Reflective Writing #1: Papermaking
Population: Older Adults
Disorder: Major and Mild Neurocognitive Disorder Due to Alzheimer’s Disease (Neurodevelopmental Disorders)
For paper making I used paper towels, newspaper, and red construction paper. I let it soak in water for several hours and then mixed it in a blender with food coloring. When it became a pulp, I laid plastic wrap onto lids and molded it into the lid. After letting it dry overnight, it had a bumpy, rough texture. This process was both sensory and cognitive for me, which is an interesting combination. The feeling of the pulp was very gooey, and I would not have wanted to work with it for too long. The sensation of feeling the pulp in my hands forced me to focus on the moment and what I was feeling. However, I was also very much in a cognitive state because I was thoroughly following a set of printed out strict instructions on how to create my paper. Each step required me to refer back to the notes.
The population that I chose to work with papermaking is older adults with neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer’s disease. I was so impressed at the lasting impact that the paper project had on so many people and the profound effect it had on storing memories. “As the hands and body are involved in the formation of paper, the individual is grounded in the here and now through soothing repetition. As with other art-making activities, the act of papermaking allows populations affected by trauma with a means to process memories and emotion through symbolic expression” (Papermaking as art therapy, n.d.). This experience may be able to work on memory building or working through emotions related to the diagnosis.
Another large aspect of paper making is the sensory and kinesthetic experience that it offers. For this population they might not be as agile as they once were, and movement with the paper can offer energy and emotion. Matott and Miller state “the first steps of creating paper invites the maker into a safe environment to explore experiences, emotions, and sense of self through cutting rags… this tearing, ripping, and pulling apart is a powerful creative act to honor, acknowledge, bring closure to, or explore experiences associated with these materials” (2020, p. 312). Even if participants are unable to work on memories from the past due to Alzheimer’s, they could work on something that is affecting them in the present moment or just focus on the sensory experience.
References:
Matott, D. & Miller, G. (2020) Papermaking. In Crawford, P., Brown, B., & Charise, A. Editor (Eds.), The Routledge Companion to the Health Humanities (pp. 311-315). Routledge
Papermaking as art therapy. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2020, from http://www.peacepaperproject.org/arttherapy.html
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