Editorial – Becoming: A creative revolution in healing

Daniel Wong

Imagine a therapy where healing isn’t about “fixing” but about “becoming.” This is the heart of Creative Arts Therapies (CAT), where labels fade, and the messy, vibrant process of continuous transformation takes centre stage. This issue dives deep into CAT’s power to reshape lives, exploring how it empowers individuals to reclaim their stories, dismantle limiting beliefs, and embrace the liberating journey of becoming (Byrne, 2021; Deleuze, 1994).

Challenging the “fix-it” model and embracing fluidity

A “fix-it” paradigm, focused solely on identifying and correcting perceived deficits, risks oversimplifying the complexity of human experience. While this approach is often driven by a desire to help and alleviate suffering, it can inadvertently reinforce a sense of brokenness even when offering effective interventions. Imagine, for example, a therapist handing a patient a checklist of symptoms, aiming to “fix” them into a predefined mould of “health”. While this example is a stereotype, it highlights the potential pitfalls of approaching therapy exclusively through a lens of deficit correction.

Byrne (2021) emphasises that “becoming” is not a static state but an ongoing process of transformation, discovery, and exploration. This aligns with Alfred North Whitehead’s philosophy, which posits reality as a series of happenings, a constant state of becoming (1929). This perspective is crucial in therapy, where individuals navigate transitions, process trauma, or reclaim agency after life-altering events.

Embracing “becoming” allows us to move beyond a mechanistic worldview, challenging the static notion of “being” and highlighting the dynamic and transformative nature of becoming. We are not fixed entities but rather beings in constant evolution, shaped by our experiences, relationships, and creative processes. This understanding opens up exciting possibilities for therapeutic approaches, particularly those that harness the power of creative expression.

Creative arts therapies, for example, provide fertile ground for exploring “becoming”. Engaging with art forms like visual art, music, or drama allows individuals to tap into innate creativity, bypassing verbal limitations to access and process difficult experiences. Through colour, sound, and movement, complex emotions and experiences can be illuminated and transformed in ways that traditional talk therapy might not reach.

“Becoming”, in contrast to the “fix-it” model, views challenges not as insurmountable obstacles but as opportunities for transformation and growth. It shifts the focus from problem-solving to process, recognising that healing is an ongoing journey, not a destination. Byrne (2021) argues that life is a continuous flow of difference, where true fulfilment lies in embracing this constant change rather than seeking fixed identities or outcomes. For example, a CAT therapist, instead of looking to “fix” a client struggling with recent trauma, might invite them to explore their experience through movement. This allows the body to process the trauma through a new language that bypasses the limitations of words and opens up new avenues for healing.

Reconstructing fixed identities

Just as “becoming” challenges the “fix-it” therapy model, it also disrupts rigid notions of identity. We are often encouraged to define ourselves by fixed labels, diagnoses, personality traits, and social roles. While these labels can provide a sense of order and belonging, they can also become cages, limiting our potential for growth and self-discovery.

“Becoming” embraces the inherent fluidity of self. It recognises that our identities are not static entities, but rather ever-evolving narratives shaped by our experiences, relationships, and creative expressions. This perspective is particularly relevant in the context of trauma, where fixed narratives of victimhood can be limiting. CAT, through its emphasis on process and creative exploration, allows individuals to reclaim their stories and redefine themselves beyond the confines of trauma.

Anna Lam Sasson’s paper in ‘Cultural longing and loss: An arts-based inquiry into the experience of cultural identity for Adult Transracial Adoptees (TRAs)’ beautifully illustrates this fluidity. Using collage, a medium that mirrors the fragmented experience of cultural displacement, adoptees can visually piece together their birth and adopted cultures, forging a more cohesive and empowered sense of self. As revealed in her conversation with co-editor Ying Wang in the accompanying podcast, ‘Navigating between longing and loss as a transracial adoptee’, collage provides a safe space for TRAs to express the inexpressible. Tearing images, arranging them, and layering them becomes a physical manifestation of their internal struggles. These visual representations, coupled with in-depth interviews, offer a poignant glimpse into the raw emotions experienced by TRAs – the longing for a lost past, the pain of displacement, and the anger at injustices faced.

Kalenjuk’s use of an art therapy timeline activity in her higher education classroom is a compelling example of the transformative use of CAT pedagogy. This activity encourages students to map their personal and professional journeys visually, fostering self-reflection, creative expression, and a deeper connection with peers.

Kalenjuk’s research in ‘An entanglement: How my professional identity as an educator and researcher embodies the creative arts therapist’ suggests that CAT training equips individuals with a unique set of transferable skills, promoting a more holistic, empathetic, and collaborative approach to their work. Ultimately, her work underscores the significant contribution of CAT to professional identity formation and its potential to create more inclusive and empowering learning environments.

Arts-based communities: Challenging limitations and embracing “response-ability”

Understanding identity as fluid and evolving is particularly relevant for individuals with intellectual disabilities, who often face societal barriers and limiting labels. Arts-Based Communities (ABCs) offer a robust framework for challenging these limitations, echoing Karen Barad’s (2007) concept of “response-ability”, where individuals are empowered to shape their realities actively.

Zimmermann, Hermsen, Pelgrim, van Dijk, Awater, Leget, and Visse, in ‘How do arts-based communities conceptualise their contribution to social justice for people with intellectual disabilities? A scoping review’ highlight how these communities utilise the arts to foster inclusion, self-advocacy, and community engagement for people with intellectual disabilities. By providing a platform for creative expression and collaboration, ABCs empower individuals to challenge preconceived notions of ability and redefine themselves beyond societal constraints, aligning with the principles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

Embracing the unknown: Art as a catalyst for transformation

Perhaps most radically, “becoming” asks us to embrace the unknown. It relinquishes the need for certainty and control, inviting us into life’s messy, unpredictable flow. This can be both exhilarating and terrifying, requiring a willingness to surrender to the creative process and trust that meaning and healing will emerge organically.

