Make choices
A very hot topic for the refugees in Poland… And we did address this in this therapy session.
On the tables are stacks of magazines (thanks for your materials!!!) What a luxury – you can tell they haven’t had something like this in a while.
Choose 10 images that appeal to you in 10 minutes. Success? Now choose from these 10 images, 3 images that are the most important. And now choose from these 3 images the 1 fragment that you do the most and use this as a starting point and inspiration for a piece of art.
There is a lot of cutting and tearing. One works quickly, the other takes the time to neatly cut out an image.
What seems almost impossible at first – choosing 10 images in 10 minutes, is ultimately not that bad.
Due to the time limitation, the pressure is increased and they stir each other up. Where you would normally wait for the other person to finish a magazine, now you start pushing: are you ready yet? I haven’t seen this yet, can I have it?
Strategies that are applied in daily life become visible.
What also becomes clear is that the pressure of the first phase – the limitation of the 10 minutes, is not subsiding. The choice of the three images is made quickly and some have finished their work in 5 minutes.
This shows how they have become accustomed to daily pressures and how difficult it is to let go of this pressure and return to relaxation and rest.
With a number of them, the penny drops, and they start another elaboration, but now one that they take the time for. And so, the peace returns.
An experience that showed them how they respond to time pressure and the importance of relaxation. The images that have not been used will be taken along to use in their art journal next week – a moment to relax.