Amy Davis
A compassionate journey
Art has always been a treasured part of my life; a place to find refuge, to connect with others, to express what words failed. An undergraduate degree in psychology equipped me with a passion for how our minds and bodies work, but missed an essential ingredient of how we interact with the world - creativity. For me, art therapy perfectly combines my love of creativity, interest in human psychology and functioning, and passion for witnessing people’s unique stories.
This study into cultivating self-compassion began with a desire to have a personal experience and understanding of important therapeutic concepts. Research on self-compassion has found that it is extremely beneficial for clients to develop, however that therapists can struggle to implement this within their own personal and professional life. As a practitioner it is important to have an understanding of therapeutic strategies as this leads to a more genuine and empathic understanding of the client’s experience. The research process itself was insightful and at times confronting, leading to a state of avoidance towards the project. Self-compassion is not a simple concept. It is an ongoing battle to strengthen the voice that gives us courage. Its cultivation is dependent on an interplay of variables and a willingness to gracefully accept discomfort and be motivated towards action.
These artworks link together as a journey through the research process on cultivating self-compassion. They reflect on self-compassion as a concept, its development, and the difficulties to nurturing a compassionate self as well as more broadly on the research process itself. They are all completed on canvas board using hi-flow acrylic paint. I was drawn to this medium as it can be difficult to control and reflects a sense of the unknown until the process is complete. This mirrored my feelings throughout the research process of uncertainty, not-knowing, and the need to go with the flow of the process and accept what came up.

Acrylic on canvas board
175 x 125mm
This artwork depicts the research journey as a ‘rolling with the waves’. A process of taking flight during moments of clarity and preparing oneself for the next overwhelming submersion.

Acrylic on canvas board
170 x 170mm
This was a multi-layered process that evoked resistance, paralleled with the cultivation of a compassionate mind. A process of learning to gracefully accept the chaos and mess of becoming self-compassionate.

Acrylic on canvas board
175 x 125mm
This depiction of ever-changing landscapes is synonymous with the uncovering of research, and the art of self-compassion. A shifting and cultivating of one’s internal landscape through self-kindness.

Acrylic on canvas board
210 x 145mm
This piece reflects a celebration of admirable qualities. A recognition and affirmation of one’s inherent goodness. Finding streaks of gold amongst what seems like a tumultuous wave of self-doubt.

Acrylic on canvas board
175 x 125mm
This artwork reflects the benefits of developing self-compassion. A lightening of the burden. A breath. A commitment to always growing and acceptance of the pain that comes along the way.

Acrylic on canvas board
175 x 125mm
This piece is a homage to the dedication needed to carve new passages for self-compassion. A constant journeying to forge new pathways and ways of being.

Acrylic on canvas board
175 x 125mm
A contrast between the expected sublime experience marketed as ‘self-compassion’ and the vulnerability needed to face what the process churns up. Mindful acceptance of what emerges through confrontation with oneself.

Acrylic on canvas board
175 x 125mm
The process of this artwork brought awareness to the difficulty of being mindfully present among the chaos of everyday life and happenings.

Acrylic on canvas board
175 x 125mm
The process of the research project as an assignment. A tying together of elements within a time frame that makes the process feel rushed and at times perhaps ungenuine.

Acrylic on canvas board
175 x 125mm
This artwork represents an everyday immersion into the nurturing of a compassionate landscape in which to dwell.