Creativity and the Institutionalized Individual
The Turner Model adapted for PMHPA
An artistic approach to creativity is dramatically different then asocial service model or a therapeutic model . Such an activity lead methrough many of the social institutions and therapeutic residences. Itbecame overwhelmingly obvious to me why there was a total dearth of creativeproduction and what was wrong and what to do about it. This lead to thepublication of what became known as the Turner model. The Turner modelis essentially as follows.
Creativity comes from within. It is therefore crucial to focus on theindividual and have the individual focus on themselves, to know and say“I am the instrument” All other factors which come into play, such as thetechnology used and the supportive environment, are secondary to the individualand must be kept in perspective. This is the essence.
The Turner model is compared with existing programs based on healthcareand therapeutic models . The creative challenge consists of defining aproblem and solving it. The problem is a song to be composed, a poem tobe written, a painting to be painted etc. In other words the blank canvas,the blank paper the blank audio\video tape. Filling in the blanks is alwaysthe problem. It is production that is PMHPA’s mandate, solving a creativeproblem between two or more people is a communication between focused participantson a matrix of social equality. This is the Partnership in Progress.
The fundamental building blocks for such communication must be trustand respect and equality. On the hand the therapeutic environment is apatient centered situation where the patient needs to trust and respectbut the therapist does not necessarily trust or respect the patient. Thetherapist in effect “acts on or treats the patient.” This type of relationshipmay be valuable as therapy but it absolutely is the wrong dynamic for theproduction of art.
Many of the people that involve themselves in PMHPA are relatively speakinginstitutionalized in the community to a much higher degree than the norm,especially in the artistic norm. Experience has taught me this is alsotrue of the staff and management of people in the related institutions.
A production model represented by PMHPA is unknown in these places.We could create the opportunity to run a program in an external institutionthat the institution itself could not run. There is some feasibility tothis because the large ongoing institutions are in a better position forhaving access to money then we are.
However, that could change . In short it would be to the communitiesoverall advantage if PMHPA thought globally and acted locally and laiddown the co-operative planks by offering our programs as they mature toother facilities as a source of revenue and to facilitate the model whichwould be offered to the world as immediately available as a home page oninterment .t
Relationships then would be established internationally. However thisis not without pitfalls. There is a very good reason why integrated programslike the PMHPA model serving the expression of the individual do not exist.Consequently, a brief note on the nature of our social institutions inthe health field that serves the chronic, persistent, and severely mentallydisabled.
One of the consequences of producing a creative original communicativework of art that becomes circulated is that the artist aquires his ownvoice and that voice is heard if the product is communicative and is distributed.
One would think this is wonderful but oddly enough the existing institutionstend to be discouraging towards this process. Applying the Turner modelseems simple enough but can become complicated quite easily when outsideparties with hidden agendas begin influencing the work.
This is particularly a problem when influence is being enforced authoritativelyfrom the management or administration of a government funded institutionin which the work is taking place and there is reliance on supports thefacility can provide.
This all becomes highly relevant when providing opportunities for creativeexpression to individuals within such an environment. The goal of the Turnermodel is to assist individuals to expose what they hold inside and to communicateit to the world in a creative way.
These creations are “captured” by PMHPA and become productions to bemanufactured and distributed as PMHPA products.
The personal truths that are revealed through this process, by personswith severe mental disabilities with a history of highly institutionalizedtraumatic experiences are not always positive and uplifting.
They do not always speak well of the system that was to support themthrough these experiences. There is in many cases some real justificationfor harboring grudges, thoughts, and feelings.
(At this point I am only writing about social factors and leaving medicationsand psychotropics completely out of the picture but it is easy to see theseinsert even further complications.)
This then can become a direct threat to the public image of the institution.It is the type of communication institutions would wish to control. However,it would be very difficult to selectively control communications, the institutionstherefore have a vested interest in discouraging the public creative expressionsof individuals in favor of managed Public Relations voices controlled by“in house” productions.
Above all else this is the reason why the large institutions do notproduce product by individuals but rather run programs based upon a therapeuticmodel.
This brings about the need for a new breed of individual within themental health field that is able to effectively penetrate such environmentsand bring the outside world into these institutional settings. A problemarises, however, because the new breed of individual will not work in theexisting settings due to the inherent limitations of these environments.
To defend these institutions the Maslovian model comes to mind. Thehierarchy of needs .Simply put your not hungry if your freezing, your notworrying about your personal appearance if your hungry etc. and mostlyyour not worried about aesthetic needs if you haven’t solved the otherneeds first. Most of our mental health institutions are trying to solvethe very real problem of food, clothing, and shelter and don’t necessarilylook upon poetry as a very important part of their mandate. Currently thiswork is in the conceptual hands of PMHPA ...if we don’t do it....it won’tbe done. The conceptual work of PMHPA results in the realization and theprovision of circumstances and opportunity for the enhancement and developmentof poetic aesthetic achievements and products. This is extremely importantbecause it is an essential element defining the quality of life of individualsand hence the greater society which surrounds.
Aesthetics is more than an intellectual idea it is a feeling, a sensibility,a hunch , an intuition, a value, a caring, a certainty, a knowledge andeven more then these descriptions - aesthetics is highly personal. If thereis support for personal expression and creativity, and important truthwill emerge. That truth contains the seeds for an artifact like a story,song, poem or dance. It also contains the seeds for journalism, academicpapers, program development and innovative responses.
The revealed truth is the most important commodity an artist has . Witha person who has a severe mental disability , truth can be expressed throughcreative arts and it’s related programs, performances, and productions.The sum total of the Productions, its messages, and methodology is PMHPA.It’s responsibility is to make it available to the world.
Priorities in the mental health community , such as treatment ,housingand socialization, when compared to performance, art, and production couldbe perceived as a luxurious frill. Yet to some persons with a mental disability,having a means of creative expression and the access to production (particularlyin a group and cultural context) could be a most valuable ingredient inimproving the quality of their lives.
Not only would such activities provide a recreational outlet but wouldenhance self esteem ( a notorious precious commodity in this field) throughbeing able to demonstrate the ability of being a contributing member ofsociety. Persons having a strong interest in an art form prior to becomingdisabled are likely to retain this interest as a mentally disabled individual.If there is a means by which to continue this activity this will assistin the overall rehabilitation of the total individual. If there is not,however, the inability to continue with that form of creative expressionbecomes an additional loss with which that individual must cope.
All in all PMHPA’s unique approach to de-stigmatizing mental illnessby focusing attention on the strengths and creative gifts meets with successand general approval by all who come in contact with it. It is the synergyof an arts organization and a social service society.
Over a lifetime every individual becomes interested in mental healthat sometime and the “savage beast” is soothed by health giving creativeexpressions. The “altered perceptions” are “re-enfolded” into “acceptablenormalcy”. PMHPA is a concept who’s “time has come”.
Note... in 1994 PMHPA adopted the Turner Model and Bob Turner was theHonorary Artistic Dirctor 94/95
