Creative Ways of Refashioning Study – The Intersection between Art and Psychiatry

TURN YOUR STUDY NOTES INTO INSTALLATION ART

Throughout my years as a student, I’ve developed my system of symbols and colour-coding, with the end product resembling a cross between John Nash’s window scrawling in ‘A Beautiful Mind’ and Carrie Mathieson’s pinboards in ‘Homeland’.

On hearing that the exam was cancelled, I initially hesitated when deciding the fate of my new wall coverings, concerned that to keep them on display would have the same tragic effect as a jilted bride refusing to take off her wedding gown.

Despite initial reservations, I’ve decided to keep my study mural on display and continue my efforts to turn revision into a form of creative expression. Beyond a unique piece of home décor (trending feature wall anyone?), adding some colour and artistic flair to study notes can enhance the retention of information and make study more enjoyable and exciting.

The actual process of creating the notes is as important as the final product – whether you favour the graphic simplicity of bold and stark bullet points or opt for a more eclectic and colourful style, you will find yourself synthesising the information in the most personally meaningful way.

ENGAGE IN REFLECTIVE JOURNALING

During my consult-liaison term, one of my supervisors suggested that I keep a journal to document any particularly memorable cases and the key learning points, that they raised.

Following this advice, I started a handwritten volume memorialising the cases that stuck with me the most, reflecting on how they shaped my practice of psychiatry and outlook on life in general. The association of core concepts in psychiatry, such as capacity, with the emotional resonance of a particular case can make factual information far easier to recall.

I continue to keep this journal, and over two years later, it is now filled with my reflections on many aspects of psychiatry and my training.

More than just a series of deidentified case notes, my journal contains drawings, poems and anecdotes, but the scope for creative expression is endless.

Rereading past entries can be nostalgic, confronting and educational, and the process of writing remains a valuable therapeutic outlet for me.

CREATE THE SOUNDTRACK OF YOUR DREAMS

The power of music to create a mood and induce relaxation is undeniable. There is also evidence to suggest that listening to certain kinds of music during study can facilitate learning and increase study endurance.

As someone whose personal taste in music is more gangster rap than harmonious Gregorian chants, I tend to use music mostly as a way to get pumped up for study, rather than as the actual soundtrack for the big event.

Thanks to Spotify, it’s easy to make a playlist to match any topic and share playlists with your study group.

BROADEN YOUR READING HORIZONS

For many of us, the intense demands of work and study leave little time to engage in wider reading.

Trainees who now have some unexpected time on their hands due to the exam cancellation may well find solace and diversion in some literary escapades, with the added bonus of gaining knowledge and insights that ultimately add value to our learning.

Whether you want to catch up on all those unread journal articles or just lose yourself in a good novel, it’s all grist for the mill.

Better still, get a book club going, with other trainees and challenge yourselves to formulate the protagonists of novels.

FINAL THOUGHTS

As a final aside, it is crucial to recognise that the disruption to our study and training plans has occurred within a far broader global context.

The sense of uncertainty and destabilisation that some trainees will experience is far from trivial. As always it is essential to watch out for our own emotional welfare and that of our peers.

Hopefully, we are able to use the skills we gain from dealing with this situation to a positive end, ultimately increasing our capacity to provide empathetic care to our patients in this challenging time.