The inherent uncertainty of our times, particularly in the face of ecological upheaval and social transformation, necessitates a shift in perspective. As Dominik Havsteen-Franklin (2024) argues, “Arts, in their broadest sense as creative acts of expression within specific social contexts, magnify issues that often go unnoticed amidst daily life”. The arts can uniquely render the complexities of global challenges, like climate change, into tangible and relatable forms, prompting us to confront our individual and collective responsibility.

This issue offers powerful examples of “becoming” in action. From exploring the therapeutic potential of dadirri, an Indigenous Australian practice of deep listening, to examining the role of art in navigating a cancer diagnosis, the articles in this issue demonstrate the profound impact of creative expression on individual and collective healing.

Conny Rodgers and Katherine Winlaw, in ‘Cultivating therapeutic presence: An exploratory case Study using dadirri-inspired art therapy’, demonstrate how deep listening and connection to self and others can foster a sense of “becoming” within the therapeutic relationship. Their work with dadirri, contemplative listening and connection to the earth, highlights the profound potential of integrating Indigenous knowledge systems into CAT. For example, the tactile exploration of kinetic sand becomes an inward journey, mapping the inner landscape of emotions, memories, and aspirations. As participants mould the sand, they are also moulding their understanding of self, uncovering hidden strengths, and embracing the fluidity of their own “becoming” within the natural world.

Michaela Psaila-Savona’s ‘An art-based research inquiry: The disruptive effect of a cancer diagnosis on one’s quality of life’ demonstrates how art empowers individuals facing cancer to navigate their emotional landscape. Art becomes a lifeline by providing a safe space for expression, facilitating “becoming” even amidst illness. Accompanying the article is Amanda Levey’s insightful podcast with Psaila-Savona, ‘All I need to know is that you know that within my body, there is me’, where the listener can delve deeper into this transformative potential of art therapy in cancer care.

JoCAT bursary recipient RTM, in ‘Embodied awareness: An inquiry into finding a felt-sense through a neurodivergent lens’, offers a profoundly personal exploration of embodied awareness through a neurodivergent lens. RTM’s work ventures beyond traditional academic writing, integrating art and personal reflection to illuminate the unique ways neurodivergent individuals experience the world. By embracing a multi-sensory approach to artmaking incorporating touch, sound, movement, and visual elements, they challenge traditional communication norms and offer a pathway to understanding “becoming” through diverse sensory experiences. This embodied engagement with art allows neurodivergent individuals to access, process, and integrate their often marginalised experiences into a more holistic and authentic sense of self. To explore RTM’s journey and the transformative potential of embodied awareness further, listen to their insights in the accompanying podcast with co-editor Deborah Green.

Becoming through art: Exploration of self and society

Li June Han’s ‘A profound heart connection’ poignantly captures the raw vulnerability of therapeutic exchange, urging fellow therapists to embrace self-care and creative expression as vital tools for processing emotional residue. Hoi Ling Ki’s ‘Outside the lines’ confronts societal constraints through striking mixed-media art, reclaiming narratives that marginalise and celebrate diverse ways of knowing. In ‘Befriending spiders’, Kate Parker masterfully interweaves the seemingly mundane with the profoundly personal, inviting us to confront our own “inner spiders”, those lurking anxieties and fears. Finally, Spencer Reid’s ‘A clean touch’ envisions a dystopian future where conformity is demanded and self-expression is silenced. Yet, a resilient group finds liberation through collective artmaking, using discarded materials and vibrant hues to transform their oppressive environment. Their art becomes a symbol of hope and resilience.

Further voices and perspectives

This issue explores the applications and impacts of creative arts therapies through engaging conversations and thoughtful critiques. In ‘Hopscotch and glitter: CAT sessions at Māngere Refugee Resettlement Centre’, Amanda Levey speaks with Catherine Hugo, Eliana Vanegas and Amelia Yiakmis about their work using creative arts therapies to support refugees transitioning to life in Aotearoa New Zealand. This conversation highlights the power of creativity to foster connection, resilience, and hope in the face of trauma and displacement. Amanda Levey also speaks with Jan McConnell and Katie Pureti, founders of Mauri Tui Tuia Creative Therapies in Te Tai Torekau, Aotearoa New Zealand, in ‘Whānau leading the way – Creative therapies in community collaboration’. They share their journey of building a successful therapy practice grounded in bicultural practice and dedicated to serving their community, offering valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and emphasising the importance of culturally responsive and community-centered approaches to healing.

Sheridan Linnel reviews The Proven Efficacy of Creative Arts Therapies: What the Literature Tells us, while Deanne K Gray and Kate Dempsey offer a response to this review of their book. Keisha Rheinberger reviews The Art and Art therapy of Papermaking: Material, Methods and Applications, edited by Drew Matott and Gretchen Miller. Finally, Beatrice Wharldall reviews the exhibition Creative Sanctuary at The Dax Centre, Naarm Melbourne.

This first issue of 2024 is a testament to CAT’s power to guide individuals on the extraordinary journey of “becoming”. It is an invitation to step into the unknown, embrace the fluidity of self, and trust in the transformative power of the creative process. As we move forward, embracing the principles of “becoming” also requires us to challenge systemic barriers and create spaces where all individuals can thrive.