Draw Your Way to a Longer Life
Interview with My Grandma (Eleanor Sisco)
1. Do you belong to any creative programs or class or do you just like to do creative things by yourself? List the creative activities you do by yourself or with others in a program or class.
Currently, my grandma is not taking any creative classes anywhere but she did take one class a few weeks ago and did not follow through with it because she has parkinson's disease and her ability to use her hands is hard. This is very sad for me to see since she was a great painter at one point. The lines in her drawings used to be exact and perfect and now since her hands shake she can not make them perfect like she wants. So my family has told her to create abstract painting but she has trouble even holding a brush. So for her the creative classes of painting and drawing are not good for her anymore. But, other classes like singing she would probably like since I sing with her and she lights up when she hears me. Right now my family is trying to get her involved in a program but she is resisting because she feels helpless but in the past she would say yes and attend if she did not feel as sick as she does. My family is trying to convince her that their might be a class that might actually make her feel better where she is making friends. She will be attending a class in the near future and she is trying to listen more to what her family is saying that very well could help her. I, as her only granddaughter just wants her to enjoy her life more.
2. What creative activities, program, or classes do you enjoy best? Do you think being creative has affected you and helped you to stay younger? If yes, explain why.
In the past, when my grandma painted she got such great joy out og doing it and I know that if she brings creative activities to her life she can feel better.(Her paintings were amazing and that is not just coming from her granddaughter.) My grandma just has to trust her family more and see that we maybe do know what's better for her. My grandma said yes that she did like doing creative activities and wishes she could be well enough to do them again. But, her family sees more strength in her than she actually sees in herself. I know that she needs to believe in herself now and I see her struggling and can do many things when she pushes herself.
3. Have you made any friends through the creative activities you enjoy and have you become friends with them because you share the same interest? What is the mutual bond connecting the two of you? Friends are important and could you talk about the time and how the two of you
became friends?
became friends?
My grandma is a very friendly, sweet lady that tries very hard in everything she does. But now, she feels that people are judging her and she does not want people to think bad of her or that she is incapable of doing normal everyday things. My grandma knows that she needs more interaction in her life to make her happy and she wants that interaction but she is having a hard time getting that when she stays home. When she is faced with people I see her brighten up and get excited so I know that will help her. We almost put my grandma in an Assistant Living Facility in Tuckahoe and if it was not for money she knows and her family knows too that she would be happier today getting to interact with different people. Everyone needs loving people in their lives. My grandma had a best girlfriend who she does not talk with much anymore since she is 10 years younger and wanted to keep active in her life and the fact that my grandma could not she pushed away. Proves my point but not always something you can change when you have a disease.
4. Is there a special place like a nursing home, senior center or activities group that you enjoy best? If yes, where is the place and what is the name of the center? If no, tell me what has made you not join one of those places or groups? If you answered no, tell me if you just like and enjoy being by yourself when doing your creative projects?
My grandma has been to the Wartburg Nursing Home in Mount Vernon, NY and has taken classes there. She actaully attended a class there and few weeks ago and played Bingo. Bingo is not a creative class but it did get her to interact with others, which is great for her also. Her home health aid took her and she stayed there the entire day. She liked the people and the place very much and would go back if she was felt better and more like herself. She has also attended classes at The Phelem Art Center in the past and her family is trying to get her to go back there as soon as she starts to feel a little better.
My grandma has been to the Wartburg Nursing Home in Mount Vernon, NY and has taken classes there. She actaully attended a class there and few weeks ago and played Bingo. Bingo is not a creative class but it did get her to interact with others, which is great for her also. Her home health aid took her and she stayed there the entire day. She liked the people and the place very much and would go back if she was felt better and more like herself. She has also attended classes at The Phelem Art Center in the past and her family is trying to get her to go back there as soon as she starts to feel a little better.
5. If you as a senior citizen could set up and start your own class and get a group of people involved, would you? What type of creative activities would you be doing in this class? Would you enjoy teaching the class?
