Kirsty Mitchell

Project title: Exploration of a Daily Diary Practice of Neurographica for Work Recovery and Stress Reduction

I am a “Yes, and..” practitioner working developmentally with clients in hopes and dreams in the field of career development since 1998. Yes, an affirmative acceptance of what is; and, future possibilities to enact change in an emergent process. My career transition into mental health and art therapy was driven by a need to incorporate creative approaches to change and for the inclusion of a deliberate focus on mental health in work and careers.  I specialise in an art technique called Neurographica, neuro – brain, graphica – line, in a symbolic art making method to express and transform thoughts, feelings and experiences.

Throughout my career I predominantly supported complex clients, who often had a shared experience of work based or related trauma, stress, and anxiety. Based on these experiences, and grounded within literature, I have identified that expressive and creative practices have great potential to support work recovery and reduce work stress. My research project is a N=1 case study method where I engaged in a daily diary practice of Neurographica. This project explores the impact of art making on work recovery and work stress as measured by heart rate variability and subjective units of distress. Artworks were analysed using Betensky’s (1995) three step phenomenological method. This project has two aims, firstly to explore the impact of art therapy on work recovery and work stress using biometric measures; and, secondly, to integrate Neurographica within art therapy theories and practices.

My artworks have explored my research journey and Neurographica. My initial art piece expresses my resistance and fears relating to the research process that stem from a prior negative research experience. In doing so, I reconnected with the foundational element of research, ideas, in my second artwork, reigniting my passion and excitement for the process. All artworks are connected through a sense of flow and movement of line, shape and colour mirroring the Neurographica method. Common materials are paper, yarn, wool, pencils, and pen that allow for high levels of expression yet retain control. Themes are focused on neuroscience, dancing with problem solving, and finding new ways to express, explore and transform experiences and associated thoughts and feelings. They reflect the lifecycle of the research project, zooming in and out, identifying initial foundation elements through to broader integration with the final artwork made of artworks from my daily diary practice. I found the parallel process of artmaking and research to be a transformative experience that reduced the fear and anxiety associated with potential failure, a yes, and journey.