| This qualitative case study investigated ways in which creativity may have promoted major gains in wellness in a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic patient living in a state mental hospital. Issa Ibrahim, a 46 year-old African-American man was a patient for 20 years at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center. He spent most days creating art in a unique resource, The Living Museum, and now has clinical follow-up while living in his own apartment. The question, "What effect has daily creative expression had on your art and lived experience?" guided the investigation. Data sources included: a prior pilot study; Ibrahim's autobiographies, his novel written under the pseudonym, Izzy Aha; one semi-structured interview; two standard psychological tests, one casual conversation; original music; analysis and visual documentation of paintings; newspaper and magazine articles; and supplementary data: interviews with the Director of The Living Museum; another patient; and a supplementary drawing by the investigator. Narrative and content analysis addressed Ibrahim's experience with psychiatric illness and creativity. Data were interpreted using psychodynamic, analytic, and humanistic paradigms incorporating projective art analysis. Results supported the likelihood that creativity aided in resilient response, and also fit the pattern of a creative "compensatory advantage" linked to mild psychopathology. Creativity may promote original solutions to everyday difficulties, enhancing flexibility, adaptability, and resilience, a framework of healing I call FAR. Multiple data sources support Ibrahim's resilient response to illness. Four prominent artistic themes appeared: self-portraits, superheroes, love and sexuality, and mental illness. Creative expression helped transform pain, disorganization, and distress in uniquely valuable ways promoting richer, more creative, hopeful, life experiences. This research shows how psychological trauma, in the context of creative intervention, can potentially foster hardiness and increase function, promoting FAR, and even catalyze a change in identity from psychiatric patient to artist. This research links schizophrenic disorders to creativity and a healing potential, while demonstrating that some individuals with these disorders can live meaningful, productive lives by incorporating daily involvement in creative activity. Yet not everyone has this result. We need to learn even more about the key success factors so others may also benefit. |
