Introduction

This submission is eclectic. As time has neared module deadline, I became more and more confused about what it is that I was actually handing in. I feel as though I have been doing so much – learning and developing my skills in various ways, that I was not sure in what way I could have done it justice, and for it to be coherent.

Then it came to me while I was preparing for one of my projects; the common thread that I felt throughout my whole practice…

I am currently working with a group of older adults with mental health issues on our next theme – ‘Greater than the Sum…’. The project’s main focus was to explore group work and multiples. The group has been established for quite some time and I have tried several attempts to bring them together as a group, but they have been reluctant. So through the idea of the ‘many making the whole’ we are creating a group piece of work. I want them to explore the idea of them together – as a collective and how they make it their space. I almost want to be superfluous for them; them no longer needing me and being completely self-directed and have enough skills, confidence and knowledge to be self-sufficient.

And it is this holistic idea is what came to me. This idea of many different pieces – varying shapes, colours, patterns – coming together to make something that is greater than the sum of its parts.

As we see when Ursus Wehrli (in his Ted Talk) 'tidies up' and breaks down famous artwork into their components; the whole is something more. Each component is vital in the whole image, but lost without all the others.

This is what I feel about my current practice – a jumbled, but organised heap of individual parts creating the bigger picture.

The Jigsaw

And so, this is what brought me to the vehicle of the ‘Jigsaw’. It conveys my current working practices, approaches, influences, expereinces, explorations and research into the wider fields of arts, wellbeing, teaching and counselling.

My multi-disciplinary work is consisting at present of working for three organisations within three separate roles, volunteering for one charity and on the committee as an officer for two other organisations.

Everything seems a jumble and perhaps to explain it seems confusing; but for me, all these approaches, ‘hats’ or roles fit together to create a holistic approach to working creatively and helping people to support themselves.

And so, for this module there are several projects, strands of thinking and research coming together to influence my current teaching and arts practice. They are primarily in electronic form, folder, box and the Jigsaw itself.

Time Frame

I have decided to include things from September 2011 – May 2012 as a focused time frame. In my last submission I did not include a great deal from my community work from September 11 – January 12 and it seems incongruent if I do not included work from then as it has influenced the projects and sessions I am currently doing.

The Jigsaw
The jigsaw itself was inspired by the style of the RSA Animate talks
http://comment.rsablogs.org.uk/videos/

Although the end image itself isn’t fully the style of the talks; it was more about the idea of showing everything together – similar to a prezi presentation.

I have also been influenced by other forms of infographics, Scott McCloud's book on
Understanding Comics
and illustrators such as Johanna Basford and her Fringe covers from 2010.

Video - http://www.edfringe.com/poster/video-gallery

Blog about the images: http://yeahokbye.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/edinburgh-fringe-festival-programme.html

I do work very much in this sort of style; preferring A3 pieces of paper for planning projects and ideas.

The Process

Creating
Initially creating the image for the jigsaw was quite overwhelming; I had to go through a few versions to make sure I could fit everything on and didn’t forget any projects or info. Seeing everything down like that has been a really useful process in itself and made me realise how much projects and roles are interlinked.

Exploring

I explored different ways of displaying the information – whether it would be line drawing, with or without ink or even colour.

I decided that the pen drawing was the cleanest visually and to understand. In some ways the actual jigsaw would have been much easier to have colour on it, and my original thought was to colour-code the areas. However, in the end I just liked to clarity of lines.

For the Viewer

I love jigsaws and puzzles. The childish satisfaction you get from piecing it together – only for it to be put back in the box (sounds like the process of Sand Mandalas). There is a sense of achievement and ownership with that process too. You are changed merely through experiencing moving pieces around.

This might be pleasure through achievement or frustration when you just can’t find that piece that you need. This, reflect itself the process for me experiencing the research and work, the memories themselves being part of a jigsaw puzzle (Smith, 2000).

Through using a jigsaw there is this process for the viewer as well. They are piecing things together bit by bit and having to concentrate on each part – what goes with what and how they connect. Within this slowed-down, meditative process there is time to uncover each sphere of work and information is revealed to you as you put it together yourself.

The ‘viewer’ has to interact with the piece for it to mean something. This work deserves that commitment of discovery – not me, but for the art and courage that all the people that have contributed to its creation.

I hope you get some childish satisfaction out of playing too!
 

Next... The Areas of Exploration : :  Conclusion : : Reference List