In the process of artistic creation, we can acquire and effectively apply knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary for understanding and managing emotions, setting and achieving positive goals, fostering positive feelings, and demonstrating empathy toward others. Through various approaches, we incorporated content into the artistic activities with older adults that indirectly addressed these aspects, enabling participants to explore or strengthen them through artistic solutions (drawings, paintings, graphics, sculptures, architectural compositions, or their combinations).
The aim of this master's thesis was to gain insight into the artistic activities of older adults as a form of support for understanding and managing emotions, setting and achieving positive goals, fostering positive feelings, and demonstrating empathy toward others. Additionally, we explored the educator's role within the process. A qualitative approach and descriptive research method were employed. The study involved five older adults, approximately 70 years old. Meetings were conducted in person once a week, totaling 20 school hours.
The research revealed that participants were particularly engaged by the artistic techniques of collage, creating sculptural forms, and themes connected to the environment, as well as content that allowed them to express their emotions through artistic creation. In their artworks, participants individually incorporated elements of their life situations, emotional experiences, awareness of facts, changes that impacted others (e.g., family, friends), and reflections on these influences.
The study showed that participants' attitudes toward the content and the workshops themselves evolved, as did their dynamics within the group.
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