I enjoy following ATWB posts on Facebook. The colourful and energetic images that appear in my timeline on a regular basis are a welcome reminder that amidst all the policy, research, evidence, standards, ethics, interventions, models, tools (standard and non standard), assessments and evaluations is the need to play. Within us all there is a force which begins at birth, and in the often cruel world of the adult human, this force can become distorted and mishapen, but it is our role as creative practitioners to release the constraints on this vibrant spirit, to remove the barriers to imagination, which are so often held in place by trauma, pain and isolation.
What are we but stories? We are an ever developing web of narratives which cross and merge, diverge and multiply. All of these stories are connected to a collective imagination which is the human condition. Science, Theatre, Visual Arts and so on, are all manifestations of the interaction between our senses, minds and environs.
In the river, the constant flow and interaction between water, channel and rocks and boulders, conceptualises this narrative process. We are the shared experience of all, expressed through a variety of collective and individual media. My former theatre lecturer and director of my first stageplay, once remarked that “theatre is a human need.” Art Therapy Without Borders understand this fully.
Creativity should never be considered an ‘add on’ or a luxury. Creativity is fundamental to human survival. When ancient man donned an animal skin and “became” the essence of that animal in order to hunt, he engaged in a form of theatre which we now call mask work. It may seem a tenuous link, but the fact of the matter is that creativity has been a part of human evolution since we came out of the swamps. In Papua New Guinea, there is a tradition of re-enacting ancient tribal wars in the form of dance, as the two tribes – once enemies – now engage in celebrations and festivals. In western society, we see disaffected areas transformed by well directed urban arts projects. The creative process is transformative by its very nature.
The origins of the arts are embedded deep within our evolution, and extend far beyond the boundaries of state funding, corporate value or social status. The rise of the Arts for Health movement is a call to all practitioners to embrace the power of the creative process as guiding principle for rehabilitation and recovery.
So thankyou to ATWB for reminding us all that the most fundamental element to healthy development (social, emotional and physical), healthy living and happiness is to be creative, engage in new experiences, and above all, to be the child and play.
Kawa Creative - Reflections 