Creation of expressive textile arts with ex-mentally ill persons

Abstract

In this study, the two project investigators aimed to create 20 expressive textile arts prototypes with ex-mentally ill persons and undergraduate students after taking a series of interactive workshops of expressive textile arts and fashion creativity from a service learning subject, “Laugh and Walk Together for a Better Future 2017” offered by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University from May to July 2017. The major learning outcome of the subject was to adopt expressive textile arts and fashion creativity as a caring medium. It intended to help the ex-mentally ill persons to enhance their self-confidence and rebuild a satisfactory identity by expressing their creativity through producing the expressive textile artworks with the project investigators and students. During the workshops, the ex-mentally ill persons were provided with an encouraging and nurturing space for growth and personal expression. Theory of expressive textile arts was introduced. Guided discussions with hands-on practices were the key of the creative co-design process. Emphasis was placed on using colours, textures and patterns for creating expressive textile artworks so as to interpret ex-mentally ill persons’ memories and personal narratives to self-discovery and healing. A quantitative research method was adopted to investigate the impact of practicing expressive textile arts as a caring medium on ex-mentally ill persons before attending and during the textile arts workshops was investigated. The research findings suggest that positive impacts are found on the ex-mentally ill persons’ perceptions of “feelings and thoughts before attending the workshops”, “feelings and thoughts during the workshops”, “attitude toward the textile arts materials”, and “attitude toward the expressive textile artworks”. The co-design process could help the ex-mentally ill persons to feel centred and pleased during the creative process as well as finding new interests and skills and this kind of experience could carry out positive changes in their lives and improve their well-being.