When our group first met to discuss our plan to collaborate we immediately felt some kind of direction and a kinship regarding a theme. Sofie, Rebecca and Nancy all have a connection to the body in their themes. The topic that Sofie has been exploring this semester has been about a perceived feeling of contagiousness as a result of her skin conditions. Rebecca’s has been about loving herself, despite her personal perceptions, exemplified through usage of color. Nancy’s subject has been about her loss of and search for identity since becoming a mother and finding it through hair. Hai-Ling’s theme has been about her background in music and representing and transferring her passion of music to art.

Although the theme of music is not directly related to the body, we felt that it definitely had a somatic relation in that one feels music through the body. From finding the corporeal tie-in we decided to use our bodies as an art-making tool, which led to our decision of choosing paint on large mural paper while listening to music. Through paint we relate to color and affect, which also pertains to our work on individual levels.

Our group chose to work in a separate room, away from any noise and distraction. We laid out a large sheet of the rolled paper, approximately 4 feet x 8 feet in size. Instrumental music performed by the wind ensemble, which consists of members of the woodwind, brass, and percussion families of instruments, was played in the background. The bottles of tempera paint were placed around outside of the paper and when we felt ready we could take any color we wanted and just start working. Each one of us immediately started working in our own section of the paper and at first there was little interaction. Then about 3-5 minutes into it we started to interact with each other’s paints and marks. We were stomping with our feet, walking, used our arms, hands, fingers and hair. More paint was added when considered necessary and when it started to get a bit muddy we instinctively stopped. We processed what just happened and decided to make another painting but this time on a bigger surface to give each of us more space. Before starting, we freely poured different colors of paint on the paper. In contrast to the previous process, the music this time was of a faster pace and joyful rhythm, which may have helped us to just jump right in.

This work in contrast to the first, became about the bringing of our backgrounds and fusing them together into a whole. Instead of working side by side we were collaborating from the very beginning and were able to break out of our private spheres much faster. We interacted more physically through the paint and it was true group work that was more about the process rather than the product.

Undoubtedly, it was a very successful corporation. Through this group collaboration, we can find that even though we looked like working independent, we still had been influenced by other's action. Group work is helpful for breaking down the individual frame. Sometimes, for some people it is difficult to use their body as a tool to make artwork. By baptisms of culture, values and education, we are very easy to be control by the shackles which we establish by ourselves. However, as we are learning art therapy, what we want to see is the art which is created by following the inner feeling instead of produced by thinking and deliberately.

On the other hand, comparing these two works and creative processes, the power of music should not be underestimated. Following the melody and rhythm, it not only influenced our creativity, but also impacted our moods during the processes. Moreover, the outcomes are amazing! There are many images and details might be difficult to explain because it was a creation along with music as well as our perception.