Books and Bits

I have just had a kinda eureka moment. Something that fills you with energy even though you're tired and fills you with ideas that you cant write down fast enough. After a grueling 12 hr day at work I have come home and decided to focus on how my work can work for me. As you may have seen a few posts ago, I want to be an art therapist. I have been working for young people with autism teaching life skills for 3 years now so with my fine art degree background I am going to try and make both worlds collide. I have joined an activity committee and have sat down tonight with an "Expressive Arts Activity Book" to get some ideas of projects.


I think  first of all i need a kit. The BASIC kit needs to contain:

• Collage images (words, magazines, textures, colours)
• Paper (lots of)
• Pens (Millions of)
• Glue (sticks and PVA)
• exciting things! Stickers, glitter ribbon etc etc

So I have text my colleagues and friends and told them I am from now on collecting images and words from magazines on any theme. Travel, animals, children, words, photos and they can give them to me or leave them for me at work. The book suggests that I should cut these out myself so that participants with less dexterity can still join in. This is a great idea and I pile of images can be so inspiring! Also the book suggests as an ice breaker to make image cards, plain card with an image stuck on it so that it can be used as a basis for a piece of work for those daunted by an empty page. Genius! Once I have a good collage selection I will make a whole heap of these and carry them with me. 

Sessions I could do that I have thought of include:

• Make a city (drawer on the walls covered in paper, drawer around people and use collage)
• Book making (sketch books, story books, concertina books...)
• Drawing and Painting to music (Even a live band)
• Paper mache (bowls, masks etc) 
• Drawing on the floor (covered in paper, hands knees and feet)
• Then there is the obvious, cards masks etc etc 
• Still Life Drawing, for the more high functioning and arty types amongst them who get the bug... Draw their favorite items. 

So I have just ran round my room like a nutter sacrificing items of mine that I have collected to use in collage, examples of books I have made (prototypes) and generally great things. Tissue, postcards, adverts and collage material. I have a carrier bag full of sacrificed materials and it feels good. Next step, go and buy a big box to keep it all in and maybe research book making activities...........

Excited x)