Words are Wands: Writing your way to well being
I visited the words are wands workshop for multiple causes, mainly to retrieve in-depth, live primary research around art and wellbeing. I wanted to contribute to the workshop as well as observe the approach as I will be conducting a similar workshop with year one art students.In an interview in November 2018 with psychoanalyst and poet Fokkina McDonnell, it was suggested I explore the works of Natalie Goldberg and practice writing as a way of mindful therapy and understanding our unconscious, this understanding resonated well with the event as I was able to contribute the ideas of Goldberg’s zen writing process and writers block, her name was also mentioned on some of the paper works handed out which I felt was interesting.
After the talk we were supplied with a worksheet and pen, consisting of three different creative writing challenges, we went through each one, filling out four of the options however I intended on continuing the worksheet from home in my own time. I found the most important part of the experience was Veronica Hyde’s meditation exercises, this was conducted before the large writing activity and allowed us to centre ourselves and work through mental barriers and anxiety into potential. The writing exercises were a great way to cut through the chatter of your mind, I felt inspired to explore meditation and art therapy as a way of exercising art and wellbeing, I will reference activities and approaches of this event when designing my upcoming session with the year one art students and final piece.
FAYE TIKIC 