Where We Create: Wonder, Inspiration, Motivation, Connection

Today marks the last day for the art therapy photo documentary Spaces & Places: Where We Create, an online project that Magdalena Karlick and I launched back in February inviting art therapists, art therapy students, and art organizations to submit digital pics and descriptions about the creative spaces they work & create in, as well as favorite or common materials and media used.

Over the last 4 months it has been a pleasure to see this project unfold…with wonder, inspiration, motivation, and connection.  Over 200 photos from Italy, India, Canada, Singapore, New Zealand, the US, Hong Kong, Mexico, and Australia were shared via The Art Therapy Alliance community on Facebook, through Flickr, and posted on the go with Instagram.

I’ve enjoyed experiencing through with project and its collection of photos where art therapy happens, art materials that are offered, and the creative spaces we make our own art.  Equally enjoyable  for me has been the connection the photos have inspired.  Through the power of social media, there’s been many supportive exchanges & interactions in the form of sharing, tweeting, liking, or commenting  that have helped foster community, connection, and creativity.

More to come soon from Magdalena and I on the Art Therapy Alliance’s posterous, as we share our reflections and thoughts regarding Spaces & Places: Where We Create.   A big thank you to Magdalena for co-organizing this project with me, the project’s endorsers, and to each and every art therapist, art therapy student and organization who contributed photos and shared their Spaces & Places.  I invite you to take the time to view all the photos, comments, and connection inspired by Spaces & Places: Where We Create here on Facebook.

I wanted to make my final photo contribution to Spaces & Places: Where We Create with some pics of the art therapy space I worked in today: my art therapy office (below from my previous #wherewecreate submission) where I facilitate individual and group community based services with youth.  In this space today, it was the last session of a children’s trauma and loss art therapy group that I have been meeting with over the last 8 weeks:

Art Therapy Office Space

Art Therapy Supply Stash for Groupwork

For many of my last group sessions, but especially for this children’s trauma & loss group because it helps reinforce themes related to resiliency, I like to spend some time focusing on an experience I introduce as “Stones of Strength”. Each child has the opportunity to select their own personal stone to embellish, make his/her own with permanent marker and by writing one word on the surface that brings him/her feelings of comfort and safety.

The stone can then be used as a tangible, creative, and personalized reminder to keep and use for coping in times of worry, stress, or  difficult days.

A batch of stones from the photo below were creatively developed & dedicated by this group of 6-12 year olds for kindness, love, friendship, and hope, to  just to name a few.

Stones of Strength

Getting Ready: Gluebooking, Paper Swapping, Page Exchanging & More

I just finished up my video tutorials and PDF download  for my 6 Degrees of Creativity 2 workshop Creative Goodness with Gluebooks.  It was a lot of fun to put all the content together and get it ready for its July 1st debut.   This online workshop not only includes an introduction to making gluebooks &  gluebook prompts to work on, but also an August paper stash swap and November gluebook page exchange with other workshop participants.

Gluebooking Fun Begins in July!

In preparation for this workshop I’ve been collecting even more paper stuff to use as a way of documenting my activities, interests, plans, and inspirations through the concept of gluebooking.  I’ve been a lot more mindful of the paper around me (even the most mundane and ordinary scraps, notes, & clippings) and how I can transform these into sharing an experience, memory, feeling,or something special I want to remember through gluebooking.

One of the gluebook spreads I worked on yesterday included a lot of the findings I brought back home from my travels last week such as local maps, a farecard ticket, baggage tags, images from a visitor guide, handmade paper, and more.   It was a creative way for me to continue to process the experience, as well as create a meaningful representation through all the various things I saved.

Stash Swapping & Page Exchanging!

I am so looking forward to seeing what gluebooks & gluebook spreads are created by others involved in this workshop, as well as exchanging some gluebook pages and stuff from our paper stash!    Lots of creative goodness!

The creative goodness doesn’t stop with this workshop either: there are five additional workshops and instructors part of the 6 Degrees of Creativity 2 experience!    Yay!  Join us starting in July for our 6 month virtual art making adventure & creative community.   Registration is open until June 30, 2012.

Bridging Papermaking & Art Therapy at GMU

CPP Exhibit @ Corcoran Gallery of Art

I just returned from an amazing week of events and helping co-lead a Papermaking as Art Therapy for Trauma Intervention workshop with Peace Paper’s Drew Matott at George Mason University as part of Arts, Military, + Healing: A Collaborative Initiative, — a project developed by Tappert & Associates as part of The Arts and the Military.  This week long event was hosted by the Veteran Artist Program (VAP) and included organizations and programs such as Art Therapy Without Borders, Combat Paper Project, Combat Paper NJ, Peace Paper, The Telling Project, and Warrior Writers facilitating workshops at various sites throughout the DC area.

Studio 1009 @ GMU

The workshop that Drew and I presented at GMU included presenting considerations important to papermaking, art therapy, and trauma, as well as provided participants the hands on opportunity to take a significant article of their own clothing to learn the transformative process of making it into paper.

