Rachel & Martha Developed FRAME in 2020

Rachel Graves has her doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis.

She is currently at the Mayo clinic in a fellowship program integrating Performing Artists Medicine and Hand Therapy. She and her violin continue to resonate joy and inspiration wherever she plays.   

Martha Paterson is an alum of San Jose State in Occupational Therapy.

She is in a private practice hand therapy clinic, Artistic Advantage that specializes in Performing Arts Medicine in Burbank California. Her musical years were as a woodwind doubler. She and her vast background in hand therapy and music guides injured performers back to their art.

Here are their thoughts:

FRAME is a resource for artists practioners and students providing a structure to navigate the process of aches and pains, the feeling of 'something's not right' and injury. 

FRAME reflects direction and guidance. Healing like creating art has a blueprint and is a process. Most practitioners have a blueprint of their own experiences and field of study in their minds.   The common language of processes used in FRAME helps put everyone on the same page e.g circle of 5th's, storytelling arc or color theory. Once we consider the layers and combinations to create art we encounter the layers and circuitry of the body and we can become aware of what is best for right now. 

Introduction to Foundation :

When pain or discomfort is interfering with the creation of one's art, it can be debilitating, especially with the messages sent from the mysterious body-mind. The truth is, there's no one practitioner who can see, nor has all the solutions to influence the impact art has on the mind-body.  Even with incredible tools, it may take multiple providers' solutions, adjustments and timely interventions to untangle these troubles. The body sends warning signals. We have to learn how to decode them. 

Introduction to Rehabilitation:

Spending a moment or two with FRAME, can identify missing components in an essential chain reaction from awareness to engagement. We can't begin to know these inner workings until we have lived  experiences. FRAME reveals cornerstones to be examined and to benefit from the development of essential links.  As we develop our indiviudal artistry, we have to be aware of the smaller components in the grander process.

Introduction to Independence:

The key elements needed to fully engage in creating art, especially when the body mind are out of balance, benefit from having some guide rails. FRAME may help in just that manner.  We ask ourselves where, what and which intervention do we try next? This is a question for both practioner and artist.  Yet as the artist is becoming more autonomous feedback from lived experiences are most valuable.

Take a look at FRAME illustrated below for a broader perspective of a comprehensive path to address the current obstacles. Click through the phases to learn more and see what elements catch your eye or peak your interest. As an artist, you can gain insights to discuss with your practioners, teachers and mentors. As a practioner, FRAME may assist you in referring to a timely structure aiding in a key advantage to the healing momentum. View a sample of FRAME the matrix for Hand Therapy to see how we keep track of what our team covers in therapy.