Thoughtful Thursday: Structures and Restraints

 This is a quotation that I keep on one of my bulletin boards at home. (I should probably get a copy for my office at work...hmm). I have had this quotation around me somewhere ever since I started to work as a music therapist. I have no idea where I first found it, but it wasn't given to me - I did find it all on my own, and it really spoke to me then. It still speaks to me now.

 I've done a bit of research on Corita Kent recently and found that she was a Catholic religious sister who expressed her ideas about social justice and tolerance. She is classified as a pop art icon and silkscreen was her primary medium. Most of her artwork brings back memories of color schemes and the times in which she created - very 70's and 80's. When I first found this quotation, I had no idea who Corita Kent was, but I really felt that her idea about structure encapsulated my feelings as well. So, I adopted this quotation as my own. (If you are interested in more about Sr. Kent and what I think about her, check out this blog post from 2015 - it was part of a blogging challenge run by Julie Palmieri from Serenade Designs. Hey, Julie, any time you want to do another challenge, I'm up for it!!)

 I think that this quotation resonates (yep, I did it) so strongly with me comes from my education and my need for creativity. In my undergraduate program, I apparently did not do my assignments the way that others did theirs. One of my professors wrote, "Not what I was envisioning, but excellent job. Definitely a Mary Jane take on how to do this project." I didn't realize that my way wasn't "THE" way - I had little to no directions, but I did follow the directions that I had. I still am not quite sure what my professor meant. I never had a chance to see what the others in my class did for their projects. I guess I've been creating unusual things within structures and restraints for a long time.

 This brings me to my current self-imposed challenge of "NTM" TME usage (read more about this acronym and what it means here). I have given myself the structure and the restraints. I have to use a new TME with clients every day. It does not have to be my own composition, but it has to be something that I've never done with clients before. I'm on day three of this new challenge, and I'm enjoying it. I found some new music resources, and I've tapped my own resources to make use of them with my clients right here and right now.

 I have the structure - music therapy services for my clients. I have the restraint - something new to me shared with my clients. The creativity is happening. I am using the time that I have in my office while I am observing my intern leading groups to write up my therapeutic music experiences (TMEs). I have completed one already. The second one (from the "NTM" TME of yesterday) will be completed this morning. This is exciting me, and it is giving me a bit of a challenge that has to do with my day-to-day work and routine. It is something that I've been missing lately - challenge.

Structures are restraints - a way of limiting. What you can build within restraints and structures is almost limitless.   - Corita Kent
Yep, that's an arm under my quotation - Do you ever need an extra hand?

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