The issues that we delve into as clinicians seep through our being and an alchemical process takes place, with the issues expressed again in a process we call Art. Ruined and Improved In this first piece, Ericha shares with us an expression of that mystical process – symbolic brush marks and colours that invite us to pause and mindfully reflect. We are able to experience with our own senses and are gifted the opportunity to narrate our own meaning from it. Title: Diptych: Ruined and Improved I & II by E. Hitchcock Scott “This painting is dedicated to those who hurt themselves and struggle to recover, those who cut, burn, scald, scratch and break their bones. I select this painting because I thought I had ruined it and then – upon reflection – I realized that this painting is better now than it was. This awareness, that the painting was improved instead of ruined, is a golden shadow of the expression I see in the face of clients as they realize they have made progress.” 
Un Divided When I first received this poem, by Jan Ewing, I was drawn into a place I cannot properly describe but wanted to create something visual as a response. Jan allowed me to do this, so here you have her Un Divided poem and my ink painting. Together we are sharing a call and response moment.
Un Divided By Jan Ewing
I know and yet I do not know I’m here and yet unseen I am the person at the front And the spaces in between
We know that there is more than one But not all parts agree Some yearn to come in from the cold But others wish to flee
My life is filled with missing time My mind has many files I hear both rage and weeping sobs While all you see is smiles
My childhood is a mystery Both absent and too real I live there still but know I’m here I’m numb and yet I feel
You cannot know what life is like When hiding from your mind The rules are strict to keep us safe Some things we mustn’t find
And there is deep within our core Division with no name It keeps us hidden from ourselves We can only whisper ‘shame’
There are many ways of being me Not just the ones you see We do not ask for sympathy Just know that we’re not free
We cannot just forget it all Despite our memory gaps We cannot just get over it Our mind is filled with traps
So judge me not for who I am Like you in many ways I had to find a way to live And live still in this haze
Title: “A Part” By Noula Diamantopoulos