Emily Culbert
Quilts, Snapdragons, and Spoons
This thesis examines and shares my experiences during my time at OCAD, as I search for comfort and grounding through self-reflective awareness of objects and my physical surroundings. In the past few years, I have found in increasingly difficult to balance my mental health between coming to terms with adulthood, the looming threat of environmental collapse, the pressures of hyper-connectivity via the internet, and most recently, the isolation of COVID19. The purpose of this research paper is to add my contribution to the archive of experience surrounding art and wellness and relay the methods and processes of self-soothing and grounding that I have discovered in my journey. I return to childhood memories and anecdotes that have defined my relationship to tangible materials like food, craft, furniture, collectables, and toys. Through research and studio investigations, this thesis conveys the importance of interaction with the physical world, promoting the adoption of daily tactile processes and selfreflection. Using artmaking as an analytic tool, I consider the relationships behind each object and the stories that have continued to influence the way I exist in the world today. I consider the past, my present, and how I might take steps towards the future.