Finding More:
A Sense of Belonging
There’s no doubt that Rachel delivered everything that was promised of her course – I had abundant opportunities ‘to explore different genres of photography, to discover more about the different types of photography which excite me and to develop my own individual style’. And she did it in an interesting, stimulating, engaging way which had me looking forward to every session. I've been inspired, encouraged, supported – I’m excited about my photographic future. But I've also gained something more – a wider appreciation of my creativity and more confidence in it, more self-belief. And, in turn, I've stopped feeling like a self-conscious newcomer, a gawky teenager standing in the doorway of an exclusive club, an artistic realm which could never feel like home.
Maybe I do belong.
Flight
The Eagle Lectern in Harewood Church
I was prompted to think in this direction by the eclectic range of images which Rachel had shared across the weeks; the wide diversity across the genres, and within a single genre, helped me widen my view of the artistic world (widened further when I thought about the different media – from drawing to sculpture, and more). But then, unexpectedly, a change in vocabulary consolidated this idea and I started to believe I belong here, that this is my home.
Explaining how this came about …
Something I've learnt by being webmaster on Ian’s history education website is that students need a precise grasp of vocabulary and explicit understanding of the relevant concepts when embarking on a new topic – they help to make learning ‘accessible’. And I was minded of this while I was browsing the ‘Artpocket’ website (to see what other treasures they might offer) and reading the page ‘introducing Rachel’ which said:
Rachel has long been interested in the connections between creativity and wellbeing, and the power of art to make positive change. She has completed training in participatory photography …
I’m embarrassed to admit that I wasn’t entirely sure about the vocabulary – after all, the words seem so straight forward! But did I have a ‘precise grasp’ of the phrases ‘creativity and wellbeing’ and ‘participatory photography’? Did I fully understand the statement they were making? So, I turned to Google (just ‘to make sure!!’) and tumbled into a morning of ‘accessible learning’ – in that totally random way you can on the internet!
It led me onto Rachel’s own website, then to her interview with Naomi Woddis (for Naomi’s podcast, ‘Two of Us’), then several university websites and wellbeing ones, even into reading an inquiry report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing entitled ‘Creative Health: The Arts for Health and Wellbeing’ (ok, just the first 20 pages – it was a bit dry! – but very useful, as you’ll see). What a well-spent morning.
In particular the parliamentary group stated:
“When we talk about the arts, we include the visual and performing arts, crafts, dance, film, literature, music and singing. To this list, we add gardening … and the equally absorbing culinary arts”.
What an amazing, eclectic list.
And later I read:
“The ‘arts’ is used as shorthand for everyday human creativity, rather than referring to a lofty activity which requires some sort of superior cultural intelligence to access”.
And it’s these definitions, the shift in vocabulary (away from ‘lofty’ art to all-encompassing, everyday, human creativity), the accessibility it engenders and the impact on my way of thinking which is so exciting and liberating.
In the past I felt like an immigrant in an alien land – an engineer in the lofty realm of artists – able to speak the language, but doing it hesitantly, uncertain about the nuances and precepts. I felt like an in‑comer, a newcomer. I thought that any artistic capability in my childhood had remained at primary school – subsequently ignored and underdeveloped for decades.
But this wider definition (which avoids ‘lofty cultural intelligence’) has reminded me that I’m more creative – more artistic – than I've ever credited myself. It’s enabled me to reconnect with my engineering world, to see the creativity in a career of projects which challenged and interested me; with my creativity in dressmaking (including my wedding dress!); with crocheting and tapestry in the past; my writing and photography in the present. My creative experience is more extensive than I've ever acknowledged, which means that I don’t have to keep defining myself as the newcomer, the in‑comer – untrained maybe, unpolished definitely – but not a two-headed, engineering alien!
A weight has been lifted. I belong here – I belong in this creative realm.