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A peak into a therapeutic process and the beautiful quilt that’s come out of it by Rainbow Muse Clinic Art Therapist Lucy Hotchin
In November of 2022 Tricia and I began working on a rag quilt, with each square representing something important to Tricia, this project was completed at the end of July 2022.
Over 9 months, our fortnightly art therapy sessions were spent gently exploring ideas to put onto fabric squares. During this time I got to hear about many moments of Tricia’s life, important moments, significant moments, fascinations, favourites and hopes.
I wanted to share this for a couple of reasons, one being we’re both VERY PROUD of the rag quilt! And Tricia would love to share it with other Rainbow Musers, her family and friends and the broader populace. What was once such a fractured process of explored moments now comes together to form the landscape of a life and a glorious one at that.
I also wanted to share this writing because I find such great therapeutic value in process based art therapy, in multiple modes with slow expectations, in the imperfections and marks that slowly form a record of time which in itself is a record of another time.
It is a pleasure to walk alongside someone and explore their experiences creatively, and while doing this we were able to work on a long term goal, to work on mastery, self confidence, sense of identity, sense of life narrative, creative expression! SO MUCH! This has SUCH POWER and I’m glad Tricia’s keen to share it here.
When I talked to Tricia about the process, after we’d finished, she stated the process was therapeutic and exciting, it was something she hadn’t done before. She was able to think about her life, past present and future.
Seeing the squares put together was overwhelming and relieving, she felt all of this was “bottled up in my person for so long, I needed to experience it again but to do it a different way. To get in touch with myself, and I did that”.
And now that it’s finished she feels excited and she can’t wait to put it on her bed.
We used plain cotton and posca pens which were easier to manoeuvre over paint and Tricia chose where each square would go as well as what backing would go with each square.
I sewed it up at home using a sewing machine and hope, and we spent the last few sessions decorating borders to add on.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this peak into our therapeutic process and the beautiful quilt that’s come out of it!