Re-imagining creativity in lock-down

(c) 2020 Tony Gillam

Today marks the culmination of Creativity and Wellbeing Week and, by coincidence, also of Mental Health Awareness Week. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many of the events planned had to be, in the words of the organisers, 're-imagined', which is to say either cancelled or, where possible, converted into virtual online happenings.

I had planned to run a couple of improvisational Music for Wellbeing Workshops in collaboration with mental health charity MIND but, unfortunately, these had to be cancelled as, obviously, such social gatherings are prohibited at the moment. Similarly, last month I was supposed to be giving a talk at the Literary Conference in Hastings. The topic was to be Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Books of Malcolm Saville. (Malcolm Saville - for those who don't know - was a children's author whose books I enjoyed very much when I was young and I've been a member of the Malcolm Saville Society since 1999.) So I'd been looking forward to meeting with fellow members and speaking at the Society's Literary Conference but this too was cancelled.   

Re-imagining a talk is fairly simple - it can easily be converted into an article. And so I've been working on an article - or it may even end up as a couple of linked articles - for a forthcoming issue of the Malcolm Saville Society's magazine. But re-imagining an improvisational music workshop under lock-down conditions is not so easy...

Fortunately, an opportunity arose in the form of an invitation from a dulcimer-playing friend of mine, Steve O'Ryan. I met Steve last October at a gathering of the Nonsuch Dulcimer Club (of which we're both members.) As spring arrived, Steve hit upon the wonderful idea of creating a blog and a linked Facebook group which would feature a new song for every day of the month of May, a kind of virtual musical calendar. As Steve explains, "CMLE Play (Songs for May) is releasing a different May song every day during May 2020. Trad. songs, new songs, instrumentals - mainly played and sung by keen amateur musicians." (In case you're wondering, the name CMLE Play, by the way, is a pun on Pink Floyd's song 'See Emily Play'.)

I was delighted that Steve asked me to contribute a track to this project and, not having any  traditional May songs in my repertoire, I hastily recorded a semi-improvised, one-take instrumental on the dulcimer and called my new composition 'May Be, May Be Not'. I seem to have got away with this, as the track was the featured tune on 5 May on Steve's blog and Facebook group. So I'd managed, despite the lock-down, to improvise some music and to turn this solo performance into a group experience, by sharing it on Facebook and Soundcloud.

(c) 2020 Tony Gillam

All of which goes to illustrate a few important points about creativity and how it can promote wellbeing:

1.  Connection

Connecting is one of the New Economics Foundation's recommended five actions to promote day-to-day wellbeing (Aked et al., 2008). Connecting with others is very conducive to wellbeing so, notwithstanding Groucho Marx's famous quip, it helps to belong to a few groups, clubs or societies (this could be something like a Facebook group, or even something less obvious like a literary society or a dulcimer club!) Belonging to a larger organisation also promotes a sense of meaning - one of Seligman's five elements of wellbeing - since, as Seligman argued, meaning is derived from belonging to and serving something that you believe is bigger than the self (Seligman, 2011).  

           

           

2. Flexibility

Along with risk-taking and humour, I have suggested that flexibility is one of the characteristics of a creative practitioner (Gillam, 2018). Flexibility involves a willingness to try new approaches - so a planned talk can become an article and a planned group improvisation can become a solo improvisation, shared with a wider group through social media.

3.  Collaboration

Even if writing articles and composing music in lock-down might seem the most solitary of activities, in fact collaboration with others is still central to these creative enterprises. I would not have been prompted to write my article if the conference organiser (David Shields) had not originally invited me to give my talk. If David had not subsequently - and quite rightly - decided to cancel the event, the talk might still have existed but the article might not. So any resulting articles on this subject are really a collaboration between David, me and the magazine editor. Similarly, if Steve had not invited me to contribute a piece of music to his May songs project, I might not have got round to improvising/composing/recording and sharing 'May Be, May Be Not', or of hearing the wonderful contributions of my fellow musicians. The resulting feedback - and friendly banter - I've had with my musical friends has made me laugh a lot and has felt a bit like a surrogate night out at the pub with old friends.

