One of my deepest connections with Art and indeed my reconnection to it after my teenage years was when I went through a bout of depression. The depression was so deep that I couldn't even express what was happening to the Dr's and nurses treating me.
As a consequence of that I withdrew to my hospital bedroom and became stuck in a world of silence until I reached out and ask for my watercolours, pencils and art pads. These tools became my voice and opened up an opportunity to break the wall of silence.
During my time in hospital, I was also taught Tai Chi and meditation, it was the Tai Chi that helped me to focus my mind, so that I could meditate as previous attempts had been invaded by the mad, mad world I was trapped in. Due to this breakthrough, I was then able to focus on the painting to paint what was in my mind and cathartically begin the healing process and regain a sense of normality.
Initially the paintings were of masks, whom I saw as my tormentors, controllers and gatekeepers to my mind, soon they became depictions of how I was feeling and eventually signs of hope. During this time, I also wrote a diary and some poetry, these to help rid my mind of the mess it was in.
I hadn't heard of Art Therapy at the time but that's exactly what I was doing using Art in a therapeutic way, along with meditation and Tai Chi and that helped me reconnect to my love of Art - something so simple, so tactile, that it was able to help me heal myself and become whole again.
It is because of that amazing connection between Art, meditation and Tai Chi that my approach and methods to producing Art throughout the years has developed into what I know call 'Meditation Art'.
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| Angel Of Peace This was actually a design on my bed cover in the hospital |
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