Friday, August 5, 2011

Creativity Abounds

At our TimeSlips program this week, I noticed just how much creativity exists in our minds, and how dementia affects each individuals creativity differently.

For instance, my Mom has trouble with her eyesight. We have been told that this may be due to Lewy Body dementia, but no one is really sure. When Mom reads, she says the words jump around on the page. When she is watching TV, she will see objects in the show that are not there, or she will think the whole show is being shown in shades of blue or red. This means that when Mom looks at things, her eyes see a myriad of amazing things. You can see this in the story below. The the possibility of the people in the photo wearing stilts or being puppets was from Mom as she saw very different things in the photo than what was technically there. Mom also felt no need to have the story be "right" and this might be because her dementia is a bit more advanced that that of the rest of the group.

It is so great to see this group work together and appreciate everyone's creativity.

"Duel On The Patio"
Photo from the Library of Congress, found in the TimeSlips curriculum

They are in a stance to duel. They dueling with epees. It looks like they are filming a scene because there is a backdrop and maybe a camera behind the man's arm. We think it is a movie. Either it is a movie or it is a husband and wife that are really mad at each other. It is a very serious situation. This might be a costume store and they may have swords.

Maybe it is a class and the others have swords in their hand and are waiting for their turn. There is a tile floor and trees in the background and furniture, it looks like it is a set outside. The guy with the black jacket might be an instructor. All three of the people in the background have swords in their right hands. The three in the back are waiting for their turn. They are learning fencing. 

The guy on the right is Maxwell and he is fencing with Amanda. The instructor in the black jacket is Hans. The other two people are the next pair, their names are Winston and Alice.

One thing that puzzles me is that they don't appear to have chest protection on and normally they do. They are not really going to harm anyone, the swords they have are not dangerous ones. The swords may be rubber, so they are having a friendly encounter. 

The name of the movie is "Duel on the Patio." I notice a urn on the right hand side, they are in Italy. Maxwell looks like he might have stilts on, his shoes look heavy from the side. One shoe is heavy and one is pointed like a fairy slipper, and they are in different directions. They are trying to get their balance.

It could be puppets, maybe the people are not real. There may be strings on them.

Some maid is going to come out with sandwiches and a bottle of champagne and they will relax for the rest of the day.

Blessings,

Rev. Katie

1 comment:

  1. "Mom also felt no need to have the story be "right" and this might be because her dementia is a bit more advanced that that of the rest of the group." I think I am just starting to enter the midrange in my own dementia and I know all dementias progress differently, but something I have found for myself (and which seems to be true for most as I read what others with dementia have written) is that one of the blessings of dementia (for the patient) is that as it progresses, you became more laid back more of the time. It just doesn't seem worth the effort to put a whole lot of mental energy into having every piece in exactly the right place.

    While I still try to get some things just right, I am slowly beginning to find myself more often willing to just go with the flow instead of trying to fix and correct and perfect things - and that was never my personality in the past. I have always been a perfectionist.

    ReplyDelete