Rob Wilson

Sunday, 10 March 2013

March 2013

- definitions of Healthy Ageing, Successful Ageing, Wellbeing [ physical, mental/psychological, emotional, social and spiritual]

- Elegant ageing , Wisdom, Sageing

- Ageing has left the house of death to reside in the house of the living [ life process]

Examples of good drawings seen this month!

Thursday, 7 February 2013

One does not stop Learning because of Ageing; One Ages because they stop Learning!

Images: will consist of one self portrait, one studio life drawing, one church drawing, one manipulated overlay drawing
include one self portrait

Text/ discussion: - auto ethnography; what is it and how to use it in studio documentation process ?
- will investigate well-being, healthy ageing, successful ageing; how to define, quantify and what metrics to use; see work of G Cohen. [import text from the 2006 results of the G Cohen research regarding Seniors and Art programs and the phenomena of PNI]
- the role of Diagramming and Mapping in context of Drawing; refer to work of DRUGG [import one of the Drugg papers and diagrams]
Diary: handwritten description of personal state of being, physical, mental/emotional/psychological, spiritual.

Saturday, 5 January 2013

January 2013

January 2013

Images: as presented plus one church drawing.

Text/ discussion: Copy of Version 3 Application for Registration and a highlight of the changes
Ideas about how to convert the essential ideas of the research into a RSA Animate type of presentation!
Social Drawing: describe, define, quantify

- explain why the term is needed; to distinguish from the common idea of Drawing as an individual, solitary exercise; describe the commonalities and differences of both
- how to use Social Drawing in the context of my research?
Ageing; how ageing has moved ,very recently from the house of the dieing to the house of the living and how Ageing is now starting to be considered part of the life journey instead of just a preparation for death.

Diary: handwritten as a monthly review

R G Wilson CCW 06 Feb 2013

Research Proposal/Programme of Research

TITLE

Facilitating Imaginative and Creative Learning in Later Life through Drawing.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Drawing curriculum development for Senior’s Life Long Learning [LLL].

1. AIMS

1.1 To establish whether there is a correlation between the practice of Drawing and healthy ageing1.

1.2 To investigate whether an embedded benefit of regularly engaging with Drawing as a mean of communication and discovery by visual artists might be reflected in the healthy ageing of Senior artists and whether the recognition of this might be used in the development of LLL programs benefitting a broader constituency.

1.3 To develop a Drawing curriculum for Seniors LLL based on the findings of 1.1 and 1.2 above, specific to their healthy ageing needs.

1.4 To develop my studio Drawing practice to be reflective of, and reflexive to, the research so that each will inform the other in the context of the topic.

2. STATEGIES

Regarding Aim 1.1

2.1 To investigate the convergence of thinking in the areas of Drawing and healthy ageing and LLL and their relationships in the context of the topic.

2.2 To understand the connections to Drawing in current neuroscience and gerontology research and literature and to establish it’s relevance in regards to healthy ageing needs of Seniors in LLL and whether intellectual stimulation provided through LLL may be related to areas of the brain stimulated by the experience of Drawing activities.

Regarding Aim 1.2

2.3 To establish the effects of involvement with Drawing on Senior artists healthy ageing, on a retrospective basis, in the context of the topic.

Regarding Aim 1.3

2.4 To investigate the use of Drawing in educational models and systems and the problems and opportunities that may currently exist within current Drawing curricula.

2.5 To investigate Seniors learning and its importance to them and to question whether LLL needs of Seniors are being met and to establish if Seniors require special pedagogical considerations in curriculum development.

2.6 To integrate new research evidence that suggests that a major factor in healthy mind/brain ageing and wellbeing may be its exercise and that involvement in LLL, especially the Arts may provide one of the best forms of exercise.

2.7 To investigate whether the qualities and attributes of Drawing as referred to by senior artists correspond to the social and mental healthy ageing needs of Seniors.

2.8 To investigate Drawing techniques used in Mind Mapping, Visual Thinking and non-verbal learning and certain Art Therapy techniques to establish their potential relevance and use in the context of the topic.

