Art Based Inquiry: Exploring Metaphors and Felt Sensations Through the Process of SoulCollage

Sarah Helen Epp

    This arts based research paper explores the intersection of SoulCollage, metaphors, and felt sensations within an art therapy context.  Art therapy is a “set of interpersonal and art-based skills used to help people come to terms with psychological, developmental, social, and behavioral stressors that impede their health and wellbeing” (Kapitan, 2014, p. 30).  A primary aim of art therapy is image creation followed by reflective critique as a means to enhance insight and promote psychological wellbeing.  SoulCollage is an artistic modality developed by Seena Frost (2001, 2010a); in brief, SoulCollage processes utilize the transformative power of collaging as a method for identifying and engaging aspects of one’s psyche.   

    This research examines the relationship between the images, felt sensations within the body, and the generation of metaphors within an art therapy context.  This arts based research is founded on the creation of one hundred SoulCollage cards and written reflections.  The data creation is the result of a systematic process of making SoulCollage cards, followed by identifying and documenting felt sensations within the body.  The process of imaginal dialogue, free prose, and poetry served as a tool to foster the creation of verbal metaphors.  SoulCollage fosters the creation of verbal metaphors through utilizing the Cognitive and Symbolic components of the Expressive Therapies Continuum.  This paper focuses on contextualizing the SoulCollage process through the lens of the Expressive Therapies Continuum and arts-based research methodologies.  In addition, it provides the author’s exploration of metaphor and felt sensations within the body and their application in art therapy. 

Keywords:  arts based research, collage, Expressive Therapies Continuum, felt sensations, metaphor, SoulCollage