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I interviewed a music therapist, I think art is connected, regardless music and other. And she gave me a lot of valuable advice about my project, some issues that I ignored before. At the same time, she suggested that I read some more practical articles in different directions to narrow the goal. I think it is very very useful.

( ps: most of my stakeholders are Chinese, so I try to find more users and experts who come from China, this friend is Chinese, so WeChat is the most convenient communication tool. )

part 1, I’d like to find some video form youtube about people feeling lost, confuse, in life, and then they began to doubt themselves (what choose is right?).

part 2, interview some young creatives (designers, artists, grating students who are looking for jobs), why they feel lost, why they cannot find the direction or self-position.

part 3, mandala painting, which have two sub-part, one of them is the people who have been in touch with Mandala for a while, one of them is the new who never been in touch with Mandala, and record their feeling, did Mandala help you find your right?

I found some groups of mandala art therapy on “Douban” APP ( a China APP, just like some platform where people can share anything with strangers, also have some professionals will publish their ideas ), where many users would share their own drawings of mandala and some feelings. I tried to contact some Mandala Users, some users replay me with useful informations,

This user said: “The earliest cognition of mandala came from the Sanskrit translation of ‘Thangka’ mandala as ‘altar’ and ‘mandala’ have the function of meditation. In Tibetan Buddhism and Hinduism, the mandala symbolizes symmetry, harmony and unity of the universe. It also symbolizes the highest latitude of life-ultimate completion. Later, I read some art therapy books and learned that Jung once painted dreams and images into various symmetrical circular patterns, namely mandala, in order to heal himself. So at first I bought some coloring with mandala patterns because of curiosity: try to draw mandala. As a method that can be used for art therapy, mandala actually has many forms, you can create freely in a circle, or you can paint in a regular circle and symmetrically in a circle. The power it brings to me is to become focused and gradually calm, especially every time I am agitated and fall into the abyss of my soul, it can calm me down. So every time I draw a mandala is a self-healing, let me no longer separate, and find my ‘Zen’. Hope can help you.”

this user said: “The mandala is a manifestation of our inner being, teaching us to let go of judgment and standards and desires.”

Through browsing most of art therapy’s web pages, it was found that most of art therapy’s implementation methods were offline like face to face, but many young creative people just entering the society are under great pressure from work and don’t have much time to relax, so the online method is more convenient for them ( the stakeholders) to use.

So, I am thinking of combine psychological tests with art therapy ( online mandala ). The implemented format is similar to psychological tests ( questionnaire, mental health test), answer some questions and get the result.

some online mental health help research

1, online mental health diagnosis

2, personality test

3,Strengthening the Healthy Adult Self in Art Therapy: Using Schema Therapy as a Positive Psychological Intervention for People Diagnosed With Personality Disorders

-A-

Document of background reading for research:

1, << Spiritual Land: Mandala Painting Therapy >> by Chen Canrui and Gao Yanhong. It’s a book by a Mandala psychologist from China based on Jung’s theory and his own exploration and understanding, and I’m still reading it.

2, <<Man and His Symbols>> by Carl G. Jung .

3, <<The Undiscovered Self: The Dilemma of the Individual in Modern Society>> by Carl G. Jung

-B-

My schedule or plan of how I intend to use the next three months of the course – the remainder of Unit Two.

1, interview professional mandala \ art therapy experts, organizations, companies,

2, find some art therapy videos, related seminars, activities, youtube talks, TED, etc.

3, try to finish 3 books (minimum 2)

4,

Draft email:

About how can help the young creatives find their path, voice and direction, I think the first step is finding their “self” ( Jung, the central overarching concept governing the individuation process, as symbolised by mandalas, the union of male and female, totality, unity. it as the psyche’s central archetype), when they feel confused, can not find the direction or position, maybe the subconscious can give more answers. So, I try to find some helpful information, and find that many people try to find the answer by drawing a mandala.

Carl Jung, he created many works of mandala in the process of his huge psychological crisis. In the process, he finally overcame his psychological crisis and found an excellent way of unconscious “self” experience and expression. The theory of “self” formed later became the characteristic of the psychoanalytic school. He also think that “self” is the source of life, the energy to heal and revive.

