Psychic stitches: quilting as art therapy

Vicki Irene Puller

Art therapy encompasses drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, clay, collage, paper mache, music, drama, dance, movement, sound, improvisation and writing, quilting, knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, embroidery, gardening, interior decorating, cooking, even cake decorating, all of which are kinesthetic processes and examples of non-verbal communication with healing outcomes. The essence of art therapy is that it allows persons to express creatively what they cannot put into words. It is in doing that makes meaning out of the making. It is through the process of doing that makes meaning out of the making. Art therapy has been used with various audiences, across cultures, ethnicities, disabilities, illnesses, professions, children, youths, adults and families among others. The goal for this study was to bring awareness, understanding and new appreciation of the kinesthetic process of quilting. Specific purposes were: 1) profile how quilting relates to art therapy components of catharsis and healing, social psychological well-being and self-efficacy and 2) explore if quilting as form of art therapy can affect and/or benefit the observer. A 47-question survey was developed to ask quilters about why they quilt and if art therapy was a relevant motivation. The survey respondents included 612 women who were primarily from Washington State. The survey was found to be valid through interpretation of factors extracted through factor analysis data reduction technique and reliable through testing for Cronbach's alpha (.89). Factor analysis showed regenerating self to be the strongest motivation with 23% of variance explained. Other factors included gratifying self (6.6%), socializing with others (5.8%), and practicing expertise (5.0), advancing expertise (4.2), expressing meaning (3.8), visualizing outcomes (3.6) and contributing through quilting (3.1). In order to detail the profiling of factors, data were further analyzed within factors by examining frequency distributions. Results show a highly involved and positive investment in the process quilting that had considerable art therapy involved. Thus, the results of this study supported the efficacy of quilting as a form of art therapy.

Psychic stitches: quilting as art therapy

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