My grandma at this stage in her life would not but when she was younger and still a senior would have like to becuase my grandma used to be a very social women who did many things in her life. But right now, the answer for her would be no and just attending a class is hard for her now even though she has tried and will be trying to attend more classes in the future.
My grandma at this stage in her life would not but when she was younger and still a senior would have like to becuase my grandma used to be a very social women who did many things in her life. But right now, the answer for her would be no and just attending a class is hard for her now even though she has tried and will be trying to attend more classes in the future.
6. Do you know anyone who does not do any type of creative activities but you think would benefit from doing creative activities and experiencing them and making them a part of their life? If yes, why do you feel creative activities would help that certain person
My grandma believes that before her hubsand (my grandfather) died this past August 2011 he would of enjoyed creative classes if he felt better himself. My grandfather and I, his granddaughter always sang songs together and he would get a big kick out of it. Whenever company would come to the house he would get all exited and my grandfather was a friendly man but for some reason he actaully did not enjoy some of the creative classes he attended as much as his family thought he would for the same reason my grandma did not. This is becuase both of them think very much alike and do not want others juding them in their older age. I kept telling him that many of the seniors that attend these class have problems and are just trying their best but my grandparents always did not like when people had to do things for them and they felt helpless. But I do know that when they see and are around people their state totally improves and becomes more happy.
My grandma believes that before her hubsand (my grandfather) died this past August 2011 he would of enjoyed creative classes if he felt better himself. My grandfather and I, his granddaughter always sang songs together and he would get a big kick out of it. Whenever company would come to the house he would get all exited and my grandfather was a friendly man but for some reason he actaully did not enjoy some of the creative classes he attended as much as his family thought he would for the same reason my grandma did not. This is becuase both of them think very much alike and do not want others juding them in their older age. I kept telling him that many of the seniors that attend these class have problems and are just trying their best but my grandparents always did not like when people had to do things for them and they felt helpless. But I do know that when they see and are around people their state totally improves and becomes more happy.
7. When in your life did you know that you were a creative and expressive person? Talk about your first creative experience in detail.
Doing creative activies for my grandma started when she was my parents age and she was in her 60's. She painted and sewed and would love to show everyone the work she created. A time for her when she really enjoyed her drawing and painting skills was when she was helping me, her granddaughtger, paint a sene of a little house in the snow with the sun just coming out. We were copying the photo from a painting book. She loved teaching me all she knew about how to copy what you see and re-create it. My grandma was a very good teacher and my painting came out excellent, thanks to her help. The lines in my drawing were perfect since my painting was not done or complete until they were she told me. Me and her fixed that painting for hours and it was a great bonding experience for us a well. Also, for us to remember that day and moment is special too.
Doing creative activies for my grandma started when she was my parents age and she was in her 60's. She painted and sewed and would love to show everyone the work she created. A time for her when she really enjoyed her drawing and painting skills was when she was helping me, her granddaughtger, paint a sene of a little house in the snow with the sun just coming out. We were copying the photo from a painting book. She loved teaching me all she knew about how to copy what you see and re-create it. My grandma was a very good teacher and my painting came out excellent, thanks to her help. The lines in my drawing were perfect since my painting was not done or complete until they were she told me. Me and her fixed that painting for hours and it was a great bonding experience for us a well. Also, for us to remember that day and moment is special too.
8. Are there any times when you cannot get your creative juices flowing and you have a block and cannot think of what to creative. Explain this feeling and what goes on in your head? What helps you to creative and think imaginatively?
There were many times when my grandma did not know or have a subject to darw or paint. She would look for things around her and in her environment that jumped out at her. She would also look to copy photos in a painting book and see if she could make her photo look just like the artist. Sometimes not having a place to start got my grandma nervous but she would ask someone what they might want painted to hang in their house and she would get ideas from others who knew my grandma's style of art. My family saw a photo of an old tennis sneaker in a painting book and my mom said that would be a cute painting to have hanging in our bathroom and my grandma at first said that photo is of nothing special and not of a beautiful sense but she put her own feeling aside and painted it anyway and it turned out great. My family was not shocked becuase we all knew my grandma had the talent but she was very shocked how realistic the sneaker looked and how good it actaully came. What you might think is not a good object or photo to draw or paint might turn out differently after you actaully paint it and you'll see that you really like what you created and that it was a good choice.
