Art therapy & memory loss

I finally finished my dissertation proposal, and I'm quite excited about it!


When I leave university I would like to train as an art therapist. I like the thought of helping people express themselves and problem solve through making art. I have an understanding of the therapeutic nature of drawing and making. It has always calmed me down and been a good release of emotional stress for me. I would like to see how this method is used to target specific problems and illnesses which would typically be solved through medication and other forms of therapy. Can making art really help with diagnosed psychological problems?

I did some research into this form of therapy and found it had many uses. Art therapy’s role in helping with dementia patients and people with memory loss was instantly appealing to me. My grandmother has developed problems with her memory over the past few years and as it has gotten worse I have seen the impact it has on the person themselves and the people closest to them. Although there are different kinds and levels of memory loss the immediate problem seems to be forgetting everyday things and needing help with tasks that were not considered a problem at all before. Psychologically I would think that this would be extremely difficult for someone to come to terms with, especially when the person was perfectly independent before. Medication may therefore be a difficult method of help. People with memory loss may often forget to take their medication or feel they do not need or want to take it. Perhaps therapy is a gentler, more acceptable method of intervention.

I feel it would be beneficial to thoroughly research illnesses which cause memory loss. I am aware that this is a huge area to cover, but I think a summary of the causes, physical symptoms and emotional effects of memory loss is essential to understand why methods such as therapy are needed. I feel a general study of treatment is also required, what has worked in the past and how many different methods of treatment are available today. Although I have my own experience of the effects of memory loss I do not know much about different types. I would like to understand what dementia is, for instance, and why this is different to what my grandmother is experiencing.

I will then research art therapy itself, its uses and why it is effective. I would like to try and find case studies of successful and unsuccessful therapies, to asses which aspects of therapy are effective. I would like to see if it is possible to compare therapy users with people who rely on medication, do people only rely on one or the other or is it a combination of both?

The next important question is what does art therapy mentally do for people with memory loss? I would like to find out what it actually does; does it bring back memories? Does it improve future memory loss issues? Does it make someone who may feel a huge range of emotions from depression and frustration to loneliness feel less isolated?

I would like to then look into the practical techniques used by art therapists and possibly try some of these out with my grandmother to see some results first hand. I would like to try and set up a placement with an art therapist to observe and take part in the therapy process; however from my own research I have read that this is a difficult thing to do as it is such a personal experience.

In conclusion of what I propose to investigate for my dissertation, I aim to have a clear understanding of memory loss, art therapy and how they go together. I would like to gain some experience of the practical uses of art therapy and experiment with them myself and with my family to understand if art therapy is an effective way of dealing with memory loss.

Roots

Our group has now changed it's business completely! We have decided to create a mobile application, 'Roots'. It will allow users to collect vouchers using a point system depending on how much exercise they do. This application will cost £3/£5 a month and the vouchers will be able to be used in local shops, pubs and leisure centers. Perfect for the post-consumer lifestyle!

We have now made a business plan, company profile, financial forecast and now just need to sort out our presentation. We will be millionaires in no time.

Eco Jim!!

For part of our design studies assignment my group had to think up a business proposal.We came up with several ideas including:

A textile company that re-invents your clothing or shows you how to.

An online forum for post consumerist lifestyle.

A neighbourhood allotment.

But decided on 'make your own energy'!

The initial concept for 'make your own energy' involves building a gym where the amount of energy you generate through exercise is taken off your energy bills. This would lower energy consumption and help with health matters!

Introducing our mascot: Eco Jim!

Each member of our team has done the 'Learning Styles' survey. My results were:

Activist - very strong

Reflector - very low

Theorist - low

Pragmatist - moderate

At first, I pretty much agreed with this test, which surprised me as I usually say these type of tests are a waste of time. I think I fit into the 'activist' mode; I find it difficult to absorb information through listening in lectures or from instructions and I love problem solving and team work.

However, after looking at my results for the other categories I have a problem with this test. I think different learning skills are required for different situations; with studio work I like to get things done without over thinking research, but with Design Studies work I enjoy reading and researching.

Discussing the test in the meeting did not bring very satisfying results. Since we hardly know each other it was hard to analyse each others learning style. However we did make a chart with our results to find out what we were like as a group, and if we work together well.



As a group we have quite a wide variety of learning styles. A few of us tend to lead the discussion, others listen well. Altogether though I think we work fairly well.

To improve my learning style I need to consider different ideas before jumping excitedly into a project.