PromotingHealth

ThroughCreativityFor professionals in health,

arts and education

Edited by

THERESE SCHMIDSchool of Health Sciences,

University of Newcastle, Australia

WW H U R R P U B L I S H E R S

L O N D O N A N D P H I L A D E L P H I A

Innodata0470033800.jpg

Promoting Health Through Creativity

I dedicate this book to the memory of my motherMollie Tubman Eichholzer

who encouraged me to open my eyesto the realms beyond the material world

PromotingHealth

ThroughCreativityFor professionals in health,

arts and education

Edited by

THERESE SCHMIDSchool of Health Sciences,

University of Newcastle, Australia

WW H U R R P U B L I S H E R S

L O N D O N A N D P H I L A D E L P H I A

2005 Whurr Publishers LtdFirst published 2005by Whurr Publishers Ltd19b Compton TerraceLondon N1 2UN England and325 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia PA 19106 USA

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the priorpermission of Whurr Publishers Limited.

This publication is sold subject to the conditions that it shall not, byway of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwisecirculated without the publishers prior consent in any form ofbinding or cover other than that in which it is published andwithout a similar condition including this condition being imposedupon any subsequent purchaser.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this bookis available from the British Library.

ISBN 1 86156 478 3

Typeset by Adrian McLaughlin, a@microguides.netPrinted and bound in the UK by Athenum Press Ltd, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear.

Contents

Contributors viiForeword ixPreface xAcknowledgements xii

Chapter 1 1

Promoting health through creativity: an introductionTherese Schmid

Chapter 2 27

A theory of creativity: an innate capacityTherese Schmid

Chapter 3 54

Occupational genesis: creativity and healthEstelle B. Breines

Chapter 4 74

The therapeutic benefits of creativityJennifer Creek

Chapter 5 90

Factors that encourage or inhibit creativity: current and new directions for researchFrances Reynolds

v

Chapter 6 112

The effects of creativity on physical and psychological well-being: current and new directions for researchFrances Reynolds

Chapter 7 132

Individual accounts of the effect of creative activity on health and well-being Compiled and edited by Therese Schmid

Chapter 8 148

Integrating the firelight of creativity: an evolving practice of creativity-based groupwork for health and well-beingSally Denshire

Chapter 9 167

Group projects: experiences and outcomes of creativityCompiled and edited by Therese Schmid

Chapter 10 202

What is to be done?Therese Schmid

Index 215

Promoting Health Through Creativityvi

Contributors

Editor

Therese Schmid MHlthSc(OT), AATR, DipOTNSWTherese Schmid is a lecturer in occupational therapy at the School ofHealth Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.She has had extensive experience working in the field of mental health, ina therapeutic community, in community development programmes and inoccupational therapy positions. Therese has published articles on exper-iential teaching and creativity.

Contributors

Estelle B. Breines PhD, OTR, FAOTAProfessor Estelle Breines holds the position of Chair, Department ofOccupational Therapy Program at Seton Hall, New Jersey, America. Estelleobtained her BS in Occupational Therapy from New York University, herMA in Education and Behavioral Sciences from Kean University and herPhD in Occupational Therapy from New York University. She is Presidentof the New Jersey Occupational Therapy Association. She is the author ofsix books and numerous chapters and journal articles.

Jennifer Creek MSc, DipCOT, Postgraduate Diploma in Art TherapyJennifer Creek is a freelance occupational therapist, an art therapist, aresearch and development officer for the British Association ofOccupational Therapists, and a well-known author in the occupationaltherapy and mental health fields. Jennifer is the editor of two books andnumerous articles. She has worked in the fields of adult mental health,learning disabilities and occupational therapy education.

vii

Promoting Health Through Creativityviii

Sally Denshire MAppSc(OT), DipOTSally Denshire is a lecturer in the Occupational Therapy Program at theSchool of Community Health, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW,Australia. She has worked in youth health, mental health, childbirth edu-cation, area health and curative education. Sally established the Youth ArtsProgramme in 1984 and the Adolescent Health Groupwork Service in1985 at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children, Sydney, Australia. Sheentered academia in 1995. Her current research is concerned with cre-ativity-based approaches to education, research and professional practice,and with life-writing and the human-related professions.

Frances Reynolds PhD, BSc, Diploma in Psychological CounsellingDr Frances Reynolds is a lecturer in the School of Occupational Therapyat Brunel University of London. Frances obtained her BSc and PhD inPsychology. She is an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society,a Chartered Health Psychologist, and has published several articles and achapter on creative activity.

Foreword

What an absorbing experience it is to gaze on the Mona Lisa and marvel ata masterpiece. Many of us might contemplate just how such a creativemind came into being; the same might be said after being enthralled by aballerina, enchanted by a symphony performance or mesmerized by anintense drama. Perhaps most of us would dismiss as fantasy that we mightindeed possess creativity remotely approaching those we admire as havinga gift. Therese Schmid not only effectively challenges the concept thatcreativity is rare, she demonstrates in a scholarly manner the importantrole creativity has in health and well-being, in particular, mental health.

Joining with a number of exceptional researchers, Therese enthusiasti-cally articulates the everyday importance of creativity in our lives.Furthermore, her advocacy for proactive policies, which promote creativ-ity as a resource to enhance quality of life and life more abundant is totallyconvincing. And why shouldnt it be, for Therese writes as she lives, withconviction and zeal. Having the privilege of working alongside her in apsychiatric facility in the past, it is obvious that the seeds of this work havebeen germinating for a long time, and that they grow from genuine per-sonal experience. Certainly, my own creativity began its unveiling thenand was positively influenced by her and the creative environment ofthose times.

