Creative work is embodied. Creativity embodied begins to heal the longing for being known as a “whole person” and ends the delaying of this affirmation. But without structural and communal space for creativity, maybe it is simply another stop-gap, patching over the break but not shifting the conditions that threaten to break us.
And, again, it was in the embodiment and beyond-verbal wisdom of creative life that participants nourished their groundedness and wholeness. Art practices provided points to begin relationships and connection.
I created a figurative piece with a person with trepidation; not only because I am not a trained artist and have no business trying to draw or paint people, but also because I didn’t want the idea to get lost behind people trying to recognize the person in the painting. This is not a portrait.
Still, this study is about people grounded in a social world, indomitable and rooted as well as soaring. I wanted to represent the glow of the participants when we laughed or celebrated or raised our voices. I wanted to show that participants’ creative practices were embodied, to “engage body, mind, and soul,” as one person noted. Though so many individuals emphasized community commitments and desire, I also celebrate the vibrant uniqueness of each participant.
Studies
