Blob Tree
{{Short description|Visual tool to express emotions}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox artwork
|title=Blob Tree
|image=The Blob Tree Original 1st edition Poster.jpeg
|caption=Original poster
|artist=Ian Long and Pip Wilson
|year=2008
|medium=Digital Art
}}
The Blob Tree is a visual tool designed to allow individuals to express themselves and their emotions in a non-verbal way through the use of human figures known as Blobs who are genderless, ageless, and culture-less.[https://medium.com/the-summit-life/which-blob-person-are-you-b66d36ee5723 "Medium,"] Retrieved 24 January 2023.
The original Blob Tree was created in the early 1980s[http://blobtree.com/ Official website] Retrieved 24 January 2023. by Pip Wilson and Ian Long as a way of communicating with young people and adults who found reading difficult.[https://merahputih.com/post/read/ketahui-kondisi-batin-anda-melalui-tes-ini "Merah Putih,"] Retrieved 24 January 2023.
The Blob Tree collection consists of a set of illustrations of blob figures in various poses and expressions, each representing a different emotion or feeling.[https://telegraf.com.ua/zhizn/zhurnal/5489462-uznayte-o-sebe-chto-to-novoe-kakovo-vashe-polozhenie-v-obshhestve.html "Telegraf Ukraine,"] Retrieved 24 January 2023. These illustrations are intended to be used as prompts for individuals to identify and express their own emotions, or as a way to start a conversation about emotions and feelings.[https://www.hk01.com/社會新聞/372863/校園天地-正正得正-順德聯誼總會李金小學-super-正向教育 "HK01,"] Retrieved 24 January 2023.
The Blob Tree has been adopted by professionals in a variety of fields, including counselling, therapy, education, and youth work, and in a variety of settings, including schools, hospitals, community centers, and prisons.[https://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/wall-artist-gets-creative-at-lynn-school-9258795/ "Lynn School,"] Retrieved 24 January 2023. The tool's success came from its simplicity and universality where the blob figures were easily recognizable and relatable, making it easy for individuals to connect with the illustrations and express their own emotions.{{cite thesis |type=BSc |last=Poikonen |first=Leena |date=2011 |url=https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/39357/Leena_Poikonen.pdf?sequence=1 |title=USING BLOB TOOLS TO EXPRESS FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY: Experiences from five Finnish Occupational Therapists |publisher=Jamk University of Applied Sciences}}
Inventors
The Blob Tree was created by Pip Wilson & Ian Long. Recognising the need for a non-verbal, universally accessible tool for emotional expression and communication, they developed the Blob Tree as a way to bridge language and cultural barriers and make emotional expression more accessible to people of different ages and backgrounds.[https://medan.tribunnews.com/2015/08/06/uji-psiko-emosional-siapa-anda-dan-ingin-menjadi-apa "Medan Tribun News,"] Retrieved 24 January 2023.
=Pip Wilson=
Pip Wilson (1939–2023) was born in St Helens, Merseyside. A trained youth worker{{Cite web |last=Northup |first=Paul |date=2023-10-23 |title=A Beautiful Human Life: Remembering Pip Wilson |url=https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/a-beautiful-human-life-remembering-pip-wilson/ |access-date=2024-01-25 |website=Greenbelt |language=en-GB}} working with gangs, running community centres and training youth leaders. He was author of many books including Gutter Feelings & Pip Wisdom. With many years of experience working with young people, Pip branched out specialising in team leadership, workshops, teaching and practical training in the area of emotional intelligence.[https://www.flooxernow.com/para-ti/que-parte-arbol-estas-haz-test-piscologico-pip-wilson_201804105accb3d70cf2c61cea56b471.html "Flooxer Now!,"] Retrieved 24 January 2023.
The intentions for the blobs according to Wilson was that they can "help facilitate and stimulate meaningful discussions about difficult issues or situations. Individuals or groups can start discussions by identifying themselves, or others, with an individual or group of blobs whose actions or feelings represent their own. "[https://www.pipwilson.com/p/blob-tree.html "Blob Tree,"] Retrieved 18 January 2023. Wilson died on 22 September 2023. On the BBC "pause for thought", it referenced Wilson's "You are a beautiful human person", phrase which inspired much of the Blob Tree content.{{Cite web |title=Pause For Thought - Cole Morton: "You're beautiful" - BBC Sounds |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0glm9p7 |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en-GB}}
=Ian Long=
Ian Charles Long, born in Birmingham in 1965 to Sidney and Doreen Long, is an author and artist and worked for 17 years as a primary school teacher.{{Cite web |title=Ian Long |url=https://www.greenbelt.org.uk/artists/ian-long/ |access-date=2023-09-04 |website=Greenbelt |language=en-GB}} Long's contribution to the Blob Tree originated in discussion with Wilson who shared his ideas for a non-verbal image to help with emotional expression. Wilson gave ideas to Long who would illustrate the ideas and turn them into pictures.{{fact|date=July 2024}}
Through growing fame, the Blob Tree moved away from just visual tools and began to involve conferences and training workshops ran by Pip and then Ian Long at the request of schools, colleges and countries most popularly in the United Kingdom, Norway, Finland, Bulgaria, Germany and Czechia.{{Cite web |title=Facebook - Blob Training in Hull |url=https://www.facebook.com/Blobtreecom/posts/pfbid02gbvfpiCbEHV1TmvnuGioGwZS2nRn3wK2WYWeZ9arzgVRDwXYZcMZN5eJ8ioZE7Sol |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=www.facebook.com}}
Since Wilson's death in 2023, Long continues the Blobtree with the Wilson family, which by this time also involves daily inspirational quote images posted on social media,{{Cite web |title=Facebook - The Blob Tree |url=https://www.facebook.com/Blobtreecom |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=www.facebook.com}} and a new project called the 'Visual Bible' illustrating each verse of the Bible into Blob format.{{Cite web |title=Facebook - Visual Bible |url=https://www.facebook.com/BlobVisualBible |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=www.facebook.com}}
Bibliography
Their most notable works include:
- The Big Book of Blob Trees (2017).{{Cite book |last1=Wilson |first1=Pip |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CyBWDwAAQBAJ&q=The+Blob+Tree |title=The Big Book of Blob Trees |last2=Long |first2=Ian |date=2018-04-17 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-351-11337-3 |language=en}} This book features 70 different Blob trees that can be used as prompts to explore feelings.
- Blob Life (2012).{{Cite book |last1=Long |first1=Ian |last2=Wilson |first2=Pip |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=47XdAwAAQBAJ&q=The+Blob+Tree |title=Blob Life |date=2012-07-25 |publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=978-1-291-00314-7 |language=en}} This book looks at the journey of life which we all take from birth through to death and beyond. It covers many of the aspects of life using key aspects - birthdays, families, death, driving, shopping, holidays, school, home etc.