Merlin: Hi Kimberley,
Just going to answer these questions now as I have my laptop open and daughter is momentarily occupied!
What made you attracted to the idea of illustrating emotions and mental health?
- I felt that this was a core part of what it was to be human, and as the arts seems to be a vehicle of expression to explore what is human (and perhaps even what is not), it seemed core to my practice. My emotions and mental health have shaped my creative practice for decades, so it also made sense to me to explore this in a more focussed lense. As a medical illustrator, you are not trained at all to visualise what I call the 'subtle' anatomy - that of thought, feeling, emotions - just the blood bones and guts. This to me seemed a huge error and oversight, seen as we are not just walking around as mechanical string puppets /plumbing.
• You mentioned using interesting and natural tools like herbs tied together to paint with as a brush in your video lecture - what significance do you think that kind of mark making brought to the work?
Play! Often to get the sense of play in my drawn work I need to feel like I am playing as I make it. I'm always trying to make marks with items that are not so traditional - it's probably the rebel in me. I like the idea of making a polished illustration using toilet roll for instance. There's a sort of democratising of materials if they aren't all made with expensive sable watercolour brushes!
• Will you be continuing this series of paintings based around emotions? Will you continue using interesting tools?
Yes - will be doing a number of these paintings over the next year. I am currently on a residency at the Center for Performance Science, linked with Imperial University and the Royal School of Music - I'm mark making performance of error, so will be continuing to build 'error' tools for this residency.
• Do you find that being creative has positively impacted your own mental health?
Being creative has positively and negatively impacted my health in equal measure! It's also a challenge to show up each day and express one's inner thoughts and feelings outwards, be judged for it, and try and make money for it. It can do as much damage as it can uplift. Takes good boundaries to ensure it is only a positive impact (something I'm learning - lifelong student of this!)
• Do you believe in art being a good tool for therapy?
YES. And yoga. And nature. And animals and SLOWING DOWN.
• Have you ever read any interesting books or articles about the subject of art therapy and it benefiting mental health? Is it an area that interests you?
There's so many in this area - the field of somatic therapy and embodied therapy is absolutely huge, a growing field. There are tight rules from art therapists on what does and doesn't class as art therapy - but I like again to break those rules. For me, all art is therapeutic. You don't need an art therapy degree to realise that (I don't think) - but if you want a specific holding through triggering or trauma, then seeking professional training and support is of course advisable. The Body Keeps Score is an interesting textbook on the role of stored emotions in the body, and how we might release them. I have about 200+ books on my shelf at the moment on this area of illustration/art so can't really list them all here, but yes, in short. Area does interest me!
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