Occupational profile

Abstract

As part of my research for a master's thesis in occupational therapy, it was my pleasure to observe and interview 3 people in the northeastern United States who work with stone. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experience and meaning of a craft occupation, carving or building with stone, pursued by individuals as a work, leisure or creative occupation, and to examine how the occupation's characteristics influence health and well‐being. While the intentions and practices of the participants varied, there was significant common ground in what they experienced in their work, (textural description) and especially in how the work was experienced, (structural description). Common to all, for example, were an affinity for the material, a feeling that the work connected with life‐long interests, awareness of creative self‐expression, and a sense of leaving something behind. This photo essay focuses on Karin, an artist who hand‐carves gravestones in slate.