The Juggling Act: A Creative Quest to Identify and Unify the Parts, Using the Arts

The Juggling Act: A Creative Quest to Identify and Unify the parts, Using the Arts is an arts-based inquiry into the self. The art is captured in a series of seven sketchbooks in the form of a 365 art project, which comprise one year of making art each day, culminating in 365 creations. The art explores and uncovers the researcher’s identities as Mother, Artist, and art therapy intern (Ati), while making space for any unknowns to be revealed and honoured in the process. The art is explored by categorizing the recurring symbolic content into groups that match the identities presented. From there, the symbols are used to inform the spontaneous creation of four archetypes that culminate in the integration and creation of an identity for now. The project captures the personal growth journey of an art therapist in training and is informed by art therapy theories pulling from Jungian schools of thought, the expressive therapies continuum, and narrative theories.