I have already proposed that our day to day work – if we are taking it seriously at all – involves a kind of personal tension (in a good way).
I now propose that this tension arises from the constant interaction between inclusiveness, creativity, and boundedness, the three elements which I call our Family Support Shamrock.
When I say constant interaction I mean that there is rarely a steady state where all three co-exist in even proportions. Depending on the situation, the circumstance, the individual or individuals looking for help, our own mood on the day, or even the decisions that colleagues may have made previously, there will be a continual dance between the three elements.
At one point, we may need to be very inclusive, while on another day in a different circumstance, the boundary will be to the fore. The one constant, ever-present aspect of our work is, however, creativity.
Young men and women who are on the road to addiction and who may have committed crimes to satisfy their instant gratification need might be challenged by the warmth and intimacy of inclusion (so may not be that attracted, initially, to the ease of the relationship), and, of course, most will be very resistant to learning necessary boundaries.
But they will always be drawn to creativity.
For practitioners, it is important to remember that such young people (and some not-so-young) may never have experienced creativity – even from those who are there to help them. (What they more likely might have experienced is distance, take it or leave it, coercion or in some cases even bullying).
And coercion, bullying and take-it-or-leave-it might not be that challenging for them at all – indeed, that is the kind of world with which they may be familiar!
The Family Support Shamrock offers something different.
To sum up, I believe that we are drawn to creativity because it touches our spirit; we want to be included because of the strength of the root foundation of relationship, and we need boundaries to feel secure and safe.
The remainder of this Chapter will explore the three elements with respect to how they are enhanced and/or inhibited [1] firstly in organisations and then in the self, and are utilised to good effect in our work.
[1] When I say a characteristic, or trait will be enhanced I mean that it will become stronger, or more influential. When I say inhibited I mean that its influence will be lessened over time. For example, if I say that creativity is inhibited by, say, a rigid structure, I mean that people who work in the organisation find it hard to be creative, even if they’d like to be, and/or people who ask for help or visit the organisation don’t notice or expect much creativity.