Lifestyle

Get creative and colour your life

Art therapist Andrea Brand says being creative gives people a sense of their inner world - which is the first part of transformation

June 14, 2006 Edition 1

Jeanne Viall

How you respond with your crayons or paints to a large piece of white paper may tell you a whole lot about what's going on in your life.

And we're not talking only about the images that emerge, but also the thoughts and process you go through as you create.

Creative therapist Andrea Brand works with people to bring movement to the places we get stuck in, whether they be habitual thoughts or actions.

She works in the corporate sector, with groups and teams, and one-on-one with adults and children.

For many people it's daunting to "do art", but it's the process that's significant here, not the outcome.

Brand's Colour Studio in Rondebosch is a place that invites you to play. "My passion is colour," she says. "I use colour as a form of energy to get the creative juices flowing."

Colour works at an emotional level, she explains. You feel differently when you work with blues instead of reds, for example.

In front of me is a huge piece of white paper, some crayons and some paints. I'm invited to express myself and to observe as I do what thoughts come up, what judgments and where I get stuck.

People mistakenly think that in art therapy the therapist "analyses" your imagery. That's not how Brand works. Rather, she's on hand to help me when I get stuck, and is a guide in my process.

"Often what you do relates to life directly," says Brand. "For example a person may be afraid of making a mess, so they can't get started. Or because it's the unknown, and they're afraid something won't work, they don't do it."

Our own judgments about ourselves are often fiercer than any other - we all carry our inner judges with us, especially around our creativity. In this process you meet them and can transform them so that they don't stop you from creating what you want in your life.

"Here a person can take a risk without judgment. We try to relate the creative process to real life. This is another side of us we don't give space to in our lives."

It's sometimes surprising what comes through when you give yourself over to the process - and we're not talking here about good and bad, right or wrong.

"Entering the creative side gives people the possibility of connecting with themselves - they get a sense of their inner world. And making it visible is the first part of transformation."

The art process is also the medium for transformation. When a person feels blocked, Brand is on hand to help. "We see if we can create something else - an opening which allows us to connect with our intrinsic self or soul. We ask what happens now, what emotions and thoughts come up.

"We become witnesses to our inner process, not to judge it, but we can change it in the creative process."

And so our blocks become our teachers. "When we open to our soul to speak to us, we give our soul space. In that moment we feel connected, more whole. We start a process of synthesis: we put different parts together. That's healing, that's the journey." Brand's art materials are luminous. "For me the quality of the substance is critical. If you work with something blunt, you get something blunt," she says.

People choose the medium which works for them, according to their temperaments. Some people, for example, prefer the fluidity of water paints, others the earthiness of clay.

Brand works as part of the team at the recently formed Syringa Child Clinic in Plumstead, which has a multi-disciplinary team including doctors, a psychiatrist, a rhythmical masseur, a nutritionist, a psychologist, psychophonetics counsellors, a social worker and a therapeutic eurythmy practitioner.

Children today are often very stressed, and she works with children on a one-on-one basis, building up a relationship that's nurturing. She also consults with parents so they can be part of the process.

"I assist where there are blockages. I can see where there might be imbalances in the way they are creating and lead them through the process. For example, they may be too stuck in detail and can't see the bigger picture. Or they just leave things to chance.

"The idea is to balance chaos and find structure. I work on the physical, emotional and thought process levels."

Brand also offers an open studio space for adults.

Art therapy's usefulness, she says, is in bringing images out to work within the here and now. "Uncovering and discovering your creativity is an exciting journey which leads to being more of who you are and living life fully and joyously. Unlocking your creative potential enables you to connect to your intuition."

Brand also does what she calls creative facilitation, working with groups and teams to make group dynamics visible, to give insight, integrate the left and right brain, release stress and facilitate personal development.