Papermaking!

Participants de-constructed/cut up the article of clothing (rag) they brought, had this rag made into pulp, and then learned how to pull and form sheets of their own paper with an introduction to western papermaking.  Participants were also introduced to creative sheet formation (layering pulp of different colors), how to make and use screens from a meaningful photograph for pulp painting, and how to bookbind with the paper we made throughout the week.

AMH Papermakers @ GMU! | Photo: Erwin Thamm

The week flew by!  Lots of meaningful, thoughtful paper and art was reclaimed and made in Studio 1009.  It was an honor to be part of this experience and work with everyone who attended- thank you to all the participants!  Another thank you to the VAP team, George Mason University’s School of Art and Design, Helen Fredrick, and Patrick Sargent for being our hosts during this workshop…such wonderful facilities, equipment, inspiration, and support!

You can check out photos from all the amazing workshops, receptions, performances, and AMH events by viewing this slideshow from VAP.  You can also learn about upcoming Peace Paper activities & papermaking workshops in 2012, as well as follow Peace Paper’s travels and happenings through Facebook.

Update (5/23):  View this video & news piece by Nicole Goodrich from the workshop published via The Army Times.

Plain Dealer Spotlights Art Therapy: Art Therapists Help Others Find a Voice

I received the above quote as part of a kind note from a co-worker who was leaving our agency this week with the observation that it made her think of me and my work with art therapy.  My co-worker also expressed that this sentiment came through in an article I recently did for the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Today’s Top Jobs after career writer Terri Mrosko invited me to share my work as an art therapist.

I was happy to learn about Terri’s interest in art therapy and the opportunity to promote the field within my local community as one example of what an art therapist does, as well as the educational standards and professional credentialing involved for this career path.

Cleveland Plain Dealer-Today’s Top Jobs

Spotlighting art therapy as a career choice is also significant and timely in Ohio, as legislation for art therapy licensure (SB 205) is currently active in the Senate’s Health, Human Services, and Aging Committee with hopes that the bill will continue to keep moving forward. Legislation for art therapy in the state of Ohio is very important for a number of reasons, one of which is that regulation provides consumers the peace of mind that they are receiving art therapy services from an individual who has obtained the proper educational training and professional standards to practice as an art therapist.  Employers will also know who is appropriately qualified to offer art therapy services.

It would be great to see this achievement for art therapy in Ohio finally happen!

To learn more about SB 205 check out this article and if you (or others you know) live in Ohio, find out how you can help advocate for this legislation through visiting the Buckeye Art Therapy Association website.

Thank you to Terri Mrosko, photographer George Shuba, and the Plain Dealer for putting together a nice piece promoting art therapy- Much gratitude!

More from My Own Beautiful, but Altered Brain: Hindsight + Foresight = Vision | Gratitude Collage

The month of May over the last five years always reminds me to pay special attention to the concepts of hindsight, foresight, and vision. 

As part of the art and narrative I’ve started to work on for My Own Beautiful, but Altered Brain, it was five years ago this month that I experienced my first encounter with optic neuritis.  Optic neurtis can be a relatively common flare up for those living with some autoimmune diseases, but this was my first introduction…arriving overnight and sticking around for about three weeks.  

Lots of doctors appointments, a batch of IV steroid treatments, and some new MRI testing ensued while I lived in world where initially I couldn’t even read the giant “E” on my neurologist’s eye chart with either eye.  Thankfully, my vision slowly restored to normal in about a month and the inflammation didn’t leave any serious permanent damage to the myelin surrounding my optic nerve fibers.

During this time of year, this experience especially offers me a constant reminder of appreciation.  This 5 x 4 gratitude collage on chunky stretched canvas provides an important visual reminder, acknowledgment, & celebration for hindsight + foresight = vision.  And on the back of the canvas I have written my many, many thanks with a little touch of kindsight. 

Hindsight | Understanding the nature of an event after it has happened.

Foresight | Providence by virtue of planning prudently for the future.

Vision | The act or power of sensing with the eyes; sight.

Top 10: Impact of Trauma and Neglect on the Developing Child with Dr. Bruce Perry

Yesterday I had the pleasure to hear again (but this time for the entire day!) clinician, researcher, author, and internationally recognized authority on childhood trauma, Dr. Bruce Perry who was in Cleveland as the keynote speaker for the Domestic Violence and Child Advocacy Center‘s Power of Prevention event in honor of National Child Abuse Prevention Month.   

