Processing Creatively

[Alisa E. Clark]

I'm an artist and an author. Most of my writing/journaling has been done in tandem with the art I've made. I've experienced emotional freedom through writing and creating and I want to encourage others to give it a try themselves. People hold back on using these forms of expression because somehow they've gotten the idea that it's not enough if what they make helps them. They feel it has to be "good" to be worthwhile. My training and life experience begs to differ; it's about the process NOT the product.

Much of my undergraduate and graduate work is in education, and process orientation is a large part of my focus as an educator. Anyone out there getting people to process creatively? I'd like to know more about what you're doing and how you are doing it?

[angela hampson]

what beautiful creativity well done :>

[Alisa E. Clark]

Thanks, Angela. Enjoy your new arrival and life with your glass half full! :)

[Leon Tan]

A great deal of my research has focussed on the therapeutic effects of creative/social expressivity online and how it affects us in actual life. Process orientation is fundamental to my approach, drawing inspiration from the ontology and philosophy of Gilles Deleuze and Manuel DeLanda. To my mind, to focus on product is a kind of naive realism/actualism, whereas the heart of vitality and life is to be found in the (virtual) dimension of process.

So, yes I do get people to process creatively, and I believe creativity is one of the measures of a good 'therapy' whether self, peer or professional driven.

[Alisa E. Clark]

Creativity is one of my most productive forms of "good" self therapy. What most drives me as an artist is to help people see the value the process can have for themselves. It's encouraging to know that other people are having success getting others to engage in the process. Adds fuel to my fire!