Return to the Art: A Personal Healing Journey from Brain Surgery

This autoethnographic thesis explores the transformative power of spiritually integrated art therapy with a multi-modal approach using art, music, and expressive therapy in a deeply personal recovery process. Following brain-to-pelvic surgery, I embarked on a path of healing that intertwined various art therapies, including slow stitch, bilateral art, neurographic art, music therapy, and expressive writing. Each modality supported different aspects of my journey, facilitating not only physical and emotional recovery but also profound spiritual insight and self-discovery.

Central to this thesis, is the metaphor of my Tree Goddess (Fig. 1), an artwork I began before my first brain surgery and continued developing after my second. By weaving this metaphor through the thesis, I illustrate the phases of the research and recovery, showing how each step in my creative process reflects an essential part of my journey. Through a structured methodology incorporating art directives, immersive reflection, and phenomenological frameworks, I document the emergent themes and insights that arose from this creative process, distilling these into a narrative of profound healing and personal growth.

This research offers a unique, firsthand perspective on how multi-modal therapies and spirituality intersect to support healing. By sharing this journey, I aim to provide a source of insight and encouragement for others navigating their own recovery journeys and to contribute meaningfully to the fields of art therapy, and physical and mental health recovery. The work culminates in a celebration of the process with the community that nurtured and supported me throughout this journey.