Critical-Creative Companionship: A ReflectionWeaving a Path Towards Human Flourishing The first few steps. Mary Mulcahy, Nurse Educator, Practice Development, The Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia.

In June 2013 I made my way to spend some time and visit Dr Angie Titchen in her home in Oxfordshire, England. I first met Angie at an International Practice Development Conference in Sydney, Australia in October 2012, where I presented a paper that had elements of critical creativity spun through it. Angie was seated in the front row. Even though I didnt recognise her, I felt comforted by her presence in the audience. This was my first time presenting at an International conference and my presentation experience up to then had been fairly limited. At the question time, Angie commented on my use of metaphor (the sheep on the rock) that I used in the first slide of my presentation. I had invited the audience to consider the following reflective cue; How do you think you would be feeling if you were that sheep, standing up there on that rock? Well thats what it was like for the early facilitators of Practice Development in our hospital, they didnt know if the rock would collapse beneath them or if it would support them. By the end of the presentation you will get to see how this sheep fares out!(Creative commons (https://www.flickr.com/photos/7ty9/424185912/)When I was preparing for the presentation I had debated with myself whether I should use images as a way to engage with the audience or if I should just stick with the facts and provide the data from the research project that I was presenting on. I followed my heart and used the image to frame the presentation as a means of creating a meaningful connection between me, the presenter, and the audience and also for individuals on a personal level to create an empathetic link between the research participants in the study and themselves. When Angie expressed her enthusiasm for my use of critical creative methods in my presentation, it felt as if she saw a light within me either flash or glimmer and later asked to meet with me for morning tea to share how I was using critical creativity in my workplace. Of course, I was delighted and our journey as critical-creative companions (CCC) began It was a joy to share with someone who also understood the power of working with self and others in critically creative ways. For me, critical creative companionship is all about trust and this takes time to build. It is also about recognizing the light and shadow of self and situations, embracing all its aspects. Critical companionship takes on a type of inquiry that one takes with a more experienced facilitator. The rewards of CCC are far-reaching. Words are hard to find to describe the transformation that occurs. CCC can be seen as a trusted companion to journey with on a common road towards human flourishing. The whole self is used in this work, imagination, physical movement, ritual, emotional connection, written and artistic expression.

A key element is creating silent spaces. As companions journeying towards the inner parts of self, I see it as if you are actually walking on holy ground together. Angie and I, as CCCs, crafted a huge mandala together using the natural resources (e.g stones, tree branches, cow pats, buttercups, water) found in a stunning meadow in the Cotswolds see picture). The symbolism inherent in this process will remain forever etched on my consciousness and continues to serve me in my current practice today with a richness that serves to remind and motivate me to keep flourishing. As Angie says, A little bit of critical creativity goes a long way!I continue to approach critical creativity through the use of personal mandalas to access inner knowing, to allow for wholeness of self, while nourishing my sense of professional artistry (Mulcahy, 2014). CCC is a privileged relationship to have, allowing for support and challenge that provides me with the courage to keep taking the next right steps towards human flourishing. In my Practice Development work I integrate elements of CCC when I facilitate groups through mandala making or individually through reflective supervision and coaching. What I notice when I work with others in critical creative ways is that it allows individuals to believe more deeply in their own intuitive selves. It fosters graceful attention to their own professional artistry and consequently creates deeper meaning to the work they undertake with the patients they care for. Critical creativity gives honor to the noble work that health practitioners do. This weekend I am visiting a retreat centre in country New South Wales, it has an amazing labyrinth garden. I am really looking forward to walking the labyrinth and to reflecting on my own practice to hopefully gain new insights. When I return home to Sydney on Sunday, I plan to speak to Angie and Lorna (my other CCC who is from Ireland) via Skype and, hopefully, to share some of my experiences with them. As CCCs, the journey is continuous and, as we weave our own individual paths from different parts of the world, we can still be there to support and inspire each other.

14th August 2014Mulcahy M. (2013) Mandalas as a tool for transformation to enable human flourishing: the influence of Carl Jung: International Practice Development Journal 3 (2) (11). http://www.fons.org/library/journal/volume3-issue2/article11