Drawing in Health and Wellbeing

Drawing has an established history within medicine for learning, recording, investigating and discovery. Bringing together diverse drawing approaches in the form of research and practical projects, this book demonstrates how drawing has extended beyond the realm of medicine with relevance and value for a wide spectrum of health and wellbeing settings. Drawing has significant benefits for health, yet it is only recently that drawing for health and wellbeing has become a focus for formal research investigation and development. Chapters critically examine how drawing helps us convey and understand complex illness experiences, supporting a deeper, more holistic form of communication between patient and professional. The authors also explore drawing as a popular mindful and meditative activity. Underlying all the chapters is the principle that manual drawing, such as sketching, diagrams, cartoons and many other forms of mark-making, has important qualities in enabling people to learn, investigate, explain, and express as well as alleviate suffering. With renewed global interest in improving our health, this timely volume brings together prominent research in the field and highlights an array of drawing approaches to promote wellbeing.

Curie Scott is an independent education consultant specializing in arts and health, based in the UK. After working as a medical doctor, she transitioned into Higher Education. Previously, she worked at Arts University Bournemouth, UK and Canterbury Christ Church University, UK. She is an award-winning educator for creative learning practices and holds a PhD in thinking through drawing. She is also the author of Drawing: Arts for Health (2021).Philippa Lyon leads drawing, health and wellbeing research at the University of Brighton, UK, where she teaches on the MA Craft and MA Textiles and supervises PhD students. She has publications on the history of art education, design education approaches, and on applications of drawing within educational, health and wellbeing contexts. She has published work in The Sage Handbook of Visual Research Methods (2019) and journals such as the International Journal of Art and Design Education and Visual Methodologies. She also completed her PhD on British Second World War poetry in 2005.