Creative Expression and Connection: Dinas Powys Library

🧠 Warming Up With a Quiz

We began our session with a general knowledge quiz, using a set of question cards. Each person had five cards and took turns quizzing the others, creating a fun and engaging environment. This format encouraged cognitive stimulation, verbal interaction, and peer connection — all essential for supporting communication and memory.

Occupational therapists often use structured quizzes to promote memory recall, turn-taking, and sustained attention, especially for individuals living with dementia (Yates et al., 2016).

🎨 Painting Our Favourite Places

The session then moved into a creative painting activity. Participants were invited to start by painting their favourite place, then adding details that represent comfort — such as colours,

objects, or people. Finally, we encouraged everyone to decorate their paintings with favourite colours and personal patterns. This kind of activity taps into emotional expression, identity, and self-reflection. Even for individuals who may struggle with verbal expression, art-making offers a therapeutic outlet to share what matters to them.

Research supports the use of visual arts to promote wellbeing, reduce anxiety, and foster communication in people with cognitive impairments (Chancellor et al., 2014).

Shared art-making can also increase social engagement and reduce behavioural distress in people with dementia (Kinney & Rentz, 2005).

💬 Sharing & Reminiscence

At the end of the session, each participant was invited to share their artwork and the meaning

behind it. This prompted personal storytelling, reminiscence, and warm group discussion. These social moments help strengthen relationships, empathy, and group cohesion.

🎓 OT Reflections

This session embodied several core occupational therapy goals, including:

• Supporting self-expression through creative occupation

• Enhancing cognitive function through structured quizzes

• Facilitating social participation and identity affirmation

• Providing emotional comfort in a calm, meaningful setting

📚 References

• Chancellor, B., Duncan, A. and Chatterjee, A., 2014. Art therapy for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 39(1), pp.1–11.

• Kinney, J.M. and Rentz, C.A., 2005. Observed well-being among individuals with dementia: Memories in the Making, an art program, versus other structured activity. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementias, 20(4), pp.220–227.

• Yates, L.A., Ziser, S., Spector, A. and Orrell, M., 2016. Cognitive leisure activities and future risk of cognitive impairment and dementia: systematic review and meta-analysis. International Psychogeriatrics, 28(11), pp.1791–1806.