These kinds of connections and collaborations are invaluable as we all try to remain creative in difficult times.

References

Aked, J., Marks, N., Cordon, C. & Thompson, S. (2008). Five ways to wellbeing: The evidence. London: New Economics Foundation.

Gillam, T. (2018) Creativity, Wellbeing and Mental Health Practice, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Seligman, M.E.P. (2011). Flourish: A new understanding of happiness and well-being – and how to achieve them. London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing. 

Portuguese academics and real-life pirates

I know there's nothing at all romantic about the reality of piracy but my thoughts have drifted, these last few days, to Sandokan - the fictional late 19th-century pirate created by Italian author Emilio Salgari. In the mid-70s, the stories were made into a rather forgettable but charming European TV series, with dubbed dialogue and a catchy theme tune. You may wonder why, after all these years, Sandokan has bubbled up into my consciousness. It will become clear in a bit.

As the coronavirus continues to affect lives globally, I'm writing, self-isolating, at home. The effects of self-isolation on mental health and wellbeing have become a topic for daily discussion on the news and we've also seen thousands of examples of creativity in action. Musicians and actors, forced to cancel live performances, are offering online performances and tuition instead. Gin distilleries are re-purposing their equipment to produce hand-sanitiser, using the same alcohol they normally use to make gin and vodka. Recently-retired nurses and other healthcare workers are being urged to return to work for the NHS.

Meanwhile, this week I'll be very quietly celebrating the fact it's two years since the publication of my book 'Creativity, wellbeing and mental health practice'. The book may not have been a best-seller but I have the consolation of knowing it has travelled widely and has been well-received by academics and researchers across the globe. For example, I discovered, the other day, that my work had been cited by a  Portuguese academic twice in her work on nursing home care appointments for the elderly and on artistic mediation in mental health nursing. There's no law against referencing incorrectly but the researcher had cited my work as having appeared in a journal called 'Art & Science' (for which I'd never knowingly written anything.) Intrigued, I googled the errant reference and it took me to a complete eBook version of my book, freely available on a certain website. To add insult to injury, my book was not only being given away but was being passed off as the work of a Vietnamese author. I'd never heard of this author - but it's not surprising as my book is his only publication, if you see what I mean.

I contacted the commissioning editor at my publisher and I was reassured that she's passing the details on to their pirating team to investigate. So now I have visions of a gunship, hurriedly dispatched, setting a course for the South China Sea in search of a Sandokan-like character with the aim of retrieving some 'pieces of eight' for my publisher. Sadly, whether they catch the pirate or not, I won't profit from it personally but at least I might be recognised again as the rightful author. Ah, Jim lad! (Oh no - wrong pirate.)

Time to get creative as festivals all come at once

Get Creative - one of three creativity festivals happening in May 2020

The saying goes, you wait ages for a bus and then three come along at once. Well, it seems the same is true of festivals of creativity. Last Friday I was at the magnificent Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery for a creative festivals information meeting. There can't be many places where you can admire one of the world's finest selections of pre-Raphaelite paintings while waiting for a meeting to start.

I'd heard about the event through the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance. The purpose of the morning was to let people know about not one but three creative festivals taking place in May 2020 and, of course, to encourage people to get involved. The collaborative partnership aims to turn May into a month of creativity and culture through the coming together of three initiatives:

• the Age of Creativity Festival: (which runs throughout May 2020)
• the Get Creative Festival: (9-17 May 2020)
•  Creativity & Wellbeing Week: (18-24 May 2020).

Damien McGlynn, Project Manager for Get Creative, spoke on behalf of all three festivals and explained what each one was about. The ambition, said Damien, is to make May 2020 a month of creativity and culture, involving a series of events across the UK, with the three linked festivals working as a collective. The festivals are supported by a range of partnership organisations including the Arts Council, Age UK, the BBC and Voluntary Arts.

The first of the three festivals is the Age of Creativity (1-31 May) - an opportunity to celebrate older people as creative audiences, participants, volunteers and artists. As Damien pointed out, the term 'older people' (as defined by Age UK) includes any individual over the age of 50. The emphasis here is on creative or cultural events that are free (or low fee) and are 'age-friendly'.

