Cultivating Creative Capability: Drawing for Insight

Visual representation is often used in practice to work with clients who may not be able to easily address complex issues in word-based forms. Through the act of drawing, an individual not only creates images but also begins to perceive their world more deeply and accurately. Drawing also provides a vehicle for understanding the voices of historically marginalized groups that are too elusive for words, which supports social work’s commitment to social justice by facilitating new meanings that may be absent in words alone. In this chapter, an arts-based workshop (self@arts) that the authors conducted with Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel to support their recovery from physical and/or mental health injuries is outlined. This workshop is translated into a pedagogical approach, which in turn, could also be used in practice.