I chose printmaking as it is one of my favourite processes. It is a cognitive process that requires planning and a careful ordering of steps: the initial concept sketch, flipping the image in your mind, carving, ink application, lining up paper, stamping. It is also a rich kinesthetic, sensory experience. There is the repetitive motion of carving, the resistance of the linoleum, the sticky, thick ink, the strong smell of both, the motion of stamping and smoothing. Finally printmaking is symbolically rich. The image itself tends to be a well thought out symbol because it was made with the intention of replicating it. It is also an inverse or a reversal of what was made, uncovering the print feels like a magical surprise (Dean, 2015). But the process itself is also symbolic. There is something meaningful about the metaphor of having left ones mark or left an imprint that is inherent in the printmaking process. In a way printmaking is similar to zine production; it is literal self-printing. There is potential for mass distribution of images or gifting. In my printmaking class in undergrad, we all gifted each other a copy of our favourite piece at the end of the semester. In therapy, I thought that would be a beautiful way to end a group, as everyone leaves with a rich portfolio serving as a transitional object.
My image is a chameleon. Symbolically, I like chameleons as I am someone who likes to blend into the background, take on the nature of my environment. As someone who has moved so much the chameleon is the role I have taken on. In another sense, a chameleon is the main character of a book one of our closest family friends wrote. It has become a shared symbol, and a copy of this chameleon will be in our home as well as theirs.
I wondered how this process would be for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ADHD. On one hand, this is a challenging process that requires time, planning, commitment, and patience. This contained process could provide opportunity to build those skills, especially if periodically broken up by other more free-flowing activities. In the later stages of printmaking, variety is build into the process. This allows children who have difficulty focusing on one activity for too long to have variety and energy release: there’s the inking process, then the printing, then the cleaning, then the repeat. In the end it provides children a way to create replicable, distributable pieces. This provides children a way to symbolically leave their mark and have assurance that others are thinking of and reminded of them, which is developmentally important.
References:
Dean, M. (2015). Printmaking: Reflective and receptive impressions in the therapeutic process. Wiley Online Library. https://doi.org/ 10.1002/ 97811183065 43. ch17