BLOG 3: Mango of the Sea
This week I painted my favorite fruit, a mango! For this painting, I still followed the steps presented in a video tutorial. However, I felt more comfortable painting with my own personal style and accepted when it did not look exactly like the painting in the tutorial. This was a helpful mindset shift because it allowed me to explore my own creativity and self acceptance. Little mistakes on the canvas weren’t viewed with as much self judgment as they were with my last painting. Occupations are multidimensional in regard to growth. In this case, painting has taught me that some activities shouldn’t only be carried out to have it completed. Occupations truly are a form of therapy, they have the power to put our mind at ease.
Painting has allowed me to facilitate my sense of occupational well-being. It has encouraged me to exercise a set of skills that I do not practice often. Additionally, I noticed that after I painted I felt more calm than I did beforehand. It was relaxing to direct my mind elsewhere for an hour. Instead of thinking about all of the things I needed to get done, I was able to concentrate on simply being where I was at that moment. This sense of well-being has changed since the very first week. I noticed an improvement in my mood when thinking about needing to get my painting done. I was not as nervous to begin the painting as I was in the first week, I was looking forward to it. In class, we discussed the scale of occupational performance and occupational engagement. Painting falls all the way toward occupational engagement for me personally, and I am perfectly okay with that.
Well-being and identity are connected on multiple levels. In order for us to build our own identities, we must try new things and explore different opportunities. One main component of well-being is agency. I feel that this goes hand in hand because when we make the choice to try out a new occupation, we are exercising our agency, which supports overall well-being and helps to develop our identity. Accomplishment and renewal are two other building blocks of well-being. Identity is developed through achieving success. This achievement could be related to both subjective and objective success. Renewal may be more challenging to measure from an outside perspective, but it is certainly a form of self achievement. Engaging in new occupations strengthens well-being and identity simultaneously.
Hasselkus, B.R., & Murray, B. J. (2007). Everyday occupation, well-being, and identity: The experience of caregivers in families with dementia. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61(1), 9-20. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.61.1.9
Hi Krista!
ReplyDeleteI love your painting of the mango the colors are so fun and I think it would brighten up any room you put it in! I think it is so true that occupations are a form of therapy and that by participating in them we can enhance our well-being. For me, in my occupation (ceramics) when I did it years ago it fell more on the achievement side than it does now. I find, like you I currently value more engagement and I am curious if you ever think that painting will move on this scale for you as you become more practiced and familiar with it?
Thanks so much Brenda! That is a great question. I do feel that my scale of occupational engagement and achievement could shift in the future if I continue painting regularly. There is a part of me that would be perfectly content if this hobby stayed more on the engagement side. However, I know that the more frequently I do an occupation, the more I expect out of myself as far as quality goes. Most of the activities I perform on a day to day basis fall on the achievement side, so it would be nice to give myself that mental break when it comes time to paint. Another factor that may play into this is how I am feeling each day. I originally answered this question while considering the future as a whole, but I do think some days I will feel more motivated to try out new techniques. This might be something you can relate to when you make ceramics. As future occupational therapists, I know it will be beneficial to keep this scale in mind when helping our clients perform any new occupations. Some days it may be more about engagement than achievement, but as long as they are trying that is what is important.
DeleteHi Krista!
ReplyDeleteYou did AMAZING! I think sometimes things that are stressful at the beginning become more peaceful when you learn to love it or get better at it. I used to hate running and now I look forward to run during the week. Did you ever try going to a pottery painting place? I think you will love it!