Drawing out team and individual insights through collage.
Wellness
In what ways can Creative Contemplation bring wellness to individuals and teams?
As I experience it, the calm generated by collage puts you in a more creative state and the creative, generative state reduces feelings of stress. In their recently published book “Your Brain on Art”, Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross define Neuroarts as “the transdisciplinary study of how the arts and aesthetic experiences measurably change the body, brain and behaviour and how this knowledge is translated into specific practices that advance health and wellbeing.”
In 2022 as I researched my own feelings of wellbeing during collage making, I began to cement the idea that one must have the courage to use other ways of learning when your known paths are exhausted and to continuously seek new paths to wellbeing. This was the genesis of Creative Contemplation. Here are a few examples of insights I gain from collage making, which directly impact my inner development and consciousness:
“I notice myself…”
• Letting go
• Trusting myself
• Discovering an inner resource
• Developing focus and concentration
Not only do I experience these phenomena episodically, but over time and with regular art practice, I experience these principles as a system of heart, body and mind operating consistently and in sync.
Experienced as a single episode, the practice of collage is reported by participants to be fun and relaxing. Experienced as an ongoing practice, the art form of collage slows us down and brings long-lasting self-awareness, calm and focus.
If you lead wellness initiatives for your organisation and think it is time to introduce a mindful creative practice into the organisation, or want to experience feelings of wellbeing using a creative process for yourself, please contact me for a conversation.
Here is a list of some of the wellness themes individuals experience through Creative Contemplation.