We all have moments where we can’t recall something that happened in the past.

But, as you grow older, it becomes harder sometimes to recall memories, and that can be a hard thing to deal with.

However, one artist has come up with a simple way to help aging seniors keep those memories fresh for years to come. And it starts with a blank canvas.

Canadian artist Erin Finley has won many awards. She also teaches at the OCAD University. But it’s her creation of Memory Drawing that is getting her even more recognition.

Memory drawing, she said, aims to help older adults remember their favorite past moments, and then highlight them in a painting.

One of the artists at the senior center shows off her artwork. Photo by Erin Finley

Each month, Finley visits a long-term care facility in Toronto. There, she works with residents to create their memory drawing by coloring, sketching and painting.

Residents can range from nervous beginners to seasoned artists, Finley said.

But regardless of their skill, what they can learn from the sessions is monumental, she said.

“I love that they all bring their own life experiences and their own bodies of work that they develop through memory drawing activities,” Finley said.

She said her idea for Memory Drawing came about during the Covid-19 pandemic. She saw the “heartbreaking images” of elderly people who couldn’t be with their loved ones.

I thought, ‘What can I do? I’m not in health care, but I want to do something,'” Finley said.

And now, she does. 

Finley has prompts for the artists if necessary, but often they are “very self-guided and eager to tap into their own imaginations.”

Paintings range from fall scenes, to favorite flowers. But, she said, it’s the talking during the sessions that matter the most.

The group talks about the memories that are inspiring what they paint, which often involve favorite people, places and things, Finley said. Sometimes photos of loved ones are brought in and used to create the new painting.

She said the art sessions can help those with cognitive decline by sparking memories and keeping the mind sharp.

Finley said she helps when needed but tries to let the residents do as they want. For example, one resident needs help with getting the drawing started, she said.

Finley, center right, works with a group of residents on their drawings. Photo by Erin Finley

“I’ll draw half of a maple leaf and he draws the other half,” Finley said. “It adds an interactive component.”

Overall, she said she tries to “be nimble” and “give the residents what they need and what brings them joy.” Each completed artwork is presented to the group and celebrated. “I might lift up the work and say, ‘This is what Lester has done today,'” Finley said.

And then we have a kind of cool gallery moment and we celebrate.”

The finished art is typically given to family members of the residents, or hung in the nursing home.

“Sometimes they are kind of understood to be legacy pieces, so when a family member passes on, they become the prized belongings of the adult children and the remaining family,” Finley said. 

“This can be a difficult time for some of the adult children of the seniors I work with, but I get to go in and help them access these memories and create something wonderful for them to enjoy.”

Watch below for a look at this amazing program!

Source: Fox News