Crafting Life Stories in Photocollage: An Online Creative Art-Based Intervention for Older Adults

Abstract

Creative arts therapies (CAT) provide a safe and creative environment for older adults to process life experiences and maintain personal growth while aging. There is a growing need to make creative arts therapies more accessible to the aging population, as many have limited access to these services. This need has been catalyzed by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tele-CAT offers a possible solution. This study explored the experiences of older adults who participated in an online creative process of digital photocollage based on CAT. Twenty-four Italian and Israeli community-dwelling older adults aged 78 to 92 participated in this research through Zoom teleconferencing software. Transcriptions of the sessions and the art produced through the photocollage were qualitatively analyzed through Thematic Analysis. The findings show that the projective stimuli of digital photographs supported older adults' narratives and engaged them in a more embodied emotional experience. Participant experiences involved artistic enjoyment within a positive and safe interaction with therapists. The creation of digital photocollages allowed the participants to process their life experiences and create an integrative view of their life, a vital developmental task in late life. These results point to the advantages and challenges of tele-CAT for older adults.

Keywords: creative arts therapies; narrative gerontology; older adults; photocollage; tele-arts therapy; tele-psychotherapy.

Figure 1

The thematic map.

Figure 2

Itzhaks’ third collage titled: “Nostalgia from the far past with unforgettable love”. Reproduced with permission from Michal Fattal, Yehudit Liberman and www.istockphoto.com (accessed on 20 June 2021; 29 June 2021; 3 October 2021).

Figure 3

Yossi’s choice of photograph and title: “The past, the present and the future, together”. Reproduced with permission from Yehudit Liberman.

Figure 4

Teresa’s choice of photograph and title: “A product for my son”. Reproduced with permission from www.istockphoto.com (accessed on 29 September 2021).

Figure 5

Elena’s choice of photograph and title “The emotion of being a father”. Reproduced with permission from www.istockphoto.com (accessed on 3 June 2021).

Figure 6

Moshe’s choice of photograph and title “Beach”. Reproduced with permission from www.istockphoto.com (accessed on 29 September 2021).

Figure 7

Elena’s photocollage: “Love for life”. Reproduced with permission from www.istockphoto.com (accessed on 5 June 2021; 7 June 2021; 11 July 2021).

Figure 8

Caterina’s choice of photograph and title: “Promise of loyalty”. Reproduced with permission from www.istockphoto.com (accessed on 29 September 2021).

Figure 9

Lea’s photocollage: “The wheel of life”. Reproduced with permission from Michal Fattal, Yehudit Liberman and www.istockphoto.com (accessed on 5 June 2021; 29 June 2021; 16 August 2021; 29 September 2021).