Introduction: Creativity, Wellbeing and Mental Health

Gillam, Tony

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-74884-9_1

Cited by 6 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…From the experience of participants, it is evident that work is both a subjective and objective experience (Bartels et al, 2019) and it is through work that we search for being, for meaning and a sense of belonging (Deci and Ryan, 2008). Work, therefore, is critical to our personal and social integration (Ransome, 1996) and connects us to others.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The result of wellbeing is social, physical, mental and environmental health. This kind of health is experienced when there is congruence between one's thoughts, values and actions, leading to self-understanding, autonomy, a sense of achievement and satisfaction with life (Deci and Ryan, 2008).…”

Section: Meaningful Life Work and Wellbeingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In realizing one's personal agency, one should realize that a positive difference can be made in other people's lives. This other-orientation should enhance personal wellbeing, which is the active pursuit of choices and lifestyles that relate to one's purpose and calling in relation to others (Deci and Ryan, 2008).…”

Section: Reflexivity Agency and A Meaningful Mindsetmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Work as Meaningful and Menacing Phenomenon for South African Middle Managers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Self-Transcendence in Cultivating Meaning and Wellbeing

Flotman

2021

Front. Psychol.

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Self-transcendence has become and remains an important research theme. Little is known about the role of self-transcendence in cultivating meaningful work and its impact on the wellbeing of middle managers in the face of adversity, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the meaning middle managers attach to their work by investigating the role of self-transcendence in cultivating meaning and wellbeing in a cohort of seven South African middle managers employed in cross-boundary service industry settings. Data were collected through unstructured narratives. Findings confirm that self-transcendence serves as a coping mechanism during adversity and that it facilitates the re-negotiation of meaning, resulting in three potential shifts: the shift from a blame orientation to a work orientation, the shift from reflection to reflexivity and the shift from self-consciousness to other-consciousness. The findings also highlight how self-transcendence enables the exploration of the adaptive benefits of anxiety. The findings contribute new insights into the construct of self-transcendence and extend research on existential positive psychology. It is suggested that organizations invest in reflexive practices as a tool to promote deep learning and connectivity by exploring dialectical processes through reflexive work.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Meaningful Life Work and Wellbeingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Reflexivity Agency and A Meaningful Mindsetmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Work as Meaningful and Menacing Phenomenon for South African Middle Managers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Self-Transcendence in Cultivating Meaning and Wellbeing

Flotman

2021

Front. Psychol.

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“…The creative arts research students described the SSAT encounter experience as “novel.” Novelty is described in the literature on creative thinking as encompassing any idea, process or product deemed by a perceiver as offering a feeling of “departure from the familiar” ( Gillam, 2018 ). Within the field of brief psychotherapy, novelty is considered to help “disorient clients in positive ways” through the therapist’s strategic use of techniques that help stimulate a sense of play, humor and imagination in the therapy space ( Steenbarger, 2006 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel Solutions to Student Problems: A Phenomenological Exploration of a Single Session Approach to Art Therapy With Creative Arts University Students

Wilson

2021

Front. Psychol.

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Within the Australian university context, research has uncovered increasing levels of psychological distress, in the form of stress, anxiety and depression. Higher rates of psychological distress have been reported in undergraduate students specifically enrolled in creative arts programs. Despite these increasing levels of psychological distress, university students are reluctant to engage with mental health and wellbeing supports. To explore ways to meet the mental health and wellbeing needs of creative arts university students, the Creative Arts and Music Therapy Research Unit at The University of Melbourne commenced a project exploring the benefits and pitfalls of a brief creative arts therapies approach for students attending a campus based wellbeing clinic. This exploratory research study formed the art therapy component of this much broader research endeavor. Creative arts students in this research study were invited to participate in a single session art therapy encounter that involved the visual exploration of the miracle question, asking students to visually depict “what the problem looks like and how it will look when the problem is resolved or you feel like you can cope with it better?” The descriptive findings of this exploratory research study revealed how the combination of art therapy used within a single session framework was able to afford students a novel means to externalize problems, leading students to forming a less internalized view of the self.

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“…This practice has informed, and been informed by, my writings. My most recent book, Creativity, Wellbeing and Mental Health Practice (Gillam, 2018), distils my findings in this area. While my focus has been on the wellbeing of the providers and users of mental health services, implicit in all of this is an assumption that the mental health and wellbeing of the wider community can be enhanced through creative activity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Enhancing public mental health and wellbeing through creative arts participation

Gillam

2018

JPMH

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Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to explore how participation in creative arts activity can enhance public mental health and wellbeing. It is informed by both the author's clinical practice with service users and carers and by research. Design/methodology/approach-The approach taken is to draw selectively on research in the field of creativity, creative arts and wellbeing, focusing in particular on the use of music and creative writing, and to incorporate learning from clinical experience to explore what is understood about the health and wellbeing benefits of creative arts activity. Findings-There is evidence that creative arts activity is beneficial to mental health and wellbeing. Arts activities that involve active participation appear to offer the greatest benefits. Creative arts participation can help people with diagnosed mental health difficulties to recover from mental illness. Moreover, creative arts activities can also promote wellbeing in the general population. Research limitations/implications-The paper does not provide a comprehensive review of the literature in this field. Practical implications-The paper suggests that if nurses and other mental health professionals are to play a full role in facilitating flourishing then they will need to learn more about using creative arts in practice and will need to become involved and encourage others to do so. Social implications-The paper suggests it is important that creative arts activities should be participatory, so they become a vehicle not only for self-expression but also for participation in groups and communities, increasing connectedness and social inclusion. Originality/value-This paper fulfils a need for a wider understanding of the health and wellbeing benefits of creative arts activity.

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Introduction: Creativity, Wellbeing and Mental Health

Cited by 6 publications

References 6 publications

Work as Meaningful and Menacing Phenomenon for South African Middle Managers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Self-Transcendence in Cultivating Meaning and Wellbeing

Work as Meaningful and Menacing Phenomenon for South African Middle Managers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Self-Transcendence in Cultivating Meaning and Wellbeing

Novel Solutions to Student Problems: A Phenomenological Exploration of a Single Session Approach to Art Therapy With Creative Arts University Students

Enhancing public mental health and wellbeing through creative arts participation

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