Creative Writing & Therapy

Being one of the oldest and shortest poetic forms, I chose Haiku's 5-7-5 syllable format to "journal" my art therapy work with a six-year-old client diagnosed with stage four autism and ADHD. The client, non-verbal, with rather low interpersonal and social skills with peers, shows hypersensitivity to external sensory stimuli including sound, texture, taste, and water-based play.

The neurodivergent client has shown me unique perspectives in many ways, including a completely outside-the-box way of playing with a toy, and enjoyment and interest in things we take for granted like a breeze coming, vehicles honking by, and birds chirping. The client has enlightened me tremendously, and I am very honored to be able to build rapport through play. Even in non-verbal communication, synergy was felt and a moment of connection was made.

Instead of writing my journal capturing the wondrous moments I had with the client each week, I turned to the old Japanese poetic form for its succinct and simple nature where symbolisms are embedded and lots of room for imagination and reflection.

作為歷史悠久且最為簡短的詩歌形式之一，我選擇以俳句（Haiku）5-7-5 的音節格式，來「書寫日誌」記錄我與一位六歲、被診斷為第四級自閉症（Level 4 Autism）及 ADHD 的兒童進行藝術治療的工作。

這位非語言溝通的個案，與同儕互動及社交能力相對有限，並且對外在感官刺激具有高度敏感性，包括聲音、觸感、味覺，以及以水為媒介的遊戲。

這位神經多樣性的孩子，以許多獨特的方式讓我看見不同的世界，包括完全跳脫框架地玩玩具，也讓我重新感受到那些我們習以為常、甚至容易忽略的事物所帶來的樂趣與興趣——例如一陣微風吹過、車輛從身旁鳴笛而過，或是鳥兒在枝頭啼唱。

這位孩子帶給我的啟發非常深刻，而我也深感榮幸，能夠透過遊戲與他／她建立關係與信任。即使在沒有語言的溝通之中，我們依然能感受到彼此的默契與共振，並在某一個瞬間，真切地建立起連結。

與其每週以傳統的方式寫下與這位個案相處時那些令人驚嘆的片刻，我轉而採用這個古老的日本詩歌形式。俳句簡潔而凝鍊，在有限的文字之中蘊含象徵，也留下大量空間讓想像、感受與反思發生。

對我而言，俳句不只是記錄治療歷程的一種方式，也成為一種觀看的練習——在極其短暫的瞬間裡，捕捉那些難以用語言完整描述的感官經驗、情緒流動，以及治療關係中微妙而珍貴的連結。

After writing, my intuition also prompted me to make a freehand painting incorporating text into the simple drawn visual symbols. To me, it was a process and pleasure of body and mind embodiment through the combination of text and drawing. The visuals assisted me in recalling the magical moments in the therapeutic sessions with the client, and the text scratched into the blue background drawn in paint stick helped carve in the momentum.

完成書寫之後，我的直覺也促使我進一步創作一幅徒手繪製的畫作，將文字融入簡單描繪的視覺符號之中。對我而言，這是一個透過文字與繪畫的結合，讓身體與心靈得以具體化、相互交融的過程，也是一種創作上的喜悅。

畫面中的視覺符號幫助我重新回憶起與個案在治療過程中那些神奇而珍貴的時刻；而以畫棒繪製的藍色背景上所刻劃、刮寫而出的文字，則彷彿將當下流動的動能與生命力一筆一畫地刻印下來，使那一刻的動勢得以被保存。

In one of the classes in my Master's in Literature and Creative Writing program, our poet instructor expressed his love for Tu Fu's poem, and I was privileged to read the poem in original Mandarin to the class, who found it a treat and mesmerizing. In addition to its aural beauty, poetry also carries strong contemplative merits for healing and well-being as Tu Fu projected and externalized his frustration and cynicism in the poem, Spring View. By writing the poem, I imagine the poet turning his devastating 4D world into 2D paper, which could at least offer him a bit of comfort.

在我攻讀文學與創意寫作碩士的其中一堂課裡，詩人講師分享了他對杜甫詩作的喜愛，而我也很榮幸能以中文原文為全班朗讀這首詩。對班上的同學而言，這是一份難得的禮物，也令他們深深著迷。

除了聲韻之美，詩歌本身也蘊含強大的沉思力量，能夠為療癒與身心福祉帶來滋養。正如杜甫在〈春望〉中所展現的，他將自己的挫折、失意與憤懣投射並外化於詩中。透過書寫這首詩，我想像詩人將那個令他飽受摧殘的「四維世界」轉化成一張二維的紙；而這個轉化的過程，至少能為他帶來一絲慰藉。

Today, I joined a 2-part online workshop titled "Creative Writing and Therapy" hosted by ANZACATA, the authoritative art therapy organization in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Singapore. I have become more certain that incorporating creative writing into my art therapy practice will be my calling.

今天，我參加了由 ANZACATA 主辦的兩場線上工作坊，主題為「Creative Writing and Therapy（創意寫作與治療）」。ANZACATA 是澳洲、紐西蘭、香港及新加坡具權威性的藝術治療專業組織。

這次工作坊讓我更加確信，將創意寫作融入我的藝術治療實務之中，將會是我未來想走的方向，也是我所認定的召喚。