Separateness representations in a sculpting task: Revealing maternal subjective experience

This study explored mothers' separateness representations via a clay sculpting task assigned to 24 mothers of preschool children aged 21 months to 4 years. Each participant created a clay sculpture of herself and her child, followed by a semi-structured interview about the sculpting experience and the meaning of the sculpture. Qualitative analyses grouped the participants' visual narratives on a continuum of low, partial, and high separateness representations. Variations across the continuum were found with respect to maternal autonomy, grounding, awareness of separateness from their children, and sense of separateness from their own mothers. Therapeutic applications of the clay task also are discussed.