Looking Ahead is Looking Behind

By Samantha Strachan

The intentionality of this compilation is to share my story; to honor, acknowledge, and explore my personal journey and evolving relationship with art therapy. A living piece of a/r/tography, a remnant, and marker in time, this book documents and organically investigates a ritualistic process of curating and hosting a solo retrospective art exhibition. To understand the impacts and potency of this ritual and further reflect upon my personal experiences, I explore my own processes and identity as an emerging art therapist, through documentation and the formation of this book. Framed within the larger context of my life, this retrospective of art encompasses a diverse and idiosyncratic time line through my journey of discovering the value of artistic expression as a therapeutic modality; as well as, what it means to be a healer. Through my own organic inquiry with the curation and documentation of this process, I intend to create an experience that will stimulate curiosity and generate data about the therapeutic potential of art making and exhibiting, while demonstrating the intertwined identities of artist, therapist, and researcher.