Abstract

This paper is based on an ongoing research project at the University of the Arts, London, in collaboration with the University of Worcester. Investigated were the narratives of learning and of creativity amongst a group of students with enduring mental health difficulties. Here, one emerging theme is selected for exploration, that of motivation. Employing a longitudinal biographic narrative methodology, this research, now entering its third year has triggered questions regarding the resilience and fortitude of a group of practicing, aspiring artists. This paper sketches the theoretical background used to explore this resilience and motivation, and draws on the Kleinian concept of Reparation as a way to understanding the narrativised yearning for learning and the urge to create.