Below are my Top 10 favorite topics and concepts (in no particular order) that Dr. Perry spoke about throughout the day to address the Impact of Trauma and Neglect on the Developing Child, as well as some links to his writings online or video associated with the content:

My Top 10 from Dr. Bruce Perry's Presentation

 

• The Brain Matters
• Sensory based “bottom up regulation”
• Repetitive, Rhythmic, Patterned Behavior
• Self-regulation
• Relational enrichment / Relational impoverished
• Response caregiving: Present, attentive, attuned, responsive
• Attachment is a memory: “the present is filtered through the past”
• Differential “state” reactivity
• Be present, parallel, patient: Dr. Perry’s “three Ps” that are essential for all those working with traumatized youth
• Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics

Dr. Perry’s three sessions and his examples were so very inspiring, validating, and enriching.  I really enjoyed the amount of time we were able to spend with Dr. Perry to learn in person about his experiences, research, and his considerations for best practices when working with and meeting the complex needs of traumatized children.

I also enjoyed seeing the amount of attendees and agencies who came out for this day (300+ locally and from out of town), who are also interested in learning more about trauma informed work.   There was also a good representation of art therapists who attended- Yay!

For more information on Dr. Perry’s work, additional resources, and training check out The Child Trauma Academy website at www.childtrauma.org.

Acts of Creative Blessing: Permission ATC Swap

This week I joined the Permission Artist Trading Card Swap being organized by Lani over at 14 Secrets for a Happy Artist’s Life.  What a great idea: swapping art and inspiring messages with one another in the form of a mini creative blessings!

Here’s the first batch of ATCs I have been working on to contribute to the exchange:

Permission to: Shine, Fly, Feel, Create

And my second batch…..

Permission to Grow, Follow Your Heart, Be True

Interested in joining the exchange too?  There’s still time-! Learn more information about how to participate here.

Instant Inspiration Monday: SMASH + Gluebooks

Today is Instant Inspiration Monday, being led by Nicole Levesque over at her blog Inner Expressions Art Therapy.   I love this collaborative concept she has created promoting creativity, the use of social media, and the fun of collaboration!  Every Monday Nicole invites the blogosphere to “share an image  of something that sparked your creativity or a project you are currently working on”.   You can blog about it, upload a photo with Instagram, or share your inspiration through other photo sharing sites such as Photobucket or Flickr.  Wonderful!

My contribution to Instant Inspiration Monday is my growing love of anything SMASH related.   My SMASH inspiration started with a few stickies and a SMASH pen (one end pen + one end glue stick = brilliant!), but this week-end I added a SMASH mini-book,  pad, and stamp to my growing collection for creative fun.

Learn more about SMASH here:

My snapshot for Instant Inspiration Monday is a page from my SMASH book, where I’ve been putting down my ideas and excitement about my Gluebook workshop for 6 Degrees of Creativity 2 starting this summer:

My combined interests in collage, creating portable art through artist trading cards, collecting paper, and making handmade altered books for art journaling led me to learn more about the idea of gluebooks.  I am excited to add SMASH to this mix too!  I am inspired by the concept of gluebooks to creatively share experiences, memories, and ideas through the daily collection of paper related discoveries that can then be transformed into art!

Inspired!  :)

Art Therapy, Trauma, & Children | Lorain County Collaborative on Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Annual Conference

I am looking forward to contributing to this year’s Lorain County Collaborative on Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Annual Child Abuse Awareness Conference at Lorain County Community College’s Spitzer Conference Center in Elyria, Ohio this Wednesday, April 18.   The conference is one of the many events scheduled locally to recognize National Child Abuse Awareness Month and already has over 200 attendees registered!

As part of the conference, I will be presenting a two hour session highlighting the benefits of using art therapy in trauma intervention with children, which includes an overview of my work with youth who have experienced trauma and loss and art therapy’s role in addressing themes related to safety, resilience, and post traumatic growth through art expression.  This week-end I’ve been working on finalizing my presentation content and look forward to seeing those who have registered for the session!

There’s still time to register for the conference or make plans to attend the same day:

Lorain County Collaborative on Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Annual Child Abuse Awareness Conference- Lorain County Community College’s Spitzer Conference Center in Elyria.

This full day conference includes offerings focused on family violence and  child abuse prevention, human trafficking, investigations, and childhood trauma.   Cost: $50.00.  Discounts for students ($35.00) and agencies sending multiple staff members. Continental breakfast, lunch, and continuing education included.  Learn more from the Nord Center website.

Caine’s Arcade: Cardboard Boxes, Creativity & Crowdsourcing Inspiration

Checking out my Twitter feed this morning, I came across multiple status updates from tweeters raving about Caine’s Arcade- a short film about a 9 year old boy who created his own handmade arcade using his imagination, determination, and cardboard boxes from his dad’s used auto parts store in East LA during his summer vacation.  The film created by Interconnected’s Nirvan Mullick, is definitely a must watch and share!  I want to visit and get a fun pass!

You can learn more about the film at cainesarcade.com, including ways to follow, donate to Caine’s College Fund, operating hours of Caine’s Arcade, and information on future screenings.

It’s so awesome to see the power of social media and crowdsourcing being used to share and celebrate Caine’s amazing creativity! Keep the good vibes spreading!