Although these writings give strong focus to the vital role that creativi-ty can play in better health outcomes and they should be read by allclinicians, both practising and in training the value of focusing on indi-vidual creativity has a central role in all disciplines, and drives theunfolding nature of knowledge. One can only hope that policymakers andadministrators also take time to read this volume and respond creatively.

Trevor WaringChancellor and Conjoint Professor of Psychology

The University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia

ix

Preface

All my life I have expressed myself through my creativity and the arts, andnever more so than when I was employed (19711981) in an innovativepsychiatry facility, Shortland Clinic, the psychiatric ward of the RoyalNewcastle Hospital, NSW, Australia. This facility was a hive of creativeenergy and was a leader in the practice of therapeutic community princi-ples, based on humanistic group psychotherapy theory. Howard Johnson,the psychiatrist in charge of the facility, was the most creative man I haveever worked with, and to his credit the facility remained an innovative,client-centred service for about 30 years. That service cannot be praisedenough. The staff were given many opportunities to explore and developtheir creativity. Many ex-staff have continued to work creatively in otherpositions and fields of work. Many of them have related that being a partof the clinic was an important milestone in their lives. Throughout my lifeI have continued to develop and use my creativity and art skills. I have,over many years, organized various types of arts and creativity workshopsin the community, or at the request of health professionals.

In assembling this book I am urging for the acceptance of the healthvalues of creativity. I can see that people are locked into a stunningly rapidtechnological revolution that is much too fast for their evolution. I can seehow the incidence of depression and mental ill-health could continue toincrease rapidly, at great cost to sufferers and their communities. I believethat the cultivation of everyday creativity is part of the solution and that itwill require long term planning and funding. I only hope that what I amsaying here becomes sufficiently widespread, and that enough people willspeak up and add their weight to this request for action.

Throughout the years I have taken great comfort from many peoplewith whom I have discussed the values of creativity for health and well-being. They include academics, teachers, health workers, psychologists,social workers, community groups, patients, craft groups and friends.They all believe it is a self-evident truth. However, from my experience,

x

only proof will result in action being taken or in funding being appliedto promoting those values.

Much of this book is devoted to proof of one kind or another,whether it be supportive research, anecdotal confirmation, examinationof beliefs or an examination of the nature of people. The response Iexpect is that this is not enough proof to make policymakers act, but Ihope that it is enough to generate serious inquiry. For that reason, thebook discusses where and why the research so far is limited, and whatresearch must be done. I hope there will be stimulation for futureresearchers, and, most importantly, that policymakers will recognize thegood reasons to fund new research and learning programmes.

May you find it stimulating.

Therese SchmidMaitland, NSW, Australia

March 2005

Preface xi

Acknowledgements

We are our history. Many special people in my history influenced mywork, and travelled with me, on the quest for creativity. I am particularlygrateful to Barry Pitman, who has been the plain English editor. He hasbeen able to cut to the chase with so many of my expressions and argu-ments, and has never failed in his support during the past two years. ToMarian May, my dear friend and proofreader, a special thank you. It is adelight to add another chapter to our long friendship! Ann Wilcock, awell-known pioneer of occupational science and a friend of many years,suggested that I write the book. Thank you for your guidance through theinevitable difficulties. You warned that it would take many times longerthan I expected. How right you were. To Paule Gauquie, Olwen Steel,Karen Murphy, Jan Callinan, Bill and Shirley Lennox, friends in Albury andMaitland, thank you for your endearing and enduring support. To mymany colleagues at the University of Newcastle, especially within theSchool of Health Sciences, thank you for your encouragement. In addi-tion, I am grateful to the time made available to me by the University ofNewcastle, NSW, Australia. A special thank you to the chapter contribu-tors, Estelle, Sally, Frances and Jennifer, for believing in me and givingmuch of their precious time. To all those individuals and group leaderswho contributed to Chapters 7 and 9, it is your efforts that make the booksing. Thank you!

xii

CHAPTER 1

Promoting health through creativity: an introduction

Background

Creativity plays a significant role in health and well-being. You will dis-cover in these pages how essential, helpful, wonderful and excitingcreativity can be in the quest for health. This chapter will introduce theoverall concept and outline how the succeeding ones will provide evi-dence to support the argument of the book. Evidence will be offered frommany areas of research and practice. Understanding and respecting thenature of creativity will open up many new possibilities for health profes-sionals, health policymakers and educators.

The health industry and health promotion policymakers are in aunique position to promote this so-far-neglected factor of health to thegeneral population, as well as towards vulnerable groups who are at riskof developing or suffering a mental illness. The outcomes would beimproved public health, greater productivity and a reduced financial bur-den. Educators are in the unique position of enabling and encouragingevery individual within the whole population to activate this health-and-pleasure-giving facet of their own nature.

This introductory chapter provides an overview of the relationshipbetween health and well-being and creativity. Creativity will be definedand described. An examination of past research and of terminology(health, ill-health, occupation for health, health promotion, mentalhealth, mental ill-health, mental well-being) will start to reveal some ofthe possibilities, some of the limitations and some of the difficulties.Forces operating against creativity will be identified, for this ground needsto be cleared before creativity is accepted on the health and the healthpromotion agenda. Further, it is argued that the outcomes of creativity arethe very factors that are described in the literature as contributing tohealth and well-being. The contemporary population health model willthen be described, for it is proposed that creativity for health can be incor-porated into this model.

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THERESE SCHMID