The Get Creative Festival (9-17 May) is about inclusion and aims to give everyone the chance to get actively involved in a creative event in their local area. Again, events will be free or have just a small fee to cover costs, with an emphasis on participation. As Damien made clear, "The festival doesn't programme events but acts as a major platform for events, and sometimes this means shining a spotlight on existing groups and activities."

Creativity & Wellbeing Week (18-24 May) follows on from Get Creative, and has a broad theme of 'Positive Futures' (which includes areas such as mental health and young people, public health and everyday creativity.) With a strong focus on health and wellbeing, Creativity & Wellbeing Week, like the other two festivals, supports creative and cultural activity at no cost (or a low fee to recover costs.)

More events are planned, including a launch of Creativity & Wellbeing Week at the National Portrait Gallery on 18 May and a collective event in York in 15 May, where the question "Does creativity need a public health campaign?" will be discussed. In the meantime, even if the details are not yet finalised, artists and organisers are being encouraged to begin submitting their events for inclusion on the websites of the relevant festivals.

Words of Wisdom from ...Boogie Wonderland

Wisdom is often found in unexpected places. I picked up a copy of the Independent newspaper yesterday and read an obituary for the songwriter Allee Willis (1947-2019) who died on Christmas Eve. Now, I like to pride myself on my knowledge of pop music but I'd never heard of Allee Willis. It turns out she was a Grammy award-winning songwriter who, despite not being able to read music or even play an instrument, co-wrote a string of funky, soulful hits.  She had a hand in Earth, Wind and Fire's September and Boogie Wonderland as well as the Pet Shop Boys/Dusty Springfield collaboration What Have I Done to Deserve This?  She also co-wrote songs for the Pointer Sisters and the inescapable I'll Be There for You - the Rembrandts' hit theme tune from the TV series Friends.

I've recently retired from my job as a senior lecturer in mental health nursing - one of the reasons I now have time to read newspaper obituaries. I've retired partly to spend more time with my wife and family, having learnt in the last couple of years that it's a mistake to take for granted good health as you get older. In the light of this revelation, I've also realised it's best to spend as much time as possible with the people you love the most, doing the things you enjoy the most. So here am I writing about what I choose to write about. There are few greater pleasures for me.  Writing songs is another great joy. Forty years ago I'd write a new song every week; in recent years it's been more like a new song every two years. So any lessons that can be learnt from the likes of Allee Willis are worth noting. How do you get to be a songwriter? Well, Allee Willis happened to have been born in Detroit in 1947 and had the good fortune to be able to sit outside the Motown studios in their hit-making heyday listening to the records being recorded. And that, she once said, is how she became a songwriter. 

It makes sense: the best way to become a songwriter is to listen carefully to great songs and analyse how they're made - and, of course, it helps if you've got a way with words and tunes. The same applies to all types of writer - first, read a lot of good writing, then start writing.

But what struck a chord with me most about the Allee Willis obituary was a quote with which fatalists the world over will identify: "My whole career is based on two truths," she once explained. The first of these is: "What can't possibly happen, happens." And the second is: "What should be happening, doesn't."  These are important lessons, and worth keeping in mind at those times when, as the song goes, it hasn't been your day, your week, your month or even your year.

Don't underestimate the power of small creative happenings

In an article in September's issue of the magazine Literary Review Alexa Hazel (2019) wrote about how, in 2014, small pieces of printers' type were found washed ashore on the banks of the River Thames. These were the products of one T J Cobden-Sanderson who, in 1900, founded Doves Press. When a business partner tried to appropriate the Doves Press type for commercial use, Cobden-Sanderson cast all 2,600 pieces of type into the river rather than allow his creation to be sullied by commercialism.

Hazel suggests the miraculous reappearance of pieces of Doves Press type after more than 100 years illustrates that "what's frivolous and a little mad can have surprising endurance" (2019:  64). A propos, she quotes Norman Potter, the English cabinetmaker, designer, poet and teacher. In his book Models & Constructs Potter wrote: "the long-term effects of small creative happenings tend to be underestimated."

