Developing on from my own practise of exploration of experiences and reflections using Winicottian theories , I wanted to bring the unique way of utilising those techniques into a workshop setting.
I became interested in creating a series of workshops that allowed people to have a safe space to try Squiggle drawing, play around with their interpretations of their squiggles and to come to terms with what the drawings and overall process brings to light.
With the support and mentorship of Lily Green from No Bindings, I was able to start planning the pilot workshop series and piece together the content and create more of a sturdy plan to get the series from an idea into actuality.
I then partnered with Karin Qureshi a psychoanalytical psychotherapist who focused on being a support and navigator for the participants throughout the process of the workshops,
We held the pilot workshop at The Pervasive Media Studio over a three week period, with the group meeting on each Wednesday for a period of 2 hours.
Within each session the group would create Squiggle drawings, sharing the drawings meaning and resolving that understanding through discussion and documenting within their personal zines. We would then choose a specific drawing and have it printed into 3D form. This taking the drawing from a squiggle connected to a past experience or feeling within the subconscious to a physical object, a symbol of safety to put your feelings into and to be a safe way to come to terms with experiences.
For the final session, Dan Melville of Handy Dan’s 3D prints came in to show the group the process of 3D printing and presented each persons finished objects that participants were able to take away with them .
final objects in the images to the left.
The workshops were something myself and Karin had never tried before but were very passionate to provide a new accessible route of art and therapy. We were excited to bring elements of Donald W Winnicotts work into a creative setting and the results were brilliant!
We reflected upon our journey and experience at our PM Studio Lunchtime talk Watch this space for recording of that talk.
Do get in touch if you would like for us to run our Squiggle workshop series!
“I really found the session useful. They were therapeutic, they were insightful and they were really engaging. It was really nice to have a little cohort – it was nice to watch everyone grow and share together”