There were many times when my grandma did not know or have a subject to darw or paint. She would look for things around her and in her environment that jumped out at her. She would also look to copy photos in a painting book and see if she could make her photo look just like the artist. Sometimes not having a place to start got my grandma nervous but she would ask someone what they might want painted to hang in their house and she would get ideas from others who knew my grandma's style of art. My family saw a photo of an old tennis sneaker in a painting book and my mom said that would be a cute painting to have hanging in our bathroom and my grandma at first said that photo is of nothing special and not of a beautiful sense but she put her own feeling aside and painted it anyway and it turned out great. My family was not shocked becuase we all knew my grandma had the talent but she was very shocked how realistic the sneaker looked and how good it actaully came. What you might think is not a good object or photo to draw or paint might turn out differently after you actaully paint it and you'll see that you really like what you created and that it was a good choice.
9. Talk about a time when you shared your creative work with others and tell me about how others reacted to what you had shown them?
My grandma is a very humble person and does not ever think her paintings were much good. She always saw things she needed to improve. We are our own worst cricics. My grandma would pick things out of her painting that were wrong in her eyes but excellent in the eyes of everyone else. She enjoyed praise but did not think she deserved it.
My grandma is a very humble person and does not ever think her paintings were much good. She always saw things she needed to improve. We are our own worst cricics. My grandma would pick things out of her painting that were wrong in her eyes but excellent in the eyes of everyone else. She enjoyed praise but did not think she deserved it.
10. If you as a senior citizen were forced into having to do a creative activity because someone told you that it would improve your quality of life and after getting involved with something creative, are you glad and do you see a change in your life. If yes, what kind of chance do you see?
This is the best question for my grandma because she feels now in her life that my dad (her son) and I are forcing her to get involved in things and we are but only for her own good becuse we know how much she had enjoyed them when she was younger. She knows that if she pushed herself she would be able to do more but she at the moment is resisiting and holding back and wainting people to feel sorry for her and my grandma was never like that. She always was an independent women where now she needs help.
Throughout all of my research so far, I have found out that even though creative class and being among people does help in a very positive way many senior citizens just cannot do them or be a part of them becuause they are just sick and not well enough. That is a hard fact to see and realize for their loved ones who are just trying to help and bring joy/happiness to their lives. My grandma sees that what we are doing is coming from a place of love but she has been acting not like herself for the past few weeks and she does not know what she wants and what will make her feel better, stronger, and happier. But, in time when my family gets a new home health aid taking care of her we hope to see the old women we miss and maybe than taking a creative class and making friends will be fun, instead of a big hassle.
This is the best question for my grandma because she feels now in her life that my dad (her son) and I are forcing her to get involved in things and we are but only for her own good becuse we know how much she had enjoyed them when she was younger. She knows that if she pushed herself she would be able to do more but she at the moment is resisiting and holding back and wainting people to feel sorry for her and my grandma was never like that. She always was an independent women where now she needs help.
Throughout all of my research so far, I have found out that even though creative class and being among people does help in a very positive way many senior citizens just cannot do them or be a part of them becuause they are just sick and not well enough. That is a hard fact to see and realize for their loved ones who are just trying to help and bring joy/happiness to their lives. My grandma sees that what we are doing is coming from a place of love but she has been acting not like herself for the past few weeks and she does not know what she wants and what will make her feel better, stronger, and happier. But, in time when my family gets a new home health aid taking care of her we hope to see the old women we miss and maybe than taking a creative class and making friends will be fun, instead of a big hassle.
No comments:
Post a Comment