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.