We all have an 'artistic side'.
Some people, including myself, believe that this may be as equally important as our 'logical, rational side'. And that PLWD can continue to enjoy their artistic side long after their 'logical, rational side' has gone AWOL (absent without leave).
This month's theme
This month our theme will be the arts and how participation in some form of art - drawing or visiting art galleries, making or listening to music, dancing or enjoying a performance, knitting or baking or working in a garden - can be of inestimable benefit both to the PLWD (person living with dementia) and their Carer.
As the Carer, it falls to you to devise the intended activity with care and to find a way to experimentally introduce it into the PLWD’s routine.
Bear two things in mind.
- It will be important that whatever you do is something in which you can participate jointly.
- The appreciation and enjoyment must be ‘in the moment’.
Let me back track.
When dementia, the most common cause of which is Alzheimers, is suspected or has been diagnosed, this is a disease of the brain.
Different part of the brain start to deteriorate: other parts don’t or take much longer to be affected. Generally speaking, emotions persist when logic is long gone. Anyone who is a relative, carer or friend of a PLWD knows that you can never ‘win’ an argument so don’t even start to try.
Eesha’s Activity - Loopy Loops
This is something to try. See how it goes and see how it appeals to you and the PLWD. If it doesn’t sound like something you would like to do, it may be better to try it out on yourself first and then reflect on what you noticed or discovered - or not.
What you will need to have ready
You will need two things: a rectangular sheet of paper: a sheet of A4 copy paper is just fine. I used a page from a journal with much smaller dimensions. The notebook had lines but that didn’t matter.
You will also need a pack of coloured pencils, or pens or textas or similar. These can usually be picked up cheaply when the ‘Back to School’ sales are on.
Time involved
Aim to spend 20 uninterrupted minutes on the activity.
Gather your sheet of blank paper and pack of coloured pencils together and seat yourself comfortably at a table where you can spend the next 20 minutes without interruption.
You may want to take a few calming breaths before you start, just to allow your mind to settle a bit and focus on what you are about to do.
- Place the point of one of your pencils - doesn’t matter which - somewhere on the paper and, without lifting it from the paper, draw a continuous pattern over the paper. Continue until you decide to stop. You should have a pattern of sorts on the paper. It can be anything: it will be unique and distinctive.
- Now take your pack of colours and start to colour in any ‘spaces’ you find. Again, continue until you decide to stop.
- Admire your creation - or not.
That’s it.
You can look on it as a form of doodling.
Did you like the experience?
My reactions
I don’t consider myself at all visually creative and was very reluctant to even try. I remembered colouring in as a child and that it was OK but not really exciting.
Looking at that final effort, what did I make of it?
Well, I don’t think that’s the point. The idea is to be engaged ‘in the moment’ and I was.
You might like to try this yourself and then try it with your PLWD, both of you working at the same time on your creations.
Please share your reactions in the comments below. We’re in this together. In this instance, sharing is caring and is helpful to others.