Bridging connection through isolation
An art therapist’s personal account of combating isolation with creativity.
In response to current events, the AGOinsider reached out to Tania Santer, an art therapist who recently relocated to a small town in Northern Ontario, to learn more about how she uses artmaking to combat isolation. Here is her story.
By Tania Santer, Art Therapist
I sat on the couch with a lukewarm bowl of soup, too exhausted to eat as tears welled up in my eyes. After 20+ hours on the road, I finally made it to Sioux Lookout and wondered why I ever decided to take this job in the first place. I began this journey with a sense of wonder as I embarked on a new adventure and while unpacking my books, endless wool socks and art supplies provided me with some semblance of my old life, the isolation of being thousands of kilometres away from friends and family was hard to ignore. This journey was partially intended as a form of self-exile, simulating a pressure cooker for creativity and inner reflection. But, little did I know, with the emergence of COVID-19, my personal bubble of isolation would become commonplace on a global scale.
As I began to process the conflicting emotions induced by isolation, art became the translator of my experience. Artmaking illuminated the corners of my being that had faded into the shadows of daily routines, emails, fast-paced work environments, and the ever-present future-oriented thoughts. Exploring this new territory can be confusing, uncomfortable and downright scary, but art has a way of gently holding us as we work through the weight of our realities. As the unfamiliar became a relentless presence in every aspect of my life, I turned to art as a way of becoming acquainted with the unknown.
Artmaking in and of itself is a mindful, therapeutic experience that can be accessed on its own by anyone, anywhere, anytime. With no plan, no thought and no attachment to any predetermined outcome, art invites us to be fully present during our participation; and we become both the active creator and the passive observer.
While digital screens proved useful in connecting with my distant friends and family, I still felt something was missing. I began to imagine art as a tangible language that could ripple out to those whom I felt separated from and decided to send personal art reflections via post. I start with a feeling, memory or person in mind, I let my pen go to work, making use of each line, letting go, allowing the image to emerge. Although it might not hang on a wall, it’s an expression that flows from heart, to hand, to paper, and although we cannot be together physically, I take comfort in knowing that an intimate piece of myself can be held in their hands as it once was in mine.
While art can initiate an inner dialogue, sharing these experiences with others can facilitate a paralleled intimacy with the outer world. Through its unspoken presence, art has the ability to ground us in who we are, while bridging connection to the world around us. Art contains memory, emotion and endless possibility. Art is for everyone. As we continue to come face-to-face with uncertainty, if we can enter a space of freedom in ourselves through these creative expressions, while inspiring others to do the same, perhaps then we will realize that we aren’t so far apart after all.
Tania Santer is an art therapist, a graduate of the Toronto Art Therapy Institute and a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying). Art therapy is a therapeutic practice facilitated by a trained professional, combining the process of artmaking and psychotherapy to improve one’s mental, emotional and physical well-being.
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