creative therapy exercises in photography or video?
April 18, 2012 10:13 AM Subscribe
Creative therapy resources filter: I'm looking for creative therapy exercises in the areas of photography (taking pictures, not using photographs) or video, though not in art therapy, which is what I'm mostly finding. I'd especially love exercises geared to self help.
And if anyone is using blogging as a therapeutic tool, I'd love to hear how.
Thanks!
And if anyone is using blogging as a therapeutic tool, I'd love to hear how.
Thanks!
Response by poster: I don't mind photographic therapy belonging to art therapy, I'm just not coming onto many exercise ideas. The only book I've found so far seems to be this one.
posted by mirileh at 10:28 AM on April 18, 2012
posted by mirileh at 10:28 AM on April 18, 2012
This article includes some activity suggestions. In addition to using a regular Google search, you might find resources with Google Scholar. I see some promising articles there.
posted by reren at 10:46 AM on April 18, 2012
posted by reren at 10:46 AM on April 18, 2012
I'm not sure I understand your question either, and I can't say that I intentionally went into photography as a hobby for the sake of a therapeutic tool, but in many ways, that's what it became, especially once I learned three things that work for me.
#1: Photography is something I do with others. By myself, I think too much about what I'm doing. When I'm with a friend or even just a companion to shoot with, I end up enjoying that person's company and I think less about the photos I'm taking. This REALLY works for me because it leads to me learning to shut my mind off... which leads me to my next point...
#2: I try really hard to follow this simple rule: "See it, frame it, shoot it." In other words, if something catches my eye, regardless of what it is, I pick up my camera, frame up the shot in the viewfinder and I take the shot, regardless of whether I think the shot is "good."
#3: Photography is only part of the activity even though it may be 100% of the point of the activity. I tend to meet up with people for a photo walk with a stop at some point for happy hour at a pub. So, yeah, we're meeting to shoot, but really, what we're doing is hanging out while walking around town and then stopping at a pub where we flip through the photos we've taken.
On a good photo walk, I may end up with around 200 photos, and I learn a lot about myself in the process - especially if I really do a good job of that second point above. The less I allow myself to "think" about what I'm doing with my camera, the more I end up learning my eye for photography. I stop taking photos I think are good and start taking more shots that I see as I see them. And the results tend to be significantly better. And I learn a lot about myself in the process.
I'm not sure if any of that is what you're looking for... but there it is :)
posted by 2oh1 at 12:11 PM on April 18, 2012
#1: Photography is something I do with others. By myself, I think too much about what I'm doing. When I'm with a friend or even just a companion to shoot with, I end up enjoying that person's company and I think less about the photos I'm taking. This REALLY works for me because it leads to me learning to shut my mind off... which leads me to my next point...
#2: I try really hard to follow this simple rule: "See it, frame it, shoot it." In other words, if something catches my eye, regardless of what it is, I pick up my camera, frame up the shot in the viewfinder and I take the shot, regardless of whether I think the shot is "good."
#3: Photography is only part of the activity even though it may be 100% of the point of the activity. I tend to meet up with people for a photo walk with a stop at some point for happy hour at a pub. So, yeah, we're meeting to shoot, but really, what we're doing is hanging out while walking around town and then stopping at a pub where we flip through the photos we've taken.
On a good photo walk, I may end up with around 200 photos, and I learn a lot about myself in the process - especially if I really do a good job of that second point above. The less I allow myself to "think" about what I'm doing with my camera, the more I end up learning my eye for photography. I stop taking photos I think are good and start taking more shots that I see as I see them. And the results tend to be significantly better. And I learn a lot about myself in the process.
I'm not sure if any of that is what you're looking for... but there it is :)
posted by 2oh1 at 12:11 PM on April 18, 2012
P.S. If you're curious, there's a link to my photography at the top of my profile here on metafilter. Just click my name.
posted by 2oh1 at 12:12 PM on April 18, 2012
posted by 2oh1 at 12:12 PM on April 18, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
But I'm not sure I understand your question: Wouldn't photographic therapy be a type of art therapy? Lots comes up when I google "photography therapy."
posted by reren at 10:19 AM on April 18, 2012