Putting Art to Work: Including 31 Art-based Workshops

By Keith Chirgwin

With Putting Art to Work, we want to show how artwork with pictures can be used as a tool to support the development of individuals, groups and organizations.

With our tailor-made workshops, we invite all professionals working with learning and development: from educators at all levels, management and organizational consultants, psychologists, coaches, therapists, social workers, and health educators to use our art-based workshops, since a more exciting and enjoyable way of promoting health and supporting change and development in work life, we think, is hard to imagine.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Aug 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9781528971164

Keith Chirgwin

Helene is a widely experienced HR consultant and a coach, specialising in change management, executive support, and team and group development. Her primary interest lies in creating working environments where people can develop their full individual and organisational potential. Though now retired, Keith worked as an art teacher within teacher training in Sweden, specialising in visual and art-based learning processes. In Putting Art to Work, their ambition has been to develop innovative and usable working practices for motivating individuals, groups, and organisations to explore new and creative avenues in their quest for development.

Book preview

Putting Art to Work

Including 31 Art-Based Workshops

Keith Chirgwin and Helene Chirgwin

Austin Macauley Publishers

Putting Art to Work

Putting Art to Work

About the Author

Copyright Information ©

Acknowledgement

Part 1: Art—The Supporter of Change

What Is the Point of Art?

Workin’ Nine to Five

Change Has Come to Stay

Dare to Change

Tired of Being Creative?

Thinking Differently

A Playful Approach

Doing Things Differently

Creativity at the Workplace

Art: The Enterprising Entrepreneur

So, what is an Artistic Method?

Toolbox or Treasure Chest?

A Daily Dose of Art

Research in Progress

If Only Pictures Could Talk

Image and Imagination

The Simple Line

Picturing Ideas

Picturing the Conversation

The Triangular Dialogue

Coaching and Structured Dialogues

What is a Coach?

Talking Through Art

Choosing Pictures to Work With

Looking at What You See

Working with Photographs

Workshop as a Method

What is a Workshop?

Game Rules

The Leader’s Role

Documentation and Evaluation

Materials, Equipment, and Resources

Creating Your Own Collection of Pictures

Part 2: Art-Based Workshops

Meeting Yourself and Getting to Know Others

Is That a Picasso?

Workshops nr’s 5, 6, and 7

Me and My Landscapes

Workshop nr. 8

Feedback Using Pictures

Coaching and Structured Dialogues

Workshop nr 9:

Coaching with a Collection of Black and White Photographs

Workshop nr 10:

Coaching Leadership

Workshop nr 11:

Coaching Personal Growth Through Landscapes

Workshop nr 12:

Promoting Health and Well-Being in Groups

Workshop nr 13:

And Things That Go Bump in the Night!

Workshop nr 14:

Using Our Cultural Heritage in Education

Workshop nr. 15:

Working Life in a Pop-Up Card

Workshop nr. 16:

Masks of Leadership

Developing Teams and Groups

Workshop nr. 17:

And This Is Me by Van Gogh

Workshop nr. 18:

The Dude and the Damsel

Workshop nr. 19:

Visual Brainstorming

Workshop nr. 20:

The Never-Ending Story

Evaluating with Pictures

Looking Back

Workshop nr. 21:

Stories from the Past

Looking Around

Workshop nr’s. 22–23:

Three Men in a Boat

Workshop nr 24:

‘And This Is Me,’ said Mr Mole

Looking Ahead

Workshop nr 25:

Walk the Talk and Talk the Walk

Workshop nr 26:

Telling Your Clients Fortune

Being A Tourist at Work

Workshop nr 27:

Art Going Up the Wall

Workshop nr. 28:

Say Cheese!

Workshop nr 29–30:

Making an Impression

Creative Games

Workshop nr 31:

‘To Buy or Not to Buy…That Is the Question’

Making Your Own Workshops

Tea and Biscuits with the Muses

Inviting the Muses to Dance

Literature References

List of Images Used

"In this pioneering workbook, authors Keith and Helene Chirgwin present their efforts to bring visual arts workshops into the workplace and offer a structured approach to enhancing creativity in groups of all kinds through engaging in hands-on arts workshops… Their multi-disciplinary perspective demonstrates an impressive intellectual rigor and speaks eloquently to how what we see and how we see shapes or cognition both as individuals and in organizations. In sum, this well-organized, detailed guidebook provides a valuable tool for any group that has the potential to unlock its latent creative powers through encounters with the visual arts."

– BlueInk Review

Putting Art to Work is a rare and intimate tour of the world of art-based workshops…Keith and Helene Chirgwin present their wholly informative, and rich perspective on the use of art-based workshops as a tool for change and development in the workplace… this book will be an asset to any service-oriented professionals…The authors’ extensive teaching background in change management makes them star candidates to orchestrate these fun and satisfying workshops. Artists, psychologists, and social workers will find this title to be a great complement to any teaching program.