Regarding Aim 1.4

2.9 To focus on a reflective analysis of my overall healthy ageing arising from the reflexive experience of Drawing as a Senior in the context of the topic.

2.10 To attempt to use techniques such as periodic fMRI scanning of myself to establish autobiographical connections in the context of the topic.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Although Drawing has played a significant role in Art pedagogical programs historically[1] there is little evidence of Drawing in LLL programs for Seniors in the U.K.[2]. In the past decade there have been research initiatives, primarily in the U.S, in new areas of gerogogy, geroneurology, and gerosociology suggesting that involvement in the Arts leads to healthy ageing4. There have been studies carried out in the U.K. by various agencies in the past 20 years regarding the benefits of developing creative initiatives at all levels of LLL5, however few programs have been established for Seniors LLL6 and the percentage of Seniors involved in LLL has been decreasing7.

Some writing has been done on ageing and creativity8 and although there has been some commentary by senior artists9 there has been very little biographical or autobiographical documentation of/by senior artists that reflects directly on their ageing process.

CONTEMPORARY CONTEXT

There is current primary research and writing with respect to healthy brain ageing and LLL10 and there are some new initiatives in establishing local authority Seniors Arts programs11, however there is little being done involving the practice of Drawing as a component of the Art programs. There are no known investigations into the linkages between Drawing and geragogy as to healthy ageing in an effort to propose new, practical opportunities in LLL as is suggested by this proposal.

THEORETICAL CONTEXT

The theoretical basis of this proposal is that a state of health in an ageing12 mind/brain depends on its exercise and that the best form of exercise may be

as a result of ongoing involvement in LLL, especially in the Arts13. This research hypothesizes that Drawing, done in a social context, is the best form of Art to be considered in the development of a LLL program specific to Seniors healthy ageing.

METHODOLOGIES

· Review literature, research and data that take into consideration debates in the areas of convergence of thinking about Drawing and its relation to LLL and healthy ageing.

· To use myself and my own ageing process as a main subject by establishing a reflective and reflexive studio practice that will use my documented experience as an art-maker and Drawer in the context of the topic.

· Initiate primary research, including self-completed anonymous questionnaires, in a series of Seniors’ Drawing workshops to determine relative social stimulation during various drawing exercises.

· Cite narrative accounts through semi-structured oral history interviews with Senior artists to explain their retrospective experiential accounts in the context of the topic.

· Establish collaboration in related areas of study involving Drawing.

· Use quantitative statistical analysis of existing data to establish the size and growth of the Seniors demographic and the trends for LLL participation.

ETHICAL DIMENSIONS

See attached.

TIMELINES

See attached.

12 Healthy Ageing is defined as: ongoing activities that reduce risk of illness and disease and increase positive physical, emotional and mental health outcomes and enhance quality of life.

13 Multiple articles, books and blogs by Dr.Goldberg and Dr. M Merzenick within past five years, who are referenced in the MSL. Also various research projects initiated by Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Gardner, 1989

FINAL OUTCOME

An exhibition of the artwork created and a written thesis including a proposed Drawing curriculum for Seniors.

1 Healthy Ageing is defined as: ongoing activities that reduce risk of illness and disease and increase positive physical, emotional and mental health outcomes and enhance quality of life.

[1] The Arts and Education: Knowledge Generation, Pedagogy, and the Discourse of Learning, Review of Research in Education, V. L. Gadsden, Feb 2008, University of Pennsylvania

Dewey, 1934 Eisner, 1982 and 1994 and Gardner, 1989

[2] Ageing Artfully Report, Barings Foundation, David Cutler, 2009, [ISBN 978-1-906172-06-0].

4 The Creativity and Ageing Study, Final Report PDF, G.D. Cohen, April 2006

Opening Minds through Art (OMA) at Colonial: Miami, E Lokon, June 2010

5 Schuller, T. And Watson, D. (2009) Learning Through Life: Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning. Leicester: NIACE

Robinson Report, 2006, referenced in MSL

6 Ageing Artfully Report, Barings Foundation, David Cutler, 2009, [ISBN 978-1-906172-06-0].

7 J Benyon, 2010, referenced in MSL.

8 On Late Style, E. Said, 2007, Patheon

9 Audio Arts, W. Furlong, 2007 Connecting Lines: Artists Talk About Drawing CD 2010 part of National Life Stories project of the British Library. Senior Artists Dictate History, Chinese documentary film, 2006 to present [ongoing project]. Senior Artists Initiative Philadelphia, ongoing documentation process.

10 Multiple articles, books and blogs by Dr.Goldberg and Dr. M Merzenick within past five years, who are referenced in the MSL. Also various research projects initiated by Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Gardner, 1989

11 Ageing Artfully Report, Barings Foundation, David Cutler, 2009, ISBN 978-1-906172-06-0

Saturday, 15 December 2012

December 2012

A NEW START!

As a continuation of my life long learning [L.L.L.] and as a PhD candidate at The University of the Art London/ CCW School of Graduate Research I am starting this new phase of the blog as a diary which I hope will become, in part, a documentation of my own month to month ageing process.
This documentation will be made up of drawn images, some of which will continue the exploration of layering, as well as writings, both in digital and scanned handwritten form. The handwritten text will act as a behavioural observation diary. I will also scan my own photographic image on a once a month basis. I will incorporate all relevant documentation processes in an attempt to give as comprehensive a picture as possible of this autobiographical and auto ethnographic journey.
Also included will be the usual reading lists and abstracts of interesting papers pertinent to my studies in the relationships and connections between ageing [gerontology], the neuroscience of the ageing mind/brain, life long learning as it pertains to seniors and pedagogy, andragogy, heutogogy, and paragogy.
I will also include comments and reviews of various events that I attend from time to time.

So Here Goes !!!!!!

In this first entry I include a quick revised overview and outline of my topic of research:

OUTLINE:

Regarding Seniors

Facts: - re:demographics - size: is the largest demographic segment

- growth: is the fastest growing demographic segment

- re: life long learning - the % of Seniors involved in L.L.L. has been decreasing

- re: social wants and desires - rank very high on hierarchy of wants and desires

- re: mental well being - statistics suggest a growing problem with mental health

- statistics suggest increases in age related dementia and

brain disease

Regarding Neuroscience

Facts: - the mind brain adopts a“use it or lose it”position as it ages, the mind/brain is an

organ that requires exercise as do all other body organs.

- intellectual stimulation provides best mind/brain exercise

- L.L.L. appears to be best form of intellectual stimulation

- an ageing brain- does not necessarily suffer massive cell loss and there are

certain areas of the brain that maintain or gain cells with age and these areas

are neocortical areas that are related to pattern development and recognition

and can be strengthened through constant use and exercise. This phenomena

has been known as wisdom and only comes at the price of age.

- the area of the brain that are affected primarily by dementia and most brain

diseases are subcortical areas.

- many new facts relating to neurological functions and processes and brain

plasticity that are related to how the mind/brain ages

Hypotheses: - the best form of L.L.L. [as mind/brain exercise] is suggested to be the Arts

- the best of the Art is suggested to be Drawing

Regarding Pedagogy

Facts: - review of the historical uses in teaching and learning- pedagogy-andragogy and

heutogogy

Hypotheses: - review the basis of paragogy and it relevance to Seniors learning

Regarding Drawing

Facts:

Hypotheses: - may be evident through study of how senior artists have used drawing

- is all about pattern development and recognition and may involve same areas of

the brain

- artists statements as to the qualities and attributes of drawing correspond to the

social and mental well being needs of Seniors

- presents very low “barriers to entry” , financial, social and psychological and

mobility issues.

Conclusion: Curriculum Development specifically aimed at the social wishes and mental health

of Seniors in L.L.L. is needed

That we should consider the Arts to be a Gym for the mind/brain [ the equivalent of

a conventional Gym for the physical body] and that the mind/brain needs constant

exercise much the same as the physical body does to maintain its well being.

My own drawings from nov. and Dec.