I like to believe this is true, especially as most of my own creative enterprises - improvisational music workshops with a handful of participants or small gigs where I perform to tiny audiences in 'cosy' venues - could be best described as small creative happenings. It would be comforting to think they had a longer-term effect which might go on resonating after the music ended and people had gone home.   

If you're seeking harder evidence of the lasting beneficial impacts of the arts, you could do worse than to look to a recent report published by the World Health Organisation (Fancourt and Finn, 2019). The WHO report is the largest scoping review ever published on arts and health and synthesises the global evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and wellbeing. It includes findings from over 3,000 peer-reviewed published studies and identifies a major role for the arts not only in the prevention of ill-health and the promotion of health but also (more surprisingly) in the management and treatment of illness across the lifespan.

When it comes to prevention and promotion, the report finds the arts can, for example, affect the social determinants of health (e.g. developing social cohesion and reducing social inequalities) as well as helping to prevent ill health (by enhancing wellbeing and reducing the impact of trauma or the risk of cognitive decline.) In terms of management and treatment of existing conditions, it found the arts can help many groups of people, including those experiencing mental illness (e.g. by supporting recovery from perinatal mental illness and after trauma and abuse) as well as people with neurological disorders (including autism, cerebral palsy, stroke, degenerative neurological disorders and dementia).  The full report can be read here.

References

Fancourt, D. and Finn, S. (2019). What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being? A scoping review. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2019 (Health Evidence Network (HEN) synthesis report 67).

Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/329834/9789289054553-eng.pdf

Hazel, A. (2019). Printing on Ice, Literary Review, September 2019: 64.

Potter, N. (2008).  Models & Constructs: margin notes to a design culture. London: Hyphen Press.  

Joining the damned and despised literati

The American poet Ezra Pound described the literati as "damned and despised" while the Serbian poet Dejan Stojanović wrote: “There are too many literati, yet very few are smart; knowledge is acquired far too easily.” Well, I don't care because, it seems, I've now officially joined the literati...

I was delighted recently to receive an email from Emerald Publishing. They manage a portfolio of over 300 academic journals, including the 'Journal of Public Mental Health'. At the end of last year, the journal published an article of mine called 'Enhancing public mental health and wellbeing through creative arts participation'. The process of working on this particular article was more fraught than usual because my wife had been seriously ill that summer and had been undergoing treatment when I was, somewhat distractedly, asked to make pre-publication revisions to the article! 

So you can imagine how surprised and thrilled I was to hear from Emerald that the article had achieved recognition as an Outstanding Paper in the 2019 Emerald Literati Awards. Over the last thirty years I've had around 100 articles published in various journals and magazines but I've never received an award for any of them prior to this, so it means a lot to me. 

I'd like to give my sincere thanks to the journal's editor Professor Woody Caan and to the editorial board. The award-winning article has been made freely available for twelve months so it can be widely shared with networks and colleagues and you can read the full text of the paper here.

The Arts Health Early Career Research Network

Last month I was contacted by Dr Robyn Dowlen, of the University of Manchester, who edits the blog of the Arts Health Early Career Research Network. Robyn is a research associate working on developing a couple-management guide for couples where one partner has a diagnosis of dementia. Her PhD focused on understanding the 'in the moment' embodied and sensory experiences of people living with dementia when engaging with music.

Until Robyn contacted me, I hadn't come across the Arts Health Early Career Research Network before, but I've since learnt it's a community of over 850 members from 30 countries, which brings together early career researchers working on projects that lie at the intersection of the arts, humanities, health and medicine.

Having read my book Creativity, Wellbeing and Mental Health Practice, Robyn very kindly invited me to be the first author to be interviewed on the Arts Health ECRN blog, In the interview, I spoke about the inspiration behind my book and discussed how my work fits in with wider developments in arts and health research, policy and practice. You can read the full interview here:

https://www.artshealthecrn.com/post/interview-with-tony-gillam-author-of-creativity-wellbeing-and-mental-health-practice