On Wednesday we had our last session of the Caretaker Art Group, which focused on wrapping up the group and reflecting on the learning we had done over the six weeks. We started the session reflecting on the past activities and themes we had explored. I taped up member artwork from the previous weeks on the walls of our meeting room and to serve as a “gallery” of the art created by the group. Seeing all the various art activities from the past 6 sessions displayed together this way, members began to point out connections between art pieces. Continue reading
Author Archives: Elizabeth Richardson
Caretaking
On Wednesday, we had our second-to-last session for the Caretakers’ Art Group. This session began the process of synthesizing the topics we have discussed in the previous sessions. We began by thinking back on the art activities we had done and reflecting on the themes we had discussed: self- exploration with the symbolic self-portraits, self-care practices with our self-care zines, and boundaries with our boundary maps. Continue reading
Acknowledgement of the Moment
Hello, folks! As I was out of town last week, I have a shorter update for you. I want to spend my time today talking about the Art & Spirituality Group, which I haven’t yet talked much about here. As I’m sure many of you know, Emmanuel Church runs and funds a weekly card-making group in the women’s unit of the Suffolk County House of Correction. I have had the privilege of helping lead the group every Monday. Continue reading
Mapping Our Boundaries
We had our fifth session of the Caretaker Art Group on Wednesday, which focused on defining and exploring boundaries. As the sessions go on, our time together just keeps getting better! Time spent together in sessions over the weeks has created safety and trust amongst the group, which allows members to be more honest and vulnerable in their sharing. Rather than immediately diving into more complex topics without a sense of safety having been developed, I’ve been intentional about ordering session themes and activities so that they build in their level of introspection as the weeks progress. Even with this in mind, I was nervous heading into last week’s session dealing with boundaries, because I knew it was a more sensitive topic for folks. Since this was the most psycho-education-heavy group session up to this point, I wanted to be intentional about making that information accessible and digestible. Continue reading
“The Death of Jesus”
Hello, Folks! I hope everyone’s Easter Weekend was filled with joy, peace, and the promise of new life amidst a time of strife. We had a wonderful Holy Week here at common art and Boston Warm. It was an honor to take part in the community’s meaningful Holy Week traditions!
We started common art with a short Holy Wednesday service, where we read the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet and then had a great discussion about the passage’s importance and modern-day relevance. We transitioned into a time of foot- and hand-washing, where pairs of members seated across from each other took turns washing the other member’s hands or feet. This was really powerful to both witness and take part in. Continue reading
Self Care
Happy Holy Week! Today is the day: Richie’s Easter play is upon us! I am so excited for the performance and feel honored to direct it alongside Richie once more before my time at Emmanuel is through. The main goal of the performance is to have fun, enhance connection, and spread joy, which I know will be achieved. Stay tuned for my performance recap next week! Continue reading
Identity Symbols
We had a busy-but-beautiful week here at common art and Boston Warm! On Wednesday, I led the first rehearsal for Richie’s Easter play, “The Death of Jesus”. We did a few read-throughs of the script. On the second read-through I encouraged the cast to try their lines in a different tone and see how it would feel. Richie’s plays often have a lot of sarcasm and humor, so I especially invited the cast to read their lines in more sassy/dramatic voices. This went really well as folks seemed to get a little more in-touch with their characters and the flow of the script. This upcoming week, we will have our second rehearsal, when we will stage the scenes and practice our stage presence! Continue reading
Artistic-Community Collaboration
We had a busy week here at common art and Boston Warm! Musicians from the New England Conservatory came to play for us during lunch time, which was beautiful. The community seemed to really enjoy the live music. As it began, the whole room grew quiet and focused on the music; some members even danced and swayed along to the melodies. It was a deep breath in the midst of a busy day!
Establishing Group Norms
We had another great week here at Common Art and Boston Warm! Last Wednesday, we had our first session of the 8-week caretaker group, which I am leading. For anyone who might have missed the musings in which I explained the caretaker group, here’s a recap: This group is for members who often put aside their own needs to help a family member, a friend, or a partner to an extent that may be harmful to themselves. Over the course of 8 weeks, we will do art activities that promote identity exploration, model self-care techniques, explore and define healthy boundaries, and develop self-regulatory tools. Above all, it’s a time for members to learn about their needs and explore more about who they are as an individual. By learning that prioritizing their own needs is not wrong, they may help them care for others in a more sustainable way. Continue reading
Untangling
We had a lot of wonderful art situations happening at common art last Wednesday. The knitting table is still going strong. We had a member’s work get veryyyyy tangled. Spreading out across the room with our sections of the yarn, about 5 of us helped untangle the ball of yarn. This funny moment was also a good moment of teamwork! Continue reading