Conversations About Creativity and Chronic Illness II: Textile Artists Coping with Long-Term Health Problems Reflect on the Creative Process

Abstract

This qualitative study explored the inspirations and influences that shape the creative process and artwork of a group of women with long-term illness. Most were nonprofessional artists. Almost all had taken courses in at least one form of textile art and had advanced skills. Although the creative process is not fully open to verbal self-analysis, the accounts revealed a wide range of inspiration for artwork. The sensual qualities of color and texture, themes from nature, precious memories, personal and professional interests, and spiritual beliefs all found expression in the women's designs and styles. A repertoire of techniques and a conducive physical environment were valued as enabling control over the creative process and the achievement of a meaningful personal style. Most of the women enjoyed the spontaneity, immersion, and adventure inherent in their creative process, and their descriptions approximated flow states described in other research. Some expressed experiences of illness through their artwork. Nevertheless, several participants reported that illness did not only inspire artwork through distress and loss, but through sharpening perceptions, heightening emotional sensitivity and confronting them with the deeper issues of life. The contribution of art-making to the self-management of chronic illness deserves further examination.