This thesis is autobiographical in nature and follows my life experiences relating to the development and subsequent removal of a large epidermoid brain tumour. The resultant impairment of my faculties, and its effect on my vocational, emotional and spiritual life is outlined. My main means of expressing my journey from illness to partial recovery and self-renewal is through art-making. This art-making (a form of art self-therapy) is recorded in my paintings; included in my thesis as my main means of expression taking the place of the printed word, as my capacity to write and type is somewhat impaired. The main value of my thesis relates to recounting the experience, for others of the renewal of my life, following a major illness. Most brain tumours are fatal or severely limit the ability of a person to communicate, or limit their intellectual functioning. I was fortunate in that I could still communicate through using the visual arts; an area where I had retained my competencies. My thesis then, is aimed at increasing the understanding of illness, recovery and renewal for those in the helping and medical professions; also to give hope of life renewal through art expression and art therapy in cases where verbal and written means of communication are limited. The field of my thesis is adult education and personal learning through experience. This learning has focussed on using creative painting experiences as a way of self-healing. Those paintings that were significant in my recovery and renewal are exhibited in the Art Gallery section of this thesis. By viewing these artworks, you can share in, and understand my journey through illness, recovery and renewal through art-making, self-therapy.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/201907 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Thorley, Christine (Faith) |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | EN-AUS |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | Copyright Christine Thorley 2005 |
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