Dear Sue Grayson
my observations are mostly teaching based. I have noticed over the last two
years of workshop based HE teaching in drawing, that students respond
positively to the types of activities which could be referred to as "acting
out". Such activities would be process based, immediate, non-skill based,
and would often involve drawing with a bamboo stick, using mono-printing
equipment to draw with, working with large gestural movements, and soft or
non-orthodox drawing tools like pastels, brushes, wrong end of brush dipped
in ink etc. I refer to those exercises as 'levelling exercises', because
students from a trained background in drawing do as badly or as well as
novices. Using the other hand, drawing with closed eyes, drawing objects
from touch but not sight etc. are other exercises in the same direction.
It's a form of play. Some students are a bit taken aback by this, but mostly
it increases confidence and takes away notions of "I am no good at drawing
etc".
Responding to music, movement, dance models etc has similar effect, although
can be more challenging for some students.
As I also teach traditional skill-based modes of drawing like life drawing,
'objective' drawing i.e. still life, and some basic western perspective, I
would say that those activities are not necessarily conducive towards
increasing a person's self esteem. The nature of academic competition, and
the legacy of western traditions of drawing and concepts of 'mastership'
within those, make these processes much harder to teach to someone very
unconfident. This does not take away the importance of those traditions, and
I certainly would not wish to eliminate "skill-based" drawing from my
curriculum. But the context of teaching is also very important . Assessment
issues, group and peer pressure, and personal issues of student isolation
can be counter productive to arguably inherently positive health effects of
drawing (if conducted in a group teaching setting).
I personally find process based drawing, involving a certain amount of
repetition with variation, most therapeutic on days when I feel depressed.
This type of drawing certainly enhances a sense of well being in me,
although I am not sure that the solitary (preferred by me) activity of
drawing makes me necessarily more connected with the world. It depends what
sort of reality perception is associated with the idea of connectedness.
Merely subjective accounts, but at least most of this is teaching and
workshop based and so there are some evidence factors in my observations.
(Workshops groups range from 6-25 students - depending on curriculum, on
average 10-12 weeks length for 3 hours per week. Student average age is 20+
(plus mature students up to 40+), but I also do some adult education and
some further education. The findings for the older age groups are slightly
divergent from above in the sense that skill based drawing is less
problematic to "sell".)
Kindest regards
Doris Rohr
(Drawer in my holidays, lecturer in drawing and visual literacy for the
other 10 months of the year)
on 12/8/04 12:11 pm, Drawing Power (info) at [log in to unmask] wrote:
> This is sent on behalf of Sue Grayson Ford, Director of the Campaign for
> Drawing.
> I have already asked for contributions to brief the Independent journalist,
> Julia Stuart, who is preparing an article on drawing and health. My thanks
> to those who responded. You should be contacted soon. However the article
> has broadened out from exploring drawing in therapy to considering much
> broader topics(see questions below). If you wish to contribute to this
> article, please contact me quickly.
> Best wishes
> Sue Grayson Ford
> [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> Tel/Fax: 020 8351 1719
> Campaign website: www.drawingpower.org.uk <http://www.drawingpower.org.uk>
>
>
> DRAWING IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH
>
>
> Over the last decade, a growing body of research indicates the link between
> social well-being and arts activity - and drawing rates high.
>
>
> Like all absorbing and enjoyable tasks, drawing affects physiological
> functions, lowering heart, blood pressure and respiratory rates
> it creates hand/eye co-ordination, stimulating neurological pathways (a kind
> of gym for the mind);
> not least by involving an act of creativity, it increases self-esteem and a
> sense of connection with the world.
> Is this so? Is there anyone on The Drawing Research Network who can support
> this?
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