Saying goodbye is never easy to do, yet it is something that I have been preparing for over the course of the semester as I knew my time at common art would be ending. It was time to begin bringing closure in these meaningful connections that have blossomed over the last nine months. It feels as though I have been coming to common art both for years and for only days. There has been a comforting familiarity walking in and being greeted at common art by community members eager to get started. On the other hand, each week has been full of surprises as I consistently learned new things.
For the month of May common cathedral is spending my ninth and final month on the fruits of the spirit with its theme being love. This felt like a really serendipitous theme in which to find closure, as I know I have felt a lot of love from the community and I am full of love and a deep appreciation for all that they have taught me this year. This theme created a lovely transition into my final arts-based activity at common art.
For my final activity at common art, I wanted an activity that would involve reflecting on the past year coupled with looking forward at the year ahead. This felt like it would allow appropriate space to share about my learning and next steps with the community while mirroring positive and strengths-based ways for reflection even in hard times like a global pandemic. This brought me to an activity called “Looking Back and Looking Forward”, in which participants trace both of their hands. In their left hand the community would draw symbols or write about ways that they had seen and felt love in the last year, and in the right hand they would draw symbols or write about ways that they hoped to see and feel love in the upcoming year. After some voluntary sharing, these hands would be cut out and gathered to create a big collage. I was drawn to the way that this activity allowed for private and individual reflection but also built connection and meaning when all of the hands come together to create a tangible representation of the year. I hope to take some of these sentiments forward through my own hands and knowledge base as I transition into a new field-training site in the Fall.
My internship coming to an end is a bittersweet transition. There is the sadness of leaving a beloved community and the excitement of new adventures that await me. I know that this will be my first of many goodbyes in my career as an art therapist. I am so grateful for all the experiences and knowledge I have gained this year and am appreciative of those who have followed my journey here on “Musings from the Margins”.
–Isabelle Olsson
