In the Community Centre off the long-term care Main Street at The Village of Erin Meadows, Flo is buzzing around, tidying up after her final art therapy session following a months-long placement in the Village.
Her outfit is colourful and bright, as is her smile, and once you're in conversation with her, it becomes instantly clear why the team and residents have so valued their time with her.
Flo is studying at the Canadian International Institute of Art Therapy and has spent the past several months putting her learning into practice at Erin Meadows, working with residents in both long-term care and retirement. It's been a busy placement, but one that has offered remarkable opportunities to see what’s possible when people are given the freedom to express themselves.
Flo recalls one long-term care resident who was often asleep when she visited. When Flo approached her and offered an opportunity to create, however, the woman perked up and begin producing what Flo describes as “mind-boggling art.”
“It was so amazing,” she says. “She would be closed inside herself but then she would create this amazing art.”
For Flo, moments like these have been among the most meaningful parts of her experience. They offer a glimpse into the lives of people who may not always be able to express themselves through words, reminding us that there's often so much more going on beneath the surface than we might imagine.
Art therapy creates another way for that inner world to shine.
Flo has also worked with residents who were accomplished artists in their own right but had little interest in traditional recreational activities. Given the opportunity to paint on their own terms, some rediscovered that part of themselves. One resident spent two hours simply painting, immersed in the experience.
“It was so amazing to see his artist side come out,” Flo says.
Perhaps that’s the key to art therapy. It's not about creating something beautiful for someone else to admire.
“It's about the residents' internal world coming out,” Flo explains.
One activity might invite residents to choose stickers that speak to them, or another might be to create a wish stick representing something they hope will come true. In a recent joint music and art therapy session, residents used flowers grown at the Village to create harvest bouquets, with music, colour and the feel of the petals offering different ways to engage.
The finished artwork isn't necessarily the point. It's the thoughts, memories, feelings and personal connections that emerge along the way.
Flo believes everyone has a natural need to create, even those who might insist they're not artists. Her approach is to get to know each person, discover their interests and offer different ways to express themselves.
That philosophy fits within the Schlegel Villages approach to authentic relationships and connection among team members and residents. When we take the time to understand someone's interests, history and personality, we create opportunities for meaningful engagement, rather than simply deciding what an activity should look like.
As Flo prepares to move forward in her career, she'll take these experiences with her. Her clinical placements have also included a mental health clinic and a correctional setting, giving her opportunities to work with people in very different circumstances. At Erin Meadows, she's seen firsthand how creativity can offer a pathway to connection and expression, and the learning has gone both ways. The residents have given Flo the privilege of witnessing what can happen when people are offered the space and freedom to show a little more of themselves.
On this, her last day in the Village, she admits there's a part of this experience she'll miss, though she says she’ll likely be back in some capacity.
“I got to know the residents pretty well,” she says. “I'll miss them.”
Flo came to the Village to learn about art therapy, bringing her colour and positivity with her, and in her interactions throughout the Village, she was reminded that sometimes the most important thing we can do is create a little space for people to show a bit of who they are.
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