MANDALA comes from the Sanskrit MANDALA, which means round wheel and altar city. It is formed by the words MANDA and LA. MANDA means the essence of things, and LA means perfection. In Tibetan Buddhism and Hinduism, mandala symbolizes the symmetry, unity and harmony of the universe, as well as the ultimate perfection, the supreme ideal state of the human mind. The mandala is also a map of the inner mind. People use the imagery of mandala for meditation and focus on the essential Self to gain extraordinary experience. Therefore, Jung believes that mandala contains the code of the highest “self” of human beings, Self, which is a manifestation of the unconscious “self”, an active imagination.

I am reading a book called << Spiritual Land: Mandala Painting Therapy >> byChen Canrui and Gao Yanhong. This book is the first mandala painting therapy book in China, which is divided into basic and professional chapter. In the basic chapter, it simply introduces the mandala painting history, its relationship with Jung and Buddhism, and then focuses on how to paint mandala, and how to analyse mandala painting. In order to make readers better understand the painting method and analytical thinking, this work provides rich cases. The professional chapter is suitable for those who want to use mandala painting for in-depth analysis or psychotherapy consultants who intend to apply the mandala in psychological therapy. This work mainly introduces the theory of mandala painting: the theory of psychological type, Jungian theory of the self, self theory and mandala stage theory. Then, through a long-term mandala painting treatment process, it reveals to readers the application of this technique in clinical situations. It is a Chinese book, which is easy for me to read and understand.

There are many kinds of mandala, such as self-image mandala, mood mandala, spontaneity mandala, dream mandala, life mandala and sacredness mandala, where self-image mandala can assist in the assessment of self-function, and the life mandala can help understand the path you really want to take.

I tried to draw a picture of mandala after reading it, and found it very interesting. It will give me a different feeling in the process. After painting, I will interpret my personal mandala from a different angle, which will give me another perception, and I wrote this feeling behind the mandala. Through the psychoanalytic method mentioned in the book, rational analysis will gain some understanding, and I think it may help my project. I also asked my friends draw some mandala and talked about their mandala.

Other reference:

1, Self realization, in the western understanding it is the “fulfillment by oneself of the possibilities of one’s character or personality” (see also self-actualization).

2, A study of Jung’s Mandala and its relationship to art psychotherapy. https://doi.org/10.1016/0197-4556(87)90018-9:

Art therapy, I find some website:

1,https://www.baat.org/

2,https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/therapy-types/art-therapy

3,https://www-tandfonline-com.arts.idm.oclc.org/doi/full/10.1080/09638237.2016.1276545

The Wiley handbook of art therapy, edited by David E. Gussak and Marcia L. Rosal.Chathurika Kannangara(Associate Lecturer).Page 387 | Published online: 13 Jan 2017

This journal give me some new clue,

Book:

Case, C, Dalley, T. (2014) The Handbook of Art Therapy. 3rd Edition. United Kingdom: Routledge

Zuelsdorf, Dean Latham (1995).Implications of creativity, artistic expression, and psychological cohesion: the self-portrait as a reparative selfobject of Egon Schiele.Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

“Abstract:

Considers the self-portraits of the Austrian artist, Egon Schiele, within the context of a study of the narcissistic elements of creativity and the notion of self-psychology. The author examines the nature of Schiele’s portraits, commenting on the evidence of the artist’s mental condition and the metaphysical aspects of the works, and explores the ways in which these works provide evidence of Schiele’s creativity, exhibitionism and mental angst. He studies the events of Schiele’s childhood and their effects on his art, noting the effects of a period of psycho-analysis on his subject matter, and discusses his nude self-portraits. He also describes the art scene in Vienna and examines Schiele’s place within the contemporary culture, and with reference to the Expressionist movement.”

APP:

according to the ” Mandala” ,

Mandala Art Therapy

WHAT:

What is the subject or area that you intend to research? What is the precise

question that you will be addressing?

My question is “ how can help young creatives to find their path through practice of self-discovery via art therapy? ” It is like help people who was very confuse about their future, helping them find their path and voice, and then make a clear self-positioning, which means that self-awareness, self-identity and self-reflection, which is very personal area, it is about the stakeholder themselves. 

WHY:

Why will this research be of value to you – and the world?

First of all, I think that this research is very important for me, which bothers me the most right now. I often ask myself, where should I go in the future? what kind of job should I get? what kind of job is right for me? And I am an art student, a designer, whether to continue to work in design, or choose a more secure job? Because sometimes what you love doesn’t pay the bills. For example, in China, designer is not a very perfect job, such as low salary, low security, but frequent late nights and overtime, seven days a week, more than 12 hours a day is very normal.

And I also think that many graduating or graduated students who came from different area like me, they are very confused about the direction they are going to choose, and the self-positioning is not clear people tend to have high self-expectations, but actually, the reality is often lower than expected, so, I think this is everyone will face a common problem, it can give people some clues.  

HOW:

How will you accomplish your project in practical terms? What will be your

methodology, management strategy, and schedule?

Interview some people who have same confused, read some articles, books or artworks, trying to find some special design or some outcome. Combine some psychological research results, and try to find some commonalities. And then, from my area (like drawing and design), create a small experiment and see the result, maybe can give me some external inspiration to make a action.

For example, there are many artists who like to paint self-portraits, like Frida Kahlo, Vincent Willem van Gogh, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, and so on. Different people have different angle to see themselves, and everyone has a different interpretation of themselves. So I think self-portraits is a interesting way to help or put people discover themselves. The beautified part may be the part you want to hide, and the most real part, which can help to face our shortcomings. art therapy techniques,design a system of drawing exercise

WHAT IF:

What are the positive implications and potential if you achieve this mastery?

How will this position you (and your stakeholders) at the end of the Course?

If I achieve this mastery, I think it will help many students to find their direction and the value of themselves. We always spend too much time to find what we really love, so it is more efficient to find what you really love, put your passion into it, and maximize the benefits.

And at the end of the course, me and my stakeholders will turn the passive into the active, control our own life.

Reading List:

Ries, A. and Trout, J. (2002) Positioning: the battle for your mind. New York: Mc Graw-Hill. pp: 183-200

Tsukada, H. (2013) The internationalization of higher education as a site of self-positioning: intersecting imaginations of Chinese international students and universities in Japan (T). University of British Columbia. pp: 284-290. Retrieved from https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0103382.

Christine B, Pierre T.(1998) Parental education and socialisation of the child: internality, valorisation and self-positioning. European Journal of Psychology of Education, Springer Verlag, vol XIII (n°4), pp.475-484.

During the spring break, I tried to draw some different styles of painting, such as illustrations and stick figures. At first, I thoughts it was very easy, I do not need to spend too much time, but when I actually started, I found that I was wrong.

Because I am an art student, so I practiced sketching for many years, and each of my paintings is complicated, this mode of thinking has became a habit, so when I want to reduce something, I found it difficult. I want every picture of me is perfect, so every line is necessary, and the result becomes another sketch as before. So, I tried to do some research, see what the illustrator’s work looks like.

When I see a favorite style, I will try it, and after I have painted for a few days, I accidentally see another style that I also think interesting and I will be influenced by the latter. As a result, I was lost again, unable to find my own direction, my own style, and my own drawing language ( or symbolic ). So, I tired to go back to my childhood, and look for my initial passion of drawing. There are too many things in my eyes, recognition, success, money, status, success, and so on. I want to become a special person, at the same time want to catch everything, these temptations trapped my hands and feet, so that we can not find our position, sometimes, we need to release these temptations, and find what is our really want.

It is easier to add something than to subtract something.

I may have found a method to express my topic ” how to build your self-positioning?”

Last project, my topic is about drinking culture. I interviewed some friends, different age groups, different job nature, except those who like drinking, will not refuse alcohol, do not like drinking will change according to the situation. So I think about that why people always change their views or position easily, even if they did not want? Especially when they do not have a clear self-positioning. So, I extended my topic to self-positioning, which is also a process for personal self-reflection.

And I think the current social situation is convergence, like fashion, aesthetic, even life path, and so on. A lot of times, maybe you do not want to do this, but when you hear or watch too much, you start to doubt yourself, the view and position changed in a subtle way.

I did a questionnaire, about self-positioning, the result show that most people will change their view and position when they do not have a clear self-positioning, although they think they are very independent.

Especially for recent graduates, every student walks out of college with a dream, they have high expectation for their future. But the ideal is full, the reality is cruel, sometimes, they have to change their views, more than 90% respondents thought they would feel upset and confused because they didn’t do what whey wanted. They are also helpless, but can not change. And another reason is the blurring of cognitive boundaries.

There are some mutual aid websites that help special people find their identity (self-positioning), also have some artists try to find their positioning though art, like self-portrait.

I think it is very important for me now, I often ask myself like what job I can do? Which area I should belong to? And what else skill I should learn? I am very confused When I do not have a clear identity, maybe you get more done with less effort. This topic is very personally, but I think it is very practical. So I want to find a breakthrough, change the passive to active.