ABSTRACT
In this intermezzo, the co-authors explore why we believe creative collaboration is so useful, particularly in light of the fact that we ultimately decided to conclude our therapeutic relationship. While arts therapists have long advocated the use of multiple creative forms, we explain why collaborative writing which focuses on the therapeutic relationship – and not simply using an artform to explore only the client's real-world experiences and feelings – can be a powerful tool for building trust, multiple dimensions, humour and – importantly – love. In keeping with our dialogic approach to writing, we offer these interstitial dialogues as literal discussions of some of the core themes that our sole-authored chapters touch upon.
In this first dialogue, we examine how we define collaborative writing, how the collaborative writing and the sharing of it publicly raised issues of power, trust and humour. We also begin our consideration of some of the ethical questions surrounding this kind of work. The dates attached to some of the entries are real – they are the dates between 2020 and 2023 when this book was written. However, they do not always run sequentially, as the themes we explore circle back and around, more like circuits of curiosity than a linear journal.
