"Art saved my life; it saved my life": how art-making creates connection and builds resilience

As an art therapist, I have witnessed how unbound creativity opens a range of connection pathways. This form of expression is universally practised in artist’s studios and within art psychotherapy practice but is often undervalued outside these spaces. In 2017, I researched with neurodivergent artists in regional Australia who regularly attended art studios before Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was introduced in 2020. The nine participants shared stories through their art during the research project. A participatory action research frame was used to ensure the artists led the direction of the study, and data were member-checked (a process where the data collected is checked by the contributing participants for accuracy) regularly to ensure correct representation of the group’s experiences. The research found that non-directed art-making is more likely to reveal parts of the artist’s authentic self that they can share with the group. This process and others within the art studio contributed to the formation of a variety of connections. Tomas Calhoun, one of the artist/research participants, agreed to support this chapter by reflecting on the research project and updating me on his current artmaking practice.