Eighteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

We have been interviewing women of working age who are undergoing cancer treatment or living as survivors. These women have some roles to play in their workplaces and communities, as well as in their life events such as marriage, childbirth, and child rearing. These women were facing various problems such as difficulty living and speaking out due to the changes in appearance caused by treatment, and worries about employment, and they lived their daily lives feeling alienated, isolated, and with a sense of self-loss. In response to the current situation, we introduce the photo collage workshop as a place where gaining self-transcendence (one of the abilities to find the meaning and purpose of life acquired in the face of loss and difficult life experiences) is possible. In this report, we will discuss how one’s expression has brought one a self-discovery through the creation of artworks. Participants have no previous collage experiences. While making small talk, the participants work silently, and concentrate on their work. At the end, each made a small presentation by giving the title of the piece. Self-expression triggered by stimulating each intuition and creativity, participants experience a sense of accomplishment. Also, photography can act as a triggering old memory, a way to collect ‘self’ from the past, and a clue for the new discoveries. Furthermore, presenting own work could also empower self.