The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot

Like Lenni and Margot in Cronin’s novel, many real-world patients benefit from opportunities to express their creativity in a healing environment. According to Scotland’s National Health Service, art therapy has been used as a form of psychotherapy since the 1940s, and the United Kingdom has more than 4,400 registered art therapists, including professionals who specialize in music, drama, and the visual arts. Art therapy uses “visual and tactile media as a means of self-expression and communication” (“Art Therapy,” British Association of Art Therapists, 2023). These media may include clay, pastel, collage, or—Lenni and Margot’s favorite medium—paints.

The British Association of Art Therapists distinguishes between art therapy and art lessons, explaining that “although the sessions can be enjoyable,” participants aren’t expected to have prior experience or artistic skill (“Art Therapy,” 2023). This distinction may be especially helpful for patients who, like Lenni, don’t consider themselves gifted artists. While an art teacher might aim to improve a student’s facility with a certain medium, an art therapist focuses instead on helping individuals build psychological skills and emotional intelligence. An art therapist’s goal is to help individuals “discover an outlet for often complex and confusing feelings, and foster self awareness and growth” (“Art Therapy,” 2023). The paintings that the novel’s protagonists create help them process difficult memories, such as the day Lenni received her terminal diagnosis. In addition to the creation of art, an important part of an art therapy session involves the therapist and the individual examining the artwork, also known as an artifact, together. The art therapist uses the artifact to guide the individual in a discussion of the “thoughts, feelings and experiences that come up during [their] art-making or when [they] look at [their] artwork” (“Art Therapy,” 2023). Although Lenni and Margot usually discuss their art with one another rather than a therapist, these conversations reflect the overall goal of art therapy by enhancing the characters’ self-knowledge, well-being, and belonging.

Those interested in working as an art therapist within Scotland’s National Health Service first must obtain a postgraduate qualification in Art Psychotherapy. Preferably, students applying to this Master’s program already hold an art degree. Other undergraduate degrees that may help applicants build relevant skills and experience include teaching, nursing, occupational therapy, and psychology. Prospective art therapists should be skilled in creativity, communication, and organization. They must be good collaborators and relationship-builders because their role requires them to partner with other healthcare professionals to meet patients’ needs. Art therapists must be compassionate so that they can support individuals with a range of “difficulties, disabilities, or diagnoses,” including “life-limiting conditions” like the ones Lenni and Margot live with (“Art Therapist,” NHS Scotland, 2023). Art therapists assist people of all ages, as evident in the age difference between the 17-year-old Lenni and the 83-year-old Margot. In addition to hospitals, art therapists work in schools, prisons, care homes, and hospices. A growing volume of research supports the efficacy of art therapy as an intervention for individuals ranging from primary school children to military veterans.