– Foreward Clarion Review

This debut how-to offers a colorful palette of idea for creative innovation at work, school, and elsewhere.

Keith Chirgwin has a background as an art teacher, and Helene Chirgwin has expertise in human resources consulting. Together, they present a solid, conversational case for using art to enhance the professional development of individuals and groups. Part I lays out a well-referenced apologia of the importance of art in health and well-being; for example, the authors cite an Oslo Akershus University College study in which the elderly participants’ blood pressure went down after just talking about art. Working with art, say the Chirgwins, teaches people new ways of looking at things, which can, of course, be beneficial in the workplace. Part II, which is by far the most enjoyable part of the guide, contains detailed, easy-to-understand instructions for 31 hands-on art workshops, which may be altered to fit large or small groups of adults or school-age kids. Each description includes a list of necessary materials and preparations, the approximate group size, the time it will take to complete the session, discussion questions, and workshop objectives. Some of the often lighthearted activities offer memorable icebreakers, such as when group members must draw Picasso-style drawings of one another without looking at their papers. In another team-building workshop, participants are asked to team up to paint a group of picture. Regardless of theme, the Chirgwins’ user-friendly workshops always promote creative thinking; for instance, one encourages attendees to decorate masks to reflect their leadership styles. Many of the art supplies—such as note cards, paints, and colored pens—are relatively affordable, and facilitators need not to be teachers or artist themselves. This manual offers a different way of looking at creativity in the workplace, eschewing worn-out business clichés, such as thinking outside of the box. Vivid full-color photos, sketches, and striking image of paintings—such as Raphael’s early-16th century work The School of Athens—decorate the smooth-flowing text. Overall, this energetic compilation in both creative and practical, and these simple, thought-provoking exercises may help improve teamwork and productivity in a range of organizations.

A smartly written, informative delight for group leaders.

– Kirkus Review

About the Author

Portrait photo of Helene and Keith Chirgwin by photographer Kim Hellström

Helene is a widely experienced HR consultant and a coach, specialising in change management, executive support, and team and group development. Her primary interest lies in creating working environments where people can develop their full individual and organisational potential.

Though now retired, Keith worked as an art teacher within teacher training in Sweden, specialising in visual and art-based learning processes.

In Putting Art to Work, their ambition has been to develop innovative and usable working practices for motivating individuals, groups, and organisations to explore new and creative avenues in their quest for development.

Copyright Information ©

Keith Chirgwin and Helene Chirgwin 2023

The right of Keith Chirgwin and Helene Chirgwin to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781528942485 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781528971164 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2023

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

It has taken a few years for us to put the complete puzzle of this book together, and along the way, we have received help and support from a number of people. So, at the very start, we would like to thank:

Solveig and Len Luckhurst, Barbara Knochenhauer, Raymon Schindler, Derek Jones, Sean Hughes, Will Thomas, Carina Milde, Kristina Arnerud Mejhammar, Daniel and Magnus Chirgwin, members of the former Metodagruppen in Sweden and all of the participants from all walks of life with the seminars and workshops we have held over the years—with special thanks to staff of the Loviseberg Kindergarten and Primary School in Valdemarsvik, Sweden.

Part 1:

Art—The Supporter of Change

What Is the Point of Art?

Have you ever wondered what it is that art is actually good for, if anything?

You probably have. Most people have at some time or other—usually when they stand baffled in front of something they regard inwardly as a pile of rubbish. Art tends to stir things up, and it has been said that there is nothing that upsets people more than art—not even religion!

Posing the question of art’s usefulness isn’t new, but it needs to be asked from time to time because as society changes, so do our values and perceptions and we need to restore the balance. Although many think that art—at least in theory—should be free from all possible alliances; it has always been used for a variety of purposes, even conflicting interests: as an emblem of status and power, as the voice of the individual, and an all-round tool supporting learning and education in various fields.

On an intellectual level, we tend to read art storing away both useful and useless information…but there is more up art’s sleeve than just helping us to feel cultivated at dinner parties.

With putting art to work, we would like to show how art and work with pictures can be used as an instrument supporting change and development in everyday working life, promoting and providing support for the development of individuals and groups, and even engage in work processes enabling both people and organisations to move forward.

Work with small abstract interpretations of colleagues

The methods and practices used in the arts differ significantly from the techniques used by other professions, which is why we believe that art can be so useful in workplace development. The innovative approaches using art-based learning procedures can help create the urge to think in new ways. Working with art can enrich us quite simply by giving us new images of ourselves and teaches us to see more nuances of our own reality.

This book contains a selection of methods and practices for those who would like to try a more creative and innovative approach than those normally used in professional development. These art-based learning methods are presented as a collection of do-it-yourself recipes in the form of hands-on workshops, using art and work with pictures, both as tool and strategy, designed to achieve varying objectives, and goals such as:

Promoting the development of working groups and teams.

Supporting management and leadership development.

Exploring the cultures which characterise organisations and workplaces.

Creating healthier work environments, and more well-being in the workplace.

Stimulating and enriching coaching, and other structured dialogues.

Assisting new meetings and encounters between people and groups.

Encouraging a more creative approach at the workplace.

For each workshop, guidance is provided to help identify the possible goals and targets, which may be achieved—the most suitable materials to be used and how best to proceed. The workshops are flexible and can be customised to suit the needs of those taking part.

From cutting and pasting to playful work in teams

We have used these workshops in a variety of contexts with different organisations and have received very positive response and feedback from all the groups we have met. Usually taking the form of training and development initiatives, we have worked together with leaders and managers, working groups, and teams from different organisations and companies, organisational consultants and coaches, and educational professionals at all levels from pre-school to university training programmes.

1

We would like, not just to inspire readers to try our ideas out, but to also have a go at developing the workshops themselves with the aim of customising them to their own needs.

You don’t need to be an artist or be able draw and paint to succeed with our approaches, and the materials we use are common to schools and preschools. Having said that, the more accustomed you are to using art materials, the more comfortable you will probably feel.

What you do need though is the ability and experience of working with individual and group development. You must have the authority and know-how once you have embarked on an adventure with a group, to see things through, and bring a workshop to a successful conclusion even though things perhaps didn’t turn out as planned.

Our aim is always to empower the groups we work with to instil greater confidence, as we believe this to be a crucial factor in successfully managing change processes toward more sound and healthier workplaces.

We turn, therefore, to all professionals interested in working with learning and development in both the private, as well as public sectors. Professions, we believe, that could use these art-based methods to their advantage are professional educators at all levels, from teachers at pre-school to higher education and university, art teachers, educators working in museums, management and organisational consultants, psychologists, coaches, therapists and social workers, health educators—in fact, all professionals working with learning and development in both private, as well as public sectors.

We have divided the book into two parts:

In part one, we present our ideas on how the concept of art-based learning can act as a catalyst in modern-day work life and relate to research and studies we have found both interesting and noteworthy in this context. We also give some advice on what is needed to hold successful workshops from the essential game rules to the materials and equipment that might be needed.

The second part contains all our detailed workshop descriptions grouped under different thematic headings—in the contexts we have used them. We finish off by giving some ideas and examples of how museums, especially art museums, could be given a new role in reaching out to companies and organisations—perhaps, in their own catchment area—with the aim of assisting and supporting them in their quest for development.

All change, especially if you want it to be positive, involves creating an understanding and a motivation to see things in a new light; and seeing things differently can at best result in a better understanding of who we are, and how we interact in our different environments.

Bringing about change is not a trivial phenomenon, but a very serious concern; and even if many of our workshops are light-hearted and with a generous helping of humour besides, it is all about changing the world for the better—even if only a little.

We hope, therefore, to inspire, enthuse, and not least, challenge others, to work with art as a tool for development and learning, for a more enjoyable way to achieve change in work life, we think, is hard to imagine.

Work and discussion…then more work…and even more discussion.

Workin’ Nine to Five

Change Has Come to Stay

A century of change in working life

The escalating pace today with new products, new processes and new procedures is creating more unpredictability in our work lives, demanding of us an ever-increasing degree of flexibility to cope with the change. Few now expect to stay at the same workplace for a lifetime, and even if we remain for a while in an organisation, our work tasks and duties will likely change while we are there. If this is a trend, it seems it is here to stay.

To stay ahead, modern businesses and organisations must show themselves to be both innovative and resourceful, utilising employees’ skills and competences, unlocking the hidden expertise of their working groups, while creating and maintaining well-being in the workplace. All this may in turn generate new and exciting challenges, especially since everything should—preferably—all be done at the same time.

With everything going on all at once, it seems more constructive to regard workplaces as creative environments since it might then become easier to distinguish between the elements that encourage healthy and constructive steps forward, and those that do not.

Organisational psychologist Göran Ekvall¹ has described some key factors that have an impact on the creative climate in working groups and organisations:

Challenge (how challenged, how emotionally involved and how committed am I to the work?)

Freedom (how free am I to decide how to do my job?)

Idea time (do we have time to think things through before having to act?)

Dynamism (is there a feeling of energy—does our organisation feel dynamic?)

Idea support (do we have resources to give new ideas a try?)

Trust and openness (do we feel safe in speaking our minds, and openly offering different points of view?)

Playfulness and humour (how relaxed is our workplace? Is it okay to have fun?)

Conflicts (to what degree do we engage in interpersonal conflict or warfare?)

Debates (to what degree do we engage in lively debates about work issues?)

Risk-taking (is it okay for us to fail when trying new things?)

A creative and healthy work environment should, Ekwall said, take these factors into account, and with an open attitude, enable employees to focus on opportunities and solutions. (Think of your own workplace and look at the list again. How does it measure up? What are the strengths, and where are the weaknesses?)

How we meet and deal with our lives at work is crucial to our experiences of both our workplace and our own sense of well-being.

The constant farmer

Aaron Antonovsky², the Israeli American medical sociologist, believed that change and developmental growth could be promoted by focusing on factors that support health and well-being rather than by looking at those that do not.

In what he termed the salutogenic approach (salutogenesis: the Latin Salus = health, and the Greek genesis = origin), he ascribed managing stress and staying well to three factors, which are of importance for our health. These were summarised in the ‘sense of coherence’ as: comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness in our lives and work.

Both Ekwall and Antonovsky´s findings, we feel, are in keeping with the concept of empowerment (i.e., being able to exert influence over your situation), an idea based on the belief that each person can control their own lives.

Empowerment can be seen both as a process and an objective and has become an important factor in working life and health research. Empowerment is ultimately a question concerning power, control, and self-reliance, and can be seen to have the following five constituent elements:

To feel that you have control—being able to influence your environment.

To feel competent—to have the necessary skills to handle tasks and duties.

To feel confidence—to experience inner strength and self-esteem.

To feel that you contribute—to feel yourself as a resource.

To feel involvement—that what you do feels worthwhile.

So, how do we achieve these enlightened workplaces—these creative and healthy environments where what we do feels not only comprehensible and manageable, but also meaningful?

The answer may simply be that we take to heart, learn, or teach ourselves some new things. There again, this might not be quite as easy as we at first think for learning in working life—or anywhere else for that matter—involves a lot more than just taking on board new routines and procedures. You cannot simply accumulate new knowledge without getting rid of some of the old!

All the outmoded ways of doing things, the outdated routines which are fast becoming obsolete, all the deep-rooted and antiquated notions, all old, ingrained habits and entrenched behaviour that can weigh us down, and which have become so embedded in who we are and what we do.

There is quite a lot we need to get rid of if we want to acquire the new stuff, and all this does not happen painlessly, so you might not be surprised if mental growing pains make their presence felt from time to time.

Occasionally, we should step outside ourselves, and try to see how others look at things. Our relationships toward what we do, and the people who surround us are a vital part of our working lives; but the relationship, which is perhaps, the most important of all, is that which we have to ourselves. It may sound a bit strange, but how we perceive ourselves is probably the most sensitive component in the process of change.

The pictures we have of ourselves within our own worlds need to be reviewed, and even cultivated if we want to strive for healthy work environments and a deeper understanding of ourselves.

We believe that the use of artistic and creative approaches in the context of change can handle quite tough assignments, and often create a few surprises for all involved.

Being able to tap into, and to put your finger on personal experience, to try and describe the meaningfulness of an encounter, or to make visible ‘the unknown’—at least regarding the more tacit characteristics of the workplace—require approaches that can both create trust, and at the same time can challenge even deeply embedded points of view.

‘I wonder who the real me is…’

All companies and organisations need to revise their strategies now and again: new ventures need to be formulated; new directions mapped out. Change processes necessitate the need to clarify communication on the visions, goals and values that are central to new thinking and new ideas.

Making ideas visible, creating images and metaphors can increase our understanding of where we stand right now, where we are headed, and—not least—why we are on the move.

It is not just our leaders and bosses that need topping up occasionally; we all need replenishment in some form or other to manage our work life. New findings in research may make current knowledge and ways of working obsolete, and sometimes new dilemmas require new solutions not old.

An effective stratagem for handling change is to have access to some form of continuous tutoring either individually or in a group. This can help us create the distance needed to view the roles we have with more impartiality than we are used to. Not just a necessity for our own well-being, but also perhaps a requirement if we want the change process to succeed.

We have seen how the more artistic tools we have used have been effective in dealing with processes where both our intellects and our emotions are ever-present—and quite often in conflict.

Working with art can be a dynamic and beneficial complement to the more logical processes we us e when we examine, evaluate, and analyse.

The journey as metaphor is frequently used to characterise our lives. You have a plan, you know where you are going, and perhaps you know how to get part of the way there; but what takes place once you leave home may result in some unexpected