keep a visual journal, and make just a quick drawing or write a short journal entry early in the morning before I start my day. I don’t do this every day, but even just once a week or once a month is better than nothing. These quick dips into my journal keep me connected to myself and to my own creative expression. Having said that, I’ve just had a baby a few months ago, so all that is out the window at the moment!
For those interested in the training or experience to become a Creative Arts Therapist? To become a Creative Arts Therapist, you have to do Post Graduate study, either a Graduate Diploma, Master’s or Doctorate. The course work is experiential, so you’re learning CAT techniques by doing them, rather than hearing about them. Therefore, the study involves the willingness to do in depth personal development of your own. The professional experiences of a CAT are endless, as creative therapy techniques can be used to work with very diverse people.
Many thanks to Jennifer Berlingieri from Creative Arts Therapy for sharing her experience and expertise.
Emily Harrison is a writer and yoga teacher with a passion for understanding our unlimited potential. This is her last post for the CWC and she’s enjoyed writing and sharing on all things wellness for the CWC audience this year. In 2013 she will be delving more into her own writing and creative pursuits. Do keep intouch over at iamem.com, @emyogawrite. Wishing you the best of health and boundless creativity.
What's she up to now? Cristina Re
One of the interviewees in our book Conversations with Creative Women is Melbourne designer, artist and entrepreneur Cristina Re. In the book, Cristina gave some insight into how she built her brand to become a market leader and household name, recognised internationally for it's elegant signature feminine style. Since the paperback version of Conversations was released last year, Cristina Re's product line has expanded to include more beautiful products. We spoke to her to find out more...
It's been a year since you were featured in our book Conversations with Creative Women - what has changed at Cristina Re since then, as a business or in terms of your own personal inspirations or goals?
It has been an exciting year for the brand.
Our customers love for our brand and it’s signature feminine style in designer stationery, luxury bath & body products has led us to set style standards for the home with our new High Tea Collection.
Every woman deserves to indulge in beautiful things that give pleasure and nurture the soul and our High Tea Collection gives every woman the opportunity to create this opulence in their own homes.
Our collection is made from the finest quality porcelain and trimmed in none other than 24CT gold plated to set your event or celebration apart. Customers can select from elegant Tea Cups & Saucers, a splendidly gorgeous Tea Pot and a sophisticated 3-tier Cake Stand and vintage cutlery to create a beautifully decadent High Tea experience of their very own. This last year we have seen an expansion of bold new colours for summer.
The Cristina Re brand is a trusted resource for women in Australia to inspire creativity and style. Personally, my aim is to continue to remain at the forefront of design, to remain true to my philosophy of turning the ordinary into extraordinary.
A recent trip to Rome inspired your new High Tea Cutlery Collection. Can you tell us about that trip and what the collection entails?
I was born in Rome and I delight in many trips back to discover rare treasures that can be found in the cities forgotten laneways at antique markets.
On one such recent trip, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon an oiled timber box emblazoned with a gold emblem, where I found a set of ornate and tarnished gold plated cutlery. Even in their tattered state their grandeur was unmistakable. I turned each sizeable and weighty treasure over in my hand. My mind alighted with images of Kings and Queens from eons ago who might have held each piece in their hand. Each fork and spoon engraved with delicate detail, steeped in history, and rich with stories of a glorious love affair with food.
For as long as we have been in existence the human race have fashioned utensils to aid with our consumption of food. The art of the cutlery dates back to the Stone Age and survived through both the Bronze and the Middles Ages, with the furthest advances being made in the Iron Age. In this day and age we have a plethora of technology for the design of unique, long lasting and aesthetically beautiful cutlery. However, in a wide spread search of the globe I have not been able to find a set of quality, affordable and tasteful gold plated cutlery to adorn my High Tea Table and to complement my High Tea Collection.
After years of searching and months of designing, I bring you the Cristina Re High Tea Cutlery Collection, from my table and with all my heart. Each piece from the Collection is gold plated piece of my collection is lovingly and ornately embellished, combining timeless vintage with modern quality. The Collection includes Cake Fork and Cake Spoon sets, Cake Knife and Cake Server.
We're giving away a Cristina Re 'Christmas Gift Packaging' set comprising wrapping paper, gift cards and decorative accessories, to one lucky Conversations eBook customer. What are some gift-giving traditions that you hold dear?
I recall childhood memories of growing up in Rome, where Christmas comes to life in the streets with large-scale trees inside piazza’s and dotted throughout the city. The whole city comes to life at Christmas and the celebration is best served with gorgeous family and friends. Festivities are ordained with a large array of food, suppers and dining and grappa. Throughout my teenage years to current day, I celebrate with traditional Italian panettone and delicious home made cakes and wrap these up in layers of cellophane and speciality Christmas papers in a decorative table setting set admist the backdrop of an ever-colourful Australian summer. Co-ordinating with name cards, speciality napkin rings and paper decorations, my table setting plays an important part at Christmas – bringing to life to the dining experience. We top it off with the hand-made paper cards of course!
What lovely new things can we expect to see in the Cristina Re range or at 'Where a Girl Goes' in Collingwood next year?
Where A Girl Goes continues to inspire creativity and celebrate time with your most loved girls. Next year, customers can continue to enjoy the signature High Tea experience from Cristina Re and will be able to participate in the loving tastes of our new special blend Cocktail Menu and new uniquely created Macaron-based desserts. Drawing on the brands inspiring signature flavours, the cocktails and sweet treats will be served daily from Wednesday to Sunday beautifully presented and testament to the creativity that reigns true in the Cristina Re brand.
For the lovers of paper and craft, new workshops will be introduced talking to new paper trends, colours and inspirations for 2013.
The Cristina Re brand will continue to turning the ordinary into extraordinary – we look forward to a very exciting year ahead.
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Cristina Re is featured alongside many other talented local women in our book, Conversations with Creative Women - now available in digital format for your computer, iPad, iPhone or Kindle. Visit our shop and purchase your copy before 3pm on Friday 14th December 2012 to go in the running to win a Cristina Re Christmas Gift Packaging Set valued at $150. See more details here.
Conversations with Creative Women: Digital versions now available + giveaway!
Today I'm excited to announce that our sold-out paperback book, Conversations with Creative Women, is now available as a digital download for your iPad, Kindle or computer!
Yes, over at our shop you can choose a PDF (for reading on your computer), an ePub file (for iPads & iPhones and other readers such as those listed here), or a mobi file, which is commonly read on the Amazon Kindle (and other popular eBook readers and smartphones).
The files are only available from our shop, and come with simple instructions on how to load the file onto your iPad, iPhone or Kindle*.
To celebrate the eBook's release, we are hosting a giveaway! One lucky Conversations eBook customer will win a Cristina Re 'Christmas Gift Packaging' set comprising wrapping paper, gift cards and decorative accessories to the value of RRP $150. Cristina is of course one of the amazing women interviewed in the book, and has generously offered this prize which is perfectly timed for the Christmas season. Thanks, Cristina!
An example of some of the fine, elegant paper products that make up Cristina Re's paper packaging range. View more here.
To be in the running to win, simply purchase any digital version of Conversations with Creative Women from our shop before 3pm this Friday 14th December 2012. The winner will be picked at random and will receive your gift pack in the mail next week. Please note the prize will only be sent to an address within Australia. UPDATE 15/12/12: A winner has been randomly selected :)
And check back on the blog tomorrow as we interview Cristina about what she's been up to since Conversations was released.
*Please note, at this stage we are only supplying loading instructions for these three devices. If you're unsure if your eReader supports ePub or Mobi files, opt for the PDF!
Women Who Write - Sheryl McCorry
By Sandra Todorov Sheryl McCorry has been described as ‘a woman in a million’. The grandmother from Forrest Downs, whose bestselling memoir Diamonds and Dust took everybody by surprise in 2007, is back with Love on Forrest Downs, a story of her battle to keep her new outback home.
Fans of McCorry will love this – it is a celebration of country life, the land Sheryl was born into and the struggles and triumphs that can strain a rural couple but ultimately (in this case at least) push them closer together. There is a strong sense of place – McCorry’s love of Forrest Downs shines through, just as her affection for the Kimberley did in her first books. Locals will recognize the unforgiving landscape and the spirit of the inhabitants.
Simply written and beautifully paced, Love on Forrest Downs will find a keen readership among both country dwellers and curious urban folk. I managed to get Sheryl to take time out from her busy schedule (she is famous for having run two million-acre cattle properties and now has a brood of grandchildren) to answer a few questions about her writing life.
How many words do you write per day? Do you listen to the radio or music while you do it? When I sit down to write I try and do around 3000 a day. I don’t play any radio or music, I just drift.
Describe your workspace. I sit and write by hand at an old desk, beside a huge bay window. Outside the window are lots of ferns and native plants with a bird house. I can also look out and see the paddocks in the distance.
What is the best thing about being a writer? I don’t see myself as a writer or an author, it just happened for me quite unexpectedly. I was putting my thoughts about my life on paper for my children and it’s just happened from there. I consider myself very lucky since my first book Diamonds and Dust.
What’s the worst things about being a writer? It’s hard to say, because I love it. I’m at a point in my life where we are flat out farming, and it’s just trying to find the time to grab those few hours. So I guess wanting more hours in the day.
How did you get your first book deal? After I lost my husband to cancer, I was diagnosed with cancer myself. Our children were in a panic, and asking lots of questions. I had always kept diaries, but I decided to collate and put everything on paper for the children. Once I got I paid an editor to fix it up, and make it a bit more presentable.. He told me I wouldn’t be able to get it published, but right then I decided I might not be a university graduate but I would give it a go. I sent half of the first book to two different publishers and then went on holidays. Within eight days had a contract with Pan Macmillan!
How important is it for writers to be part of a network of creative people? My life is based with cattle and I suppose they are creative! I don’t mix in those circles in my life.
Sandra Todorov’s writing has appeared in The Seminal, The Lowy Institute ‘Interpreter’, Kill Your Darlings and Miranda Literary Magazine. She runs a consultancy from Melbourne CBD and her first novel will be out in 2013.
Book Review: Women of Letters curated by Marieke Hardy and Michaela McGuire
By Jodi Wiley
This anthology sprung from the famed Women of Letters salon events created by Marieke Hardy and Michaela McGuire where women of note (and some gentlemen too) 'revive the lost art of correspondence' by reading out their self-penned letters to a rapt audience. The concept is an appealing one - oh, I do love letters! - and it translates beautifully to the page.
Letters here are used as a clever device to tell a short tale about life, love, family and in some cases, hideously embarrassing situations. The letters are organised by theme: 'To the night I'd rather forget', 'To my first boss,' 'To my turning point' and are penned by a range of wise, clever, funny and talented correspondents.
Some of the star-studded line-up include: Tara Moss, Claudia Karvan, Noni Hazlehurst, Joan Kirner, Judith Lucy and Catherine Deveny. And the menfolk: Paul Kelly, John Safran, Eddie Perfect and Dave Graney among others.
I laughed out loud at Cal Wilson's tale of humiliating herself at a work function after having a few too many and was moved by Helen Garner’s sparse, perfectly worded letters to a range of seemingly random people from the past. Missy Higgins’ tale of her turning point is illuminating and Tim Rogers’ letter to ‘the woman who changed my life’ made me catch my breath.
These short pieces make engaging epistolary reading at a length that's perfect for the poolside these holidays. There's a new one out this year too titled Sincerely which I’m yet to acquire but it promises to be just as juicy, honest, funny and entertaining as the first.
Hmm, I know what I’ll be putting on my Christmas list...
Women of Letters and Sincerely are published by Penguin Books. Royalties go to Edgar’s Mission animal rescue shelter.
Jodi Wiley is an artist, writer, teacher and blogger. She has written freelance articles and book reviews for magazines and newspapers, as well as education curriculum. She has won awards for her artwork and been a finalist for several art and illustration prizes. Visit Jodi’s blog: artbywiley.com
Women from History: Ebullient Eszter Haraszty
By Julia Ritson When flicking through the mammoth Knoll Textiles' catalogue, published by Yale University Press, Eszter Haraszty's work really stands out for me.
Haraszty studied painting and art history in Budapest but had to leave Hungary due to the German occupation in World War II. Haraszty ended up in New York city living with Marcela and Constance Breuer.
She found work with Hans Knoll. At the time, Knoll was going through a company wide re-focus on the importance of colour. And in the process, Haraszty became Knoll's Chief Colourist.
Her ability to re-think colour led to some long lasting classics. The swatch on the left is called Knoll Stripes. Love the combination of the primary red with olive. The company publicity described these colours as "clear sunlight tones... mixed spontaneously with... deep rustic tones of olive, charcoal and rust."
The swatch on the right is inspired by heddles on a loom (the bit that separates the warp from the weft). Beautiful work.
For six years, she played around with many exotic and striking hues. All brilliantly exciting.
Sadly she didn't really get on with Florence Knoll so when Hans Knoll died, Haraszty lost her chief champion in the firm.
So it was off to California where her love of embroidery flourished.
There is a wonderful spread in a 1962 Life magazine featuring the property she patterned.
Flamboyant Eszter.
Dramatic Eszter on her bed with Pancake.
Eszter poolside in her enchanted garden.
She filled the house with flowers that she had grown, designed her own floral tiles, embroidered flowers on all the furnishings, and hung flower paintings.
She was even known to paint poppies on her toenails.
Flower powering her life.
And here is Haraszty in the 1970s holding a copy of one of her books on embroidery.
She made the world more beautiful for all to see.
Julia Ritson is a Melbourne artist. Her paintings investigate colour, abstraction and a long-standing fascination with the grid. Julia has enriched and extended her studio practice with a series of limited edition art scarves. She also produces an online journal dedicated to art and scarves and architecture.
The Design Files Open House starts today - Yay!
If you read this blog, it's likely you already know full well about this event (which opened its doors to the public just moments ago!). The Design Files is consistently listed as an inspiration source to many of the women we profile and interview at the CWC - and with good reason. Editor/founder Lucy Feagins (who we interviewed for our book last year) serves up the freshest designery goodness to us each morning (without fail - she has barely taken a week day off since she started!), and in 2012 she has really stepped it up in terms of creating original design content in the blogosphere. Have you noticed how so much of her imagery is custom-shot for the website? That's impressive in itself.
Anyway, around this time last year, Lucy partnered with another hard working creative lady - Esther Navarro-Orejon of The Project Agency - to curate a 4-day shopping event known as The Design Files Open House. Essentially Lucy gathered together many of Melbourne and Australia's best products, artwork and furniture and displayed them under one roof (haha), open to the public to buy and behold. The event was such a success that this year Esther & Lucy they have sourced a new location (south-side this time) and the shopping starts today!
So please visit The Design Files Open House in Windsor if you can (from today until Sunday 5pm) and support the local maker's and artisan's works housed inside. You won't be disappointed!
And thanks Lucy & Esther for creating this inspiring